I made this card about two years ago and today it finally showed up in my Daily Reading!  I can’t believe it took that long to turn up in one of my Daily Readings, and other cards show up time after time!

Also, FYI- Seena is now suggesting that everyone have a “Gratitude Card” for their deck.  So start thinking about how to add a little gratitude to your deck!

Who are you? I am the one who says thank you.  I am the one who closes my eyes and hears the language of my heart, where true gratitude lies.  I am the one who expresses thanksgiving for all the love and beauty and growth that is in my life.  I am the one who knows that ALL GOOD THINGS spring forth from even the tiniest acts of gratitude.

What do you want from me? I want you to say thank you, no matter what your internal/external weather is.  When the trees of your life are barren and dark and cold, I want you to recognize the love that still surrounds you.  I want you to say thank you to the people in your life who lift you up and support you.

What do you have to give me? I give you the ability and desire to say “thank you” to Spirit, to God, and to the people in your life who have given you: love, time, prayer, grace, attention, money, pleasure, joy.

Well, I made this card in the spring, but just drew it today in a Daily Reading, and found it had MUCH to say to me!  I was a little surprised, because it’s not exactly what I thought it was about!

Who are you? I am the one who is waking up from a long winter in my cocoon.  I am the one who is discovering my wings.  I am the one who is learning to fly. I am the one who is green, greening against the black shattering of my past.  I am the one who is becoming.  I am the one who didn’t know I am a beautiful butterfly because I’ve been so busy sleeping in my cocoon, aware of nothing but my own inner breath.  I am the one who is leaving behind what WAS, and is stepping out of in-between-ness into my true, gloriously beautiful self.

What do you have to give me? I give you the energy of “becoming” who you really are.  I give you the gift of waking up.  Each time you meditate, you receive and embrace this gift a little more fully.

What do you want from me? I want you to relax and allow yourself to become who you are.  Stop trying so hard. Look at me.  I am just allowing it to happen. It’s not force that is making my wings unfurl, see?  Be still and it will all just happen on its own.

I made this card intentionally to honor the part of me who really feels a deep connection to cats.

Who are you? I am the one who holds cats dearly to my heart.  I am the one who speaks to Sasha and Scooter and Minnie and Tucker, heart to heart.  I am the one who listens to the cats with my eyes closed, who goes inside to hear what they are saying.  I am the one who loves cats, and delights in the love and comfort that they bring me.  I am the one who knows what my cats need and want.  I am the one who listens to their stories even though they cannot speak.  I am the one they tell their stories to.

What do you have to give me? I give you a mystical, inexplicable connection to your cats. What do you want from me? I want you to know that you don’t need to hire an “animal communicator.”  I want you to know that you can do the same thing, with Spirit’s help.  Follow your own inner wisdom and you will know exactly what your furry darlings are telling you.

Notes from Daily Readings: July 17, 2007- I am the one who loves my cats, who holds them near my heart, who lets free the one who doesn’t want to be held.  I am the one who savors the comfort and deep joy even as I give it to them.  My message for you today is this: They are safe.  When your arms are not available to hold them, the Angels’ arms await.  Do not worry.  They are NEVER alone.

I’ve been aware of this particularly powerful and needy voice all of my life.  I believe I inherited it from my mother.

However, the more inner work I do, the more I realize that this voice gets in the way of my living a full and joyful life.  I made this card about a year ago and I notice that whenever I work with it, the fears lessen and more joy can flood my soul.

Who are you? I am the one who is afraid to enjoy all the sweetness and lush fullness of life.  I am the one who is certain that something bad is going to happen any minute to destroy my beautiful life.  I am the one who keeps looking out of the corner of my eye for the next disastrous thing to happen.  I am the one who doesn’t trust that life is good.  I am the one who is always worried about the future.  I am the one who can’t/doesn’t/won’t enjoy the abundance that is right in front of me because it all might be taken away from me at any moment.  I am the one who is nervous and anxious all the time, too tense to enjoy life, too focused on what might happen in the future, to enjoy the gorgeousness of this present moment right now.

What do you have to give me? My voice gives you a signal that you are too focused on the future.  My voice, my fear- is a signal to you that you need to breathe yourself back into the present moment. 

What do you want from me? I want you to hold me in your arms and tell me that you will always take care of me, no matter what happens.  I want you to reassure me that you will care for and be here for me, always, no matter what.  I want you to tell me (over and over again) that even though bad things happen, there is still a bright side of the road and that you will help me to get there, no matter what happens to me.  I want you to remind me (over and over and over again) to stay in the present moment, and to focus on what IS, RIGHT NOW, instead of focusing on what MIGHT happen in the future.

 This is a very powerful card, and working with it brought me MUCH inner growth and awareness.  Here is a poem that I wrote about this once very loud inner voice. Born of ancient wounds, that voice inside of me who says no to living a big, wide, joyful, gorgeous, artful, authentic life.

Born of ancient tears and hiding, That voice within says No you can’t lose weight You will never lose the weight If you lose the weight you won’t be connected to your mother anymore If you lose the weight you will be giving yourself The biggest gift of joy you can give

And that just isn’t done.

Born of earliest lies and fear of pain, That voice within tells me I am not worthy Of joy, Of a big beautiful easy life, Of abundance Of having whatever it is that I want.

I speak to this voice. I scoot my chair close to her and listen to what she says I tell this voice that I understand her, I really get what she is saying to me, Because I do.

She looks me in the eye and some of her sadness is laid to rest.

We discuss her thoughts and ideas. She tells me how she came to be, That she is tired of holding her arms out, so, And blocking this important doorway

She asks me if I really want to cross the threshold that she is
standing in And I say a resounding YES.

She smiles briefly, lowers her arms, sits on the floor.

I could step around her now if I wanted to But I do not. I sit still with her and continue to listen For she has much wisdom to impart.

She is the voice of NO that lives inside of me Her positive intent is to assist me in drawing boundaries, To point out the places Where a NO could really mean YES to my soul To show me there is no shame in a NO That makes me feel good inside.

Her negative potential blocks me from entering the doorway of Joyful life Her negative potential is slowly draining away now The more I listen to her The more she trusts me

Her negative potential is ebbing back to sea And foaming at my naked feet now Are the sparkling waves of

Joy

Wholeness

Presence

YES.