Journey in 78 Steps

Daily Draw: Ace of Coins

my description:

A left hand reaches upward from clouds that are at the bottom of the card holding a large gold coin decorated with a five-petalled flower.  There are letters along the outside of the flower - I'm not sure I can read them all... they look like A, T, E, R, E (eater? terea? hmm...).  There is a pale grey ribbon loosely wrapped around the arm, labeled "Terra" and what looks like a zero with a slash in the middle of it.  Sheaves of wheat are also wrapped in the ribbon, and coins are raining down from the sky.

The sky itself is centered by the elemental symbol for Earth, in a calm blue shade and blue rays are coming out of it, covering the entire backgrop of the card.

The Ace of Coins as an earthy, material gift being presented is clear here, though the clouds and the blueness of the background make me think that this is earthy opportunity that needs to be thoughtfully applied.

There've been a couple Ace of Coins experiences today - my daughter, whose car got hit the other day while it was in a parking lot, recieved a check for its repair today from the other person's insurance company.. they were only out yesterday morning to inspect the damage, so this was an incredibly swift resolution.  The company also provided a rental while the car is being repaired, and throughout have been swift, polite and thorough.  Because her boyfriend works on cars and the repair is only requiring a replaced bumper and headlamp, she should have a decent amount of money left over from the check.

The other Ace of Coins experience shows a bit of the less favorable side of Ace energy and how it works for the positive even when it isn't experienced entirely positively.  When I went out last week to see the doctor and get my meds, I was put back on methotrexate, which is taken once a week.  And I've been on it long enough to know for sure it has a positive impact on reducing flaring - but I'd forgotten until I took it this morning how harsh it was and how long it took me to get used to it.  It's recommended you take it on a day when you've got nothing important going on, because you *will* feel like crap all day.

And I am.. my little pills that look like this coin... these little things that are vital to my health, come with a price.  To take this opportunity, I'm going to need to expect to not feel well once a week, and hope it doesn't take me so long this time to get used to it.

I'm ok with that and it's good to remember that opportunity doesn't come without cost, whether it's an upset stomach or banged up car.  The universe does have gifts to offer, but it's rare that they come with no strings attached.

Reading: Outlook for the Coming Week

I'm coming to the end of my time with the Druidcraft, so I thought I'd put it away with a look at the coming week.

Question: What is the most important thing for me to focus on this next week?

Key Focus for the Week:
Ace of Pentacles

Indeed.  Money (or the lack of it) is a highlighted issue this week, as I'm waiting on a check that will arrive on Friday and meanwhile things are so tight I'm needing to calculate toilet paper usage to make sure we get there. hah!  It's a short term state of broke to be gotten through.  Unfortunately, it's happening more often as gas and groceries go up - my current budget is no longer covering necessities and there's no more money to budget to it.

But beyond that, I'm also focusing on offering readings through LivePerson.  It's slow going and money earned is paid out monthly, so what I do this week is about bringing in a little extra money a few weeks from now, but it is a beginning.  It brings with it the potential for enough extra income in my budget to not have to have these periodic broke weeks where even the most basic requirements have to wait.  So..focus on that and ride out the week.

Strength I have to work with:
6 of Wands

Victory!  I like seeing this here - so we have to be a little creative and strategic about how to make do with what we've got until Friday.  We've done it before, we can do it again.  And most importantly, by beginning a plan to allow me to offer regular Tarot readings, I may be able to be victorious over this whole shortfall in income that makes it necessary to have broke-weeks far too often. 

I feel like this is just reminding me, "Eye on the prize, baby" and to stay positive.

Challenge I need to overcome:
VIII - Strength, rx

Keeping in mind the limits of my own strength is crucial here - both my mental and intuitive reserves (I want to be careful about not letting myself be drained by reading for more people that I normally do) and my physical reserves.  I have arthritis issues that can sometimes make typing painful enough that it effects my ability to read (hard to focus if every word hurts to 'say').  I notice that the weather this weeks includes some thunderstorm predictions and that usually augers more pain than normal.  I'll want to remember to balance what it is I want to do with how much energy I have to do it, and adjust accordingly.  I want to remember that, like any new project, half the battle is not overdoing things and getting worn out.

Advice:
3 of Wands

And here, a final reminder... what I'm doing right now is preparing for the future - I want to be forward thinking and not worry overmuch about just this week, but in the longterm benefits of the changes and effort I make right now.  Things will take time, and right now planning and small steps in the right direction are far more important than their immediate result.  The trees that make up the three wands in this image are small and fragile, but already starting to bud.  This is going to grow and develop, but I need to give it time.