Today’s meditation was eleven minutes and sixteen seconds, and focused on the three types of learning.  These styles of learning are through the word of others, through your own research, and through actually doing.  It discussed how each type has its place in the process of one’s development of new skills, but it is the last of the three that really cements home changes in one’s skills and abilities.

I think this is especially true and very clear to see in when people are learning the tarot (or any divinitory system).   Books can only take you so far, watching others can only take you so far… research and study can only take you so far.  It is only once you begin actually reading with the cards (or other system) that you begin to cement into place your knowledge and methods and find the confidence and strength that only hands on experience can lend.

Today’s draw is the Five of Swords (the Mako Shark), which is a representation of trials, tests, hardship, conflict, and struggles in the area of one’s thoughts, logic, communication, instincts, intellect, and challenges.

In the guidebook for this deck, the Mako Shark’s keywords are dominance, power, fearlessness, drive, cunning, and endurance.

This card is really good for today, and I would like to share a quote from the Journey into the Hidden Realms book that demonstrates perfectly how I see the appearance of the Five of Swords in today’s draw.

“… while things look chaotic and dangerous, they aren’t as bad as you are making them out to be…. just let the situation play out naturally, it’ll blow over soon. Trying to take action now will only bring regrets.”

This is exactly right for today as I learned yesterday (along with multitudes of other sellers on the site) that Etsy has decided to completely revamp their advertising platform.  This is a platform that has worked VERY good for me over the years, and what they are incorporating into the new platform involves LESS control as well as the inclusion of a venue that has never worked well for me at all.  Because there are less controls, this means there’s no way to opt out of that advertising venue without curtailing advertising through them entirely.

I’ve been mulling over what I want to do about this, as I definitely have issue with a number of the changes.  I needed guidance, although I had not yet chosen to turn to the cards for it.   The cards, though, stepped up to provide that guidance regardless.

For the time being, I will take the “wait and see” route.  Once the dust has settled, then I will go back and review my options and make a more educated decision.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot