Just keep swimming……

Published by Alison Cross on

Paddling like mad?

So, I haven’t fallen down some cunningly-disguised rabbit hole in the park.  I’m still here, but still not quite mastering the juggling act that is required for my life right now.

Some people make it all look so seamlessly easy, but I wonder whether they are like swans – all glamour on the surface, but paddling like crazy beneath the water line:

Or maybe they’ve got a nanny.  Or a woman that Comes In And Does.

I can live without a nanny – Sonshine goes to secondary school now.  Although I admit there are some evenings when he sits plaintively next to the computer, willing me to drag myself away from the flickering blue screen and down to the kitchen to make some food.

Hmmm – maybe I should still consider a nanny.

A woman (or man!) who can clean and tidy? I would LOVE someone to come in and do the housework around me  Like my mother, but without the attitude.

But here’s the thing.

*whispers*  I don’t REALLY need one.  If I could just learn to handle things in the right order, I’m pretty confident that I would stop wakening up at 3am worrying about how far behind I am with….EVERYTHING.

Y’see, I am very good at dealing with urgent things.  But not terribly good at avoiding the urgent and UNIMPORTANT things.  That’s why you’ll find me fiddling on Facebook while Rome metaphorically burns around me.  Well, that’s a bit dramatic – a stack of laundry with the dimensions of a small European country teeters precariously behind me.

So, today it’s allllll about the time management.  And the Courts, of course.

Using the DruidCraft Tarot deck:

THE TIME MANAGEMENT SPREAD

Dear Druidcraft I’ve got THREE questions for you:

1  WHO can possibly help me improve my time management?
2  HOW will this character help me improve my time management?
3  WHAT does this character warn me against?

Card 1 – who helps me?  (chosen from the 16 courts, randomly)

This is good, I like the Queen of Wands.  But I’m feeling that she’s literally here to put a rocket up my ass. Which is less good.  Look at that Wand.  Pointy. You don’t want that anywhere near your ass. Look at that heavily-lidded expression.  She’s not about to take any of my limp-wristed excuses for continually fannying about, is she?

The fire that burns behind her is where I need to put my rubbish.  And for ‘rubbish’ read ‘most of what I do every day’.  Do I REALLY need to read up every page posting to my time line on facebook? Do I REALLY need to read the conversations between magazine columnists on Twitter? No – I don’t.  Do I need to spend hours going over and over the Radio Bute Tarot Show? No, I don’t.  By all means get it done and get it sounding good, but don’t agonise over every mangled vowel or stumbled word.  Continue to edit out the frustrated profanity though πŸ™‚

The Queen of Wands is all about taking action, but she’s not rushing about like a mad thing is she? She’s seated on her throne.  This Queen knows how to get things done without getting caught up in BUSY.

I could certainly do with a dose of that.

Card 2: HOW does she help me?  (chosen from rest of cards)

The Queen of Wands is going to help me by jabbing me with her Wand and reminding me of the importance of the Ace of Cups

The Cups suit is all about emotions and relationship.  I think the key here is relationship.  What is my relationship to what is taking up my time?

 “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” 
                                                                            Mark Twain




I think that I need to bear this in mind.  What are the relationships that count? Focus on THEM.

Card 3: What does The Queen of Wands warn me against?

She warns me against a trait of her own suit – 10 of Wands – failing to handle my various ‘Wands’ properly.  The guy in this card could easily carry that bundle – they’re hardly heavy-looking.  But he’s turning it into a real meal because he’s not sussed out how to handle them efficiently.  Be efficient.  I need to be efficient.

So – in summary – my time management can be improved by The Queen of Wands.  Use her energies to discern what relationships are important to me AND matter to the other party too.  That’s where I should focus.  Get efficient – it’s not that I’m doing too much, I’m handling it badly.  Get my bundle sorted out and all will be well.

Where are YOU not efficient in your life? Try the spread and see what comes up for you – I’d love to know whether it helps you!

……so a couple of hours have gone past since I did this reading and I’ve decided that my relationship HERE with YOU is important to me.  We’ll see what the Queen of Wands has got to say about that!


Alison Cross

The Tarot's Court Cards are my specialist area.Β  They talk to me. Not LITERALLY though ....

24 Comments

Little Red · 28th January 2013 at 11:09 am

Great spread, thank you! There's so much lovely blogging around at the moment, feels like everyone's taken it up a notch lately.
Also this: '… Like my mother, but without the attitude'
Hehe!

alisoncross · 27th January 2013 at 4:27 pm

You need to be kind to yourself Sharon – you are clearly turning yourself inside out to accommodate the needs of those other people. Loved your take on the Salmon of the Wildwood – beautiful.

Ali x

Sharon · 26th January 2013 at 10:13 pm

A wonderful spread and a fab reading!

Time management is a dirty two word phrase in our house. I need to find some middle ground between organising everyone and everything like Maaaatron from one of those old Carry On films, and collapsing on the sofa for days at a time because they've all done my head in πŸ˜‰

Anyways… I has tried your spread on yonder blog – http://newmoontarot.tumblr.com/post/41553186305/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-wildwood

And got a bit of a shock so ta muchly Alison! That's not irony I really do mean to say thanks πŸ™‚

Inner Whispers · 23rd January 2013 at 3:12 pm

Another great spread, Ali, you're an inspiration! I got all wands cards – including the 10 at the end, just like you! Anyhow, I've blogged about it. If you're interested, you'll find that here: http://innerwhisperscouk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/alisons-time-management-spread.html πŸ™‚

    alisoncross · 27th January 2013 at 4:21 pm

    Read it and commented on it πŸ˜€

    Ali x

Bonkers · 23rd January 2013 at 3:25 am

Nice reading and nice spread – another to try out sometime ;]

And yeah, time management…a challenge for us all methinks…

    alisoncross · 23rd January 2013 at 10:04 am

    Constant challenge for me, Bonkers. I am not too bad when it's just my son and I because he hasn't a clue about what I have failed to do that day, but when my partner is home, he sees me faffing around on the computer and not doing very much of anything else. He gets irritable. I get guilty. Time Management is the key πŸ˜€

    Ali x

Carla · 22nd January 2013 at 6:55 pm

I'll be trying your time management spread, but for now I'd like to ask…do you REALLY need to be on Facebook at all? The most liberating thing I've done for myself in years is to leave Facebook. I know that is out of the question to some people, but…there is life without it.

    Carla · 22nd January 2013 at 10:01 pm

    My reading suggested I avoid tearing myself down to try to build myself up and be more nurturing in my time management, to both myself and others. http://rowantarot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/and-there-was-times-id-take-my-pen-and.html

    alisoncross · 27th January 2013 at 4:25 pm

    I read your post Carla and thought that your take on the cards was great – so be kind to yourself! I hear what you're saying about facebook and social networking….they can be the most dreadful time sucks (but loads of fun!) and I need to get on top of them. For a while I was pretty good, but it kinda fell by the wayside a bit! I need to limit myself to logging on to them only a couple of times a day. Instead of my unsual behaviour. Which is incessant πŸ˜€

    Ali x

Unknown · 22nd January 2013 at 6:48 pm

In the interests of time efficiency, I applied your cards to myself. The message for me is to get out of my own way – I have all the tools and resources I need, I just need to be consistent about using them!

    alisoncross · 27th January 2013 at 4:21 pm

    Sounds great! How are you at consistency?!

    Ali x

Anonymous · 22nd January 2013 at 5:38 pm

Hmm. Did the time management spread. Part of it makes sense. More with sticking pointed things up one's ass, since I got the Queen of Swords. How can she help me? Three of Pentacles. OK. Get clear and focused on mastering my craft; I've got what it takes, just need to avoid distraction and maintain good relationships with clients/patrons. Now, what the hell do I do with the Star? That's the third card. So, don't get stuck in hope and inspiration? We could take the card more literally and given the previous ones call it advice not to be bedazzled by the stars and keep my focus down to earth (although that's more of a Seven of Cups mentality). Any ideas on how to integrate the Star as something to avoid?

    alisoncross · 22nd January 2013 at 6:05 pm

    I think that warning you against the Star is possibly encouraging you not to rely on hope or to spend your time dreaming about things (without there being some sort of goal to navigate towards)?

    The Queen of Swords isn't exactly a dreamer, so don't be frittering your time hoping that something will happen because SHE says that it's all about hard work and hoping and dreaming won't be helpful right now?

    Having a dream – a goal – something to work towards? That's something that the QoS would be pleased with πŸ˜€

    Anonymous · 22nd January 2013 at 6:22 pm

    Yep, that was kinda the direction I was going in, especially given it's the Queen of Swords speaking. Thanks, Ali!

Anonymous · 22nd January 2013 at 3:25 pm

Agreeing with Ruth here. Great spread. Will try it out today in a few minutes. And about the radio show editing: I, too, got caught up in "making it perfect" when I began my interview show a couple of years ago (I am now temporarily retired from Internet radio, but, who knows?) and time with Audacity (the sound editing program) took up quite a bit of my time each week. I did learn, as you are, that it doesn't have to be perfect and to just take out the stupid long pauses and whatnot (maybe the profanity!) and it will be just fine.

Back to the laundry, actually, for me…:)

Joanna Ash · 22nd January 2013 at 10:38 am

What a great post! Very inspiring Ali!

Ruth · 21st January 2013 at 3:29 pm

Ali, you are indeed doing a lot – and being pro that you are, you do it great! (Your blogs, radio show, let alone house work and other things!) As per: "Do I REALLY need to read up every page posting to my time line on facebook? Do I REALLY need to read the conversations between magazine columnists on Twitter?" Well, you know, nowadays one who answers that satisfactory should indeed be awarded the Nobel!
Oh, and Qow is the charmer, the charismatic one, i think here also an aspect of you which says: manage the time according to your liking, which gives you the most pleasure and is most fun – that goes first πŸ˜‰

    alisoncross · 22nd January 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Ruth – Part of the problem is that I DO 'manage' (hollow laugh!) my time according to what gives me pleasure and fun. Hence the reason why you always see me on Facebook or bumbling about in an on-line bookshop somewhere πŸ˜€ But maybe I need to focus on the important stuff that is also pleasure and fun!

    She is very charming and charismatic – maybe I should spend some time becoming a bit more like her!

    Ali x

    Anonymous · 22nd January 2013 at 6:20 pm

    But Ali, you already are charming and charismatic. Your Queen of Wands is only hidden from you in the mirror. The rest of us can see her! πŸ™‚

    alisoncross · 27th January 2013 at 4:22 pm

    *snortles* You're very kind, Joanne πŸ˜€ I must get my Windolene out and polish up my mirror!

    Ali x

Vivianne · 21st January 2013 at 3:04 pm

I look like I'm doing it easy & seamlessly owing to drugs & gin. I recommend it πŸ™‚

    alisoncross · 21st January 2013 at 3:27 pm

    I cannot be taking the gin because I am also taking the tranexamic acid because I am the Goddess of Perpetual Menstruation these days *sigh* However, am eyeing up the co-codamol. ANYTHING except tackle the ironing πŸ˜€

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