Yule Blog Hop | The Joy of Gifting

Published by Alison Cross on

Welcome to the Yule Tarot Blog hop!  Before we go any further, this is your navigation link to the blogs that flank me for this hop *waves to Mary and Stella*



Our blog wrangler is the lovely Arwen Lynch and she set us the following questions which we are to answer through a Tarot spread:

  • Card 1:  What gift would you give the world if you could?
  • Card 2: What gift would you want from the world?
  • Card 3: What gift have you gotten that has brought you joy?
  • Card 4: What gift have you given that has brought you joy?
  • Card 5: What is one last thing you would like to share about this season?

Because Tarot-thones.com is all about the court cards, I decided that my answers would have to come from the Court Cards.
Since I have not managed to sneak in another blog post using Alexander Daniloff’s amazing Tarot for aaaaaages, let me take this last blog hop of 2014 to use them one final time!
I have removed the 16 Court Cards from the deck and will now shuffle the Courts only, asking each question and drawing a card as an answer to that question.
No fancy layout required for this one!
Card 1:  What gift would you give the world if you could?

The King of Swords

As a blend of Fire and Air, this guy’s actions and thoughts must be consistent in order for him to be healthy.  He likes to know everything about what he’s involved in so that there are no nasty surprises.  Clarity and honesty are watchwords with him.

This King will organise everything, from the multi-million pound company take-over strategy right down to the family picnic, to the finest detail. All this thinking (he’s a person of lists – pros and cons) can slowly paralyse him and that’s when the King of Swords starts to become unhealthy.

He also has high personal standards and expects other people to live up to them. When people fall short, he can be scathing in his criticism. However he is equally tough on himself when he too fails to live up to his own standards.  And since none of us are perfect, he often makes himself unnecessarily miserable.

But in a week where we have experienced the horror of the school massacre in Pakistan and the Sydney Lindt Cafe seige, the gift that I would give the world, if I possibly could, is the discernment and wisdom of the King of Swords.


Card 2: What gift would you want from the world?


The Page of Pentacles

This is the first of THREE of the four Pages in my spread! The Page of Pentacles is Earth of Earth.  This Page begins new experiences.  This could be in health, in wealth or in the home.


What would I like him to bring me healthwise? I’m too heavy for my height and a nice gift would be to start taking better care of my health.


Wealthwise? I could do with bringing in more money in 2015 and am hoping that my Year in The Wildwood Tarot e-book will still be able to go ahead, despite the changes to tax on digital products in Europe.


Homewise? Perhaps I could do with being more present at home, rather than living most of my life virtually?  I could start focussing more on the modelling that I’m doing for my son (stuck in front of a computer, messy desk, lack of interest in keeping home nice.  I am not overly keen on house-work, what can I say?)

Card 3:  What gift have you gotten that has brought you joy?


Page of Wands

Ah this can only be my own little Page of Wands!  Fourteen years old and obsessed with Minecraft and Kerbal Space Program (don’t ask) he is a ray of sunshine in my life.  He is sunny-natured, always walks with a bounce in his step (as a child he skipped everywhere!), developing a nicely warped sense of humour, creative (you should see the space ships in Kerbal and the palaces in Minecraft!) and keen as mustard to grow up!

Please don’t be sick, but the gift that the world has given me that has brought me the greatest joy is my son πŸ™‚

Card 4:  What gift have you given that has brought you joy?


The King of Pentacles

I try to give people practical gifts and (typical Leo) I am prone to spending too much money!  Money and generosity – King of Pentacles!

For example, this year, my mum is getting a water floss (like a toothbrush, but for flossing).  Hubby is getting a cover for his Kindle…. and, no doubt, brake pads or a suspension-enhancing kit for the car.  Not mentioning anything about my son.  Just in case he reads this…

The gift that I have given that has brought me greatest joy, ever?  The actual wrapped-up-you-shouldn’t-have pressie? I honestly can’t think of anything specific.

But, want the schmaltzy answer? Giving my old racing greyhound a home and the gift of life to Sonshine were pretty unbeatable as far as bringing myself joy!

Card 5:  What is one last thing you would share about this season?

Page of Cups

Gentle and affectionate, the Page of Cups comes up to show us the last thing that I would share about the season.  He is as open-hearted as his Cup.

This Page, whose tender feelings and flights of imagination are so easily bruised and battered by cynicism, ridicule and downright cruelty deserves to be the standard bearer for the season, just as much as his suit.

Ignore the Scrooges, says the Page of Cups!  Wear your Christmas sweater with pride!  Kiss beneath the mistletoe! Call out ‘Merry Christmas’ to strangers in the rain!

His message is the title of the biography of one of my favourite comics, Bill Hicks:  Love all the people.

Have a lovely time!

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Alison Cross

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

20 Comments

Inner Whispers · 23rd January 2015 at 8:13 am

I do hope you find a way around the digital tax stuff! As for the weight question, that's something I'm working on for later this year… I've lost 8 kilos in the last four months πŸ™‚ Will email you a suggestion.
I guess, unlike Ania, I'm not a bah humbugger, as your post had my eyes damp and a big smile on my face!
Cxx

Olivia Destrades · 4th January 2015 at 3:00 am

I love how you describe the King of Swords – his actions must correlate with his thoughts. It does make sense, of course, but you know, it's like looking for the jam jar in the refrigerator when it's right in front of your nose πŸ˜€ It's a really apt description for Fire/Air and I rather like it! I also like the idea of your son *maybe* reading your posts, it's really sweet!

Vivianne · 23rd December 2014 at 9:50 am

Card 2, about the housework: The Queen of Pentacles would hire a Lady-That-Does. And also therefore gives the gift of employment to someone πŸ™‚
You are very Page of Cups xx

    Alison Cross · 23rd December 2014 at 9:56 am

    I have thought about it – a couple of hours a week would be great – and then of course – a 24 hour blitz before Tartarus comes home πŸ˜€ Thanks v much re Page of Cups <3 <3

Fiona Morris · 22nd December 2014 at 5:54 pm

Loved seeing the focus on characters in your reading. Lots of youthful pages running around, time to have fun and get playful with our inner children πŸ™‚

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 7:03 pm

    I was quite surprised to see so many Pages. I could do with some Page playfulness in 2015!

Joy Vernon · 22nd December 2014 at 5:02 pm

I felt very King of Swords organizing the tarot meetup holiday party, which was yesterday. A lot of what you said about that card here resonated. Including color-coded spreadsheets of the duties of everyone on my leadership team who was assisting with the party. And still as prepared as I tried to be, I made some gargantuan blunders! I might add that some benefits of the King of Swords are quick decisions and technology–that particular combination was quickly put into place by a couple of my team members to fix my biggest flub-up, and hardly a beat was missed. As far as the participants were concerned, the party went without a hitch! And I always like seeing that Daniloff deck–thanks for sharing it.

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 7:02 pm

    Glad to hear that the party went off without a hitch! I'm too far away from my Meetup Group Tarot pals to organise anything at this time of year, but hopefully we'll have a post-Christmas Bash in the New Year!

Tarot By Arwen · 22nd December 2014 at 4:43 pm

I think it is perfection that you mention Sonshine. You made me smile BIG with this post.

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 7:00 pm

    Thanks Arwen! I haven't had internet today so am going to start reading up the blogs after dinner πŸ™‚

Helen A. Howell · 21st December 2014 at 8:48 pm

Loved this reading! Merry Christmas to you and yours. ^_^

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 7:00 pm

    To you too! May everyone you love be healthy and happy πŸ™‚

Machelle · 21st December 2014 at 8:39 pm

Awesome that you used court cards only and thank you for the word schmaltzy. Lol

Tina Brooks · 21st December 2014 at 7:30 pm

The King of Pents does look angry.

I love this deck. I look forward to finding it one day in my collection!

(Lookitme collecting decks… I never thought that would happen!)

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 6:59 pm

    The new edition is much less expensive than the original edition, although it's still more expensive than a commercially produced deck. I bought the new edition too – same cards, different card back, unsigned. Worth a punt with your Christmas money! <3

Alison · 21st December 2014 at 7:28 pm

You've also given some of us the opportunity to explore new decks – thank you for that gift!

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 6:58 pm

    You're very welcome! I didn't think about that πŸ˜€ I hope that some of them make it to your collection!

Ania · 21st December 2014 at 6:31 pm

I'm in a bit of Bah Humbug mood today. I think the mountainous and insurmountable volume of tidying that needs to be done before Wednesday has sent me into spin cycle of depression and I feel rather like that miserable/angry looking King of Pents looks πŸ™

    Alison Cross · 22nd December 2014 at 6:57 pm

    None of the Courts look particuarly jovial – perhaps they take themselves too seriously! Hoping that the tidying cycle ends exactly when it should and it doesn't become a spiral of tidying/untidying/tidying etc!

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