Present Path Tarot
Navigate to your best life
Tag: writing
The Power of Persistence
This week, I absorbed a fantastic 5-hour documentary about one of my favorite directors, called Mr. Scorsese, made by Rebecca Miller.
Whether you enjoy his films or not, you likely know his name. (Fair warning: these movies are often violent and not for everyone).
I have seen 17 of his films and enjoyed all but one (Skip The Irishman). My favorites are Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Departed, Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
What feels relevant to share is how struck I was by the trajectory of his career. With so much success over five decades, I presumed he could rely consistently on being a wanted talent.
Nope. It was constant up’s and down’s…
AI Ad vs. Reality: What’s in the Box?
For your entertainment, I have made an unboxing video of the thing I warned you not to buy.
Three months ago, I shared about this item that I knew was advertised with AI images and suspected was fake.
When I found it for cheap, curiosity got the best of me. I had to know, ‘What’s in the booooox??”
Uplevel Your Costume (or Find Your Idea)
I have been a costume nerd for over 25 years. This includes spending much of my free time over the last decade being a part of Risk of Change, a sacred mummer ambiance troupe that wow’s at Oregon Country Fair and at paid gigs around Portland.
Despite closets full of costume options, I still sometimes get that last minute anxious panic as to what I am going to be for Halloween. Luckily, I love the creative journey that this panic takes me on, and I want to offer you some ways to access or enhance your own perfect costume this year.
Defeating Your Draggin’ Dragon
Over the last two weeks, I have finally completed a project that I procrastinated for over 3 years. I am relieved and exhausted.
During the long era of paralyzed delay, the anxiety around my failure to take action on it felt like a tight grip around my chest. Whenever the subject was brought up, I would slip into a shame spiral of sighs and grumbles.
Sometimes you swirl around in avoidance of a task, only to find that it is way easier and less time consuming than you expected.
This was not that case.
Free Reading for July
Happy Independence Day in the USA
May we all take part in the freedoms we enjoy the most and cherish our democracy over this weekend and beyond.
Self-expression is a precious right that I am about to go relish as I play in a variety of costumes with my troupe, Risk of Change. Started by a group of gay men adjacent to the radical faeries in the 1980’s, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year!
Last week, a wonderful 1-hour documentary about the Oregon Country Faire came out that includes highlights of our crew.
You might even catch a quick shot of me dressed up as my gnome, Oomph von Ploomph!
The Gentle Way Through Overwhelm
I often overbook myself, take on too much, and resist pulling out of any commitments when I realize I am past my limits.
My German mom and workaholic dad taught me to just push on through the overwhelm. I am grateful for the fortitude they instilled in me, but I am trying to learn a new way.
I want to make different choices when I get this drained and fried out.
So I got up, and put away the tools and work gear. I tidied up the mess from the partially done big task. I accepted that it would reside in limbo.
This felt like a big shift for me. I didn’t push through. I backtracked. I paused. I prioritized my focus on one zone to manage, instead of spreading myself too thin.
Empress Card: What is the Feminine about?
Today, let’s talk about all things Maternal with the Empress Card.
When I was traveling in my late 20’s, a wise woman helped me understand that my feminine self was shadowed by my masculine.
I grew up in a neighborhood full of boys, and I loved being included as one of them. We rode bikes and did trick endo’s by shoving our foot in the front tire.
I came home from ballgames, WWF mockups, skateboarding, and kick the bucket covered in bruises, concrete scrapes, and knowing all the worst insults an elementary kid could dare.
When I started the Thundercats club in a neighbor’s side yard, I insisted that I be Lion-O, and was verbally battled with to accept being Cheetara. She wasn’t the leader though, and I was the one who started the club. Me.
I already saw the feminine as marginalized and lesser, and so I valued my masculine traits more.
Now a young adult woman, I felt inspired to ponder on what it even means to be feminine. This in turn informed my concept of the Empress card in my tarot deck.
Big News!
This week, I have some really big news that I hope you’ll celebrate with me.
For the last 6 years or so, I have worked as a reader with Portlandia Fortune Tellers. Run by a wonderful couple, Jay and Jadzia, they provide a team of skilled and fabulous readers for local events.
Many times, I would think on how much I would love to be more involved and even manage this company myself.
This May, Jay called me with an offer to purchase the company…
How to Help Life Suck Less
Scrolling through Reddit this week, I came across a post on r/ask simply titled, “Does Life Suck? Why / why not?”
People gave all variety of answers, from long pep talks to short, sullen statements to philosophical meanderings.
It got me thinking about how both are inherently true, life has lovely aspects and awful aspects, and we are all going to get a mix.
The real question is how to make life suck less.
It’s different for each of us, but here are some of my personal tried and true ways . . .
Schedule in Summer Stress Relief
Summer can feel stressful with all the abundant options for fun and work and gardening and house projects and and and . . .
I constantly have to remind myself to schedule in downtime and leave space between big efforts.
That’s why I am grateful to be grounding inward on Tuesdays with some quiet community scribble time.
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