Monday, March 31, 2025

What the Nine of Cups Really Means

It’s not a satisfied man with his arms crossed. It’s a woman whose water just broke.

The Nine of Cups is often described as the “wish card” in tarot readings—a symbol of comfort, contentment, satisfaction, and wishes granted. With its neatly arranged golden cups and relaxed, welcoming figure, it’s usually read as a positive sign. But one day, I pulled this card and didn’t see the man at all.

Instead, I saw a woman in labor. The cups had spilled. The water had broken. Something was about to be born.
Nine of Cups from the Vision Tarot
At the time, I was visiting a new town, trying to decide if I should move there. The Nine of Cups told me: Yes, this is your place. The next stage of your life will begin here.

And it did.

That’s when I realized the deeper meaning of this card: it’s not the end of a journey and the achievement of goals. It’s the breath right before birth. The water before the first cry. The emotional release that signals something real is coming.

Keywords (Light Side)
  • Feeling of plenty
  • Wishes granted
  • Emotional fulfillment
  • Gratitude
  • Sensual pleasure
  • Water breaking before labor
Keywords (Shadow Side)
  • Dissatisfaction
  • Indulgence
  • Hidden emptiness
  • Emotional imbalance
  • Need for emotional counseling
Nine of Cups from the Rider-Waite Tarot
Birthing Chair
What the Nine of Cups really means: Wishes may be granted—but not always in the form you expect. This card invites you to prepare for something new to be born. Emotional release often comes just before transformation.

Whether you're learning tarot or deepening your practice, I invite you to look past the surface of the Nine of Cups and listen for what’s trying to be born.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Crossing the Threshold

I feel some hesitation as I prepare to commit to returning to the United States. I worry that the level of antisemitism I may encounter could be physically harmful—or at the very least, obstruct my progress. I'm also concerned that my lack of self-confidence might prevent me from securing well-paid employment. And I worry what I’m leaving behind, especially access to medical care.

So I’ve turned to my tarot deck and asked:

What insight can the tarot offer as I prepare to return to the U.S., especially regarding safety, confidence, and livelihood?

The Current Situation – What’s pushing or calling me to move?

Two of Wands
This card shows a figure holding a globe and gazing out over a wide landscape, contemplating the possibilities beyond his current life. I’m in that very moment—poised between the familiar and the unknown, weighing my choices. There’s a sense of longing, a push toward growth, but also uncertainty. The card affirms that I’m standing at the threshold, asking myself: What lies beyond?

The Main Challenge – What’s the core fear or obstacle I must confront?

The Hierophant
My greatest challenge may lie in navigating institutions, systems, and societal expectations. I fear being judged, excluded, or obstructed—particularly by antisemitism or employment hurdles. This card also reflects my inner struggle between tradition and autonomy: I want to stay true to myself and honor the tradition I love, but I’m unsure whether the U.S. will make space for that. I worry there may be no institutions to support me—or worse, some that actively resist who I am.

Hidden Strength – What support do I have that I may not recognize?

Ace of Wands
This card represents creative fire, courage, and the spark of inspiration. Even when my confidence wavers, the potential for inspired action is alive within me. I may underestimate my own energy, originality, or spiritual will—but it’s there. This card reminds me that I carry the fire to begin again. This isn’t just a relocation; it’s a path of spiritual renewal.

Advice or Action – How can I prepare myself to meet this transition well?

Temperance
A card of healing, balance, and integration. I have miles to go, but this is not a race—progress will come through patience and care. I must temper my fears with hope, and my grief with trust. Temperance advises practical planning, inner harmony, and slow unfolding. It calls me to blend body and soul, courage and caution, grief and readiness. My way forward is mindful, not rushed.

Likely Outcome – What direction is the energy flowing as I step forward?

The Hermit
This card speaks of solitude and spiritual depth. The road ahead may be lonely at times, but it offers the chance to gain clarity, inner strength, and wisdom. The Hermit walks a path of truth and self-discovery, and in doing so, becomes a guide to others. Though the journey won’t be easy, it can be deeply meaningful—and transformative.

Summary

This reading points to a thoughtful, spiritual transition. It doesn’t promise comfort or certainty—but it assures me that I already hold what I need: the vision (Two of Wands), the fire (Ace of Wands), the guidance (Temperance), and the wisdom (Hermit).

The core challenge lies in navigating systems (Hierophant) that may not always welcome me. But even so, I have the inner light to carry me through.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

A Rhyme for Returning Home

I purchased Sunrise on the Reaping the moment it became available and managed to make it last three days. I think it's Suzanne Collins’s best book in the series.

From that book, I've stolen Wiress’s rhyme and adapted it (with a little help) for my own purposes:

Work and save, spend with care,
Eat good food, breathe fresh air.
Find a job, give it heart,
Learn and grow, make a start.
Meet good folks, take my place,
Balance joy with logic’s grace.
Step outside, explore, be free—
Build my life and just be me.

It's based on my "to do" list for life back in the USA:
  • Make money and save money
  • Spend money on health (gym, healthy food, and supplements)
  • Get a job, buy a car, rent a cheap home
  • Engage in work enthusiastically
  • Study something (on my own or in a free class)
  • Make friends and find a community
  • Do it today so you can do something else tomorrow
  • Momentum and responsibility
  • Visualize a bright shining future
  • Listen to Captain Logic as often as I listen to Captain Fun (carefully chose a few YouTube videos and fill most of my free time with healthy positive things)
  • Go outside and visit cool new places
I had trouble memorizing the rhyme, but a friend suggested I put it to music. I've found it flows well to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Announcing My YouTube Channel: Mindful Migration

I recently launched a YouTube channel called Mindful Migration, where I’ll be sharing reflections on my return to the U.S. after eight years overseas. This new creative outlet is a way for me to stay positive and proactive as I begin again—seeking stability, growing with intention, and building a better life.

I hope it also offers something meaningful to others. If you're rebuilding from scratch or searching for inspiration to face life’s changes with courage and clarity, I invite you to join me on this journey.

Visit Mindful Migration on YouTube.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Kids are being robbed: they don't learn cursive handwriting OR Touch Typing!


I assume I’ll eventually figure out what Apple has done to its cursor pad… right now, it has me cursing quite a bit.

However, I am deeply disappointed that Apple no longer designs keyboards with adult human beings in mind. Instead, they seem to be catering to the exclusive needs of two-finger typists who thrive on inefficiency and chaos.

For instance, instead of a left shift key where it belongs, there’s a renegade apostrophe key (`) loitering there. If I actually want to capitalize something, I have to look down, relocate my entire hand, and then press shift as if it’s some kind of side quest.
The return key? Oh, don’t worry, that’s been thoughtfully replaced with a reverse slash (\) because obviously, what I really needed in my life was more accidental backslashes. To hit the actual return key, I have to look down (again), rehome my hand, and make a minor pilgrimage across the keyboard.
`i `hope That If `i `keep Practising, I Will Learn To Find The Shift `key Without Looking.
But\\
the
\return
key
is
too
far
away
to\
reach\
without moving my hand and looking at the keyboard

And surely I will find a way to switch from British spell-check to 'Murican soon! 


NOTE: For a while, it appeared that Apple had done away with click-and-drag; but that function can be restored in the System Settings -> Trackpad -> Force Click and Haptic Feedback