Make Your Blessings Count

Blessed is he who not only counts his blessings, but makes his blessings count.
- a refrigerator magnet
I’ve been feeling grateful lately—but also a little uneasy about whether I’m doing enough with the good I’ve been given. I’m thoroughly enjoying many aspects of life in the U.S., the comfort, the ease, the many luxuries, because each one feels like an enormous blessing. Still, I worry that I’m not showing enough gratitude. I’m not putting enough heart into my job, not taking enough walks to enjoy the weather and scenery, and not making an effort to meet people or make friends.

So I did a reading with The Ocean Tarot, a mermaid-themed deck that reminds me of Eilat, the jumping-off point for my journey back to the US.

The question I asked was, "How can I rise up and align myself with the blessings I am receiving?"

Fives showed up frequently in this reading. That’s the sefirah גְּבוּרָה (Gevurah), Strength. These challenges may be necessary to help me grow. Fives often represent spiritual transition. (Across various traditions, fives are generally understood as points of instability, challenge, or disruption that invite growth.)

CARD 1 – The Blessings Present
What blessings or gifts are currently flowing into my life? (It feels like there are so many blessings, I could have pulled a dozen cards.)

Page of Pearls (Cups)
This is the kid who is appreciative and open-hearted toward whatever or whomever he encounters. In this deck, the Page is admiring a glowing pearl. The blessings of my new life feel precious, hard-won, and still dazzling. Maybe the real blessing is that my heart can feel wonder and grace. There are seahorses all around him, symbols of patience, fatherhood, and gentleness. The seahorses remind me to approach life gently.
In my Eilat Tarot, this card is called: Servant of Grace


CARD 2 – What Holds Me Back
What pattern, attitude, or distraction keeps me from aligning with these blessings?

Four of Pearls (Cups)
This card is such a contrast to the last one. It represents someone who isn’t paying attention to the blessings around him, or the additional divine gift being offered. Although I’m aware of all the blessings I’m receiving, I reflexively retreat from opportunities. The fourth pearl, descending with rays of light from the ocean’s surface, evokes a spiritual prompting to stay awake and grateful.
In my Eilat Tarot, this card is called: Before the Heart Opens

CARD 3 – Embodying Heart and Presence
How can I bring more heart into my work and daily actions?

Five of Pearls (Cups)
This is someone who needs to see not just his losses and what he still has, but needs to "cross the bridge to the castle of dreams," i.e. aspire to the next great goal he can reach. He should not just survive hardship, but dare to hope again. In this deck, there are three broken eggs and two live jellyfish, suggesting sensitivity and vulnerability. I'm being invited to move through emotion into a new purpose. The adult jellyfish in the background suggest emotional maturity, reminding me I can move forward even while remaining sensitive. Bringing heart into daily actions means not fearing emotional messiness, but using it to deepen compassion and connection.
In my Eilat Tarot, this card is called: Crossing the Waters
(I might rename it The Mourner's Path)

CARD 4 – Reconnecting with the World
What will help me engage with nature and people with more joy and aliveness?

Two of Treasure (Pentacles)
Usually this card means being undecided about which path to commit to—but in this deck, the figure resembles The World card. It’s a portrait of joyful receiving rather than striving. It suggests saying “yes” more often, and being a little less guarded.
In my Eilat Tarot, this card is called: The Tension of Two Worlds
(I might rename it The Moment Between Steps)

CARD 5 – The Path of Rising
What does it look like to rise up and live in alignment with the life I’ve been given?

Five of Spears (Swords)
This is a surprising card in this position. It’s about the sore winner, someone who clings to resentment or conflict. But in The Medieval Cat Tarot, it can also indicate the support of true friends, releasing shame, internal healing, or making amends. Maybe here, it points toward independence, not desperately seeking love or fearing scarcity. It may be a call to walk forward unburdened by the past, to release not just people but also narratives tied to old pain. Once again, I’m reminded of what my father tried to teach me for over forty years, a lesson that’s become something of a personal motto, even if it’s not quite 100% true: “No one is your friend, and money’s the only thing that matters.”
In my Eilat Tarot, this card is called: The Severed Bond
(I might rename it Beyond the Battle)


This reading reminds me: it’s not enough to count my blessings. I must carry them forward, with presence and purpose.

Contemplative Tarot - Seeking Victory

In stillness, seek the spark that wakes your mind.
Embrace the body with joy-- it is the source of soul.
Surrender to the unfolding of life, and seek vision in the divine.

The Four of Cups

A man sits against a tree, arms and legs crossed in a closed posture. Three cups rest before him, while a fourth is offered by a hand emerging from a cloud. His eyes are shut; he’s unaware of his surroundings. This card speaks to introspection and emotional withdrawal. Is the figure lost in apathy—or is he consciously turning inward, like the Buddha under the fig tree? The image invites us to consider whether our stillness stems from resistance or deep reflection.

The Empress

A beautiful woman reclines against cushions, dressed in a flowing gown patterned with pomegranates. She sits in a field of ripening wheat, with a forest and waterfall behind her. A heart-shaped shield marked with Venus rests nearby. A crown of stars and laurel wreath adorn her head, and she holds a scepter topped with a globe. This card represents fertility, abundance, and loving care. The Empress reminds us to nurture what we love, to live in harmony with nature, and to honor the cycles of growth and creation.

The Hanged Man

Suspended upside down from a living tree, the man hangs by one foot, his other leg bent. A halo surrounds his head. His shirt defies gravity, suggesting a choice rather than punishment. The tree is vibrant with green leaves. This card embodies surrender and new perspectives. The Hanged Man shows us that insight often comes when we let go. In moments of powerlessness, we may gain clarity by accepting what is and viewing life from another angle.

Reflection

Notice where discontent or emotional numbness is blocking your growth. Then gently shift your attention toward what brings you peace, beauty, and gratitude. Care for your mind by seeking inspiration; care for your body by grounding yourself in pleasure and vitality. Life will never be fully in your control, but your perspective is always yours to choose. Begin where you are, and seek the kind of victory that restores your strength and renews your spirit.

Tarot of Oneness by Robyn Voisey

INTRODUCTION
The Tarot of Oneness by Robyn Voisey is a captivating reinterpretation of the Pamela Colman Smith deck, offering the opportunity to immerse yourself in each card's imagery. In this deck, we are invited to be the figure portrayed in the traditional deck. Upon my initial flip-through, the deck's vibrant energy captivated me, with only a handful of cards obviously requiring that I spend more time in them.

QUEEN OF PENTACLES
The Queens—renamed Spirit in this deck—are particularly alluring. Robyn Voisey’s Spirit of Pentacles is wearing the same green dress as Robin Wood’s Queen of Pentacles. Since you are the figure in the card, you can gaze down at the pentacle in your lap and also see an adorable bunny at your feet. The usual interpretation is that the Queen of Pentacles is aware of her life’s limitations, but is grateful for what she does have. In a negative light, she may be overly concerned with money or unable to find satisfaction in her work. When I enter Voisey’s card however, I feel wealthy and lucky. My bare feet soak up the healing energy of the earth, my gown feels rich against my skin, and I feast my eyes on the colors and sights around me.

FOUR OF WANDS
The style of one card diverges from the rest of the deck, but it is a real place. The trippy portrayal of the Four of Wands can be nowhere other than the Nova Music Festival near Re’im. The card’s number, Four, associated with boundaries and borders, underscores the need to ensure one’s safety before celebrating life. The traditional imagery includes a couple near or under a chuppah at a harvest festival, suggesting that their goals are nearly achieved; often the wall of a fortified city is visible in traditional imagery. When we enter Robin Voisey’s card, we are in invited into an altered state, dancing to uplifing music, lovingly reaching out to others, and feeling at one with the universe. However, the association with the Nova Festival adds an underlying sense of vulnerability and anxiety.

TEN OF SWORDS
Many of the cards convey their traditional meaning even more effectively than their traditional counterparts. A particularly stunning example is the Ten of Swords. The traditional Pamela Colman Smith portrayal features a man face down on the ground with ten swords in his back; incongruently, the traditional interpretation focuses on the end of problems and the imminent sunrise. Robyn Voisey’s more nuanced rendition plunges us into icy waters amidst the wreckage of a ship. A life preserver and other objects nearby offer temporary assistance from drowning, but not from freezing. The rising sun reveals a military ship on the horizon, portending either salvation or destruction. In this card, I feel cold and afraid, but also hopeful and determined to do what I can to help myself.

FOUR OF CUPS
Robyn Voisey’s description of the Four of Cups adheres to traditional meanings, yet her imagery takes us far from that meaning. Instead of the pouting man under a tree, ignoring the three real cups on the ground before him as well as the cup offered by a divine hand, you are shielding your eyes from the blinding sun so you can focus on a small deer in the distance. Because your hand is blocking the light, little color is visible, but at any time you can lower your hand to observe what the sun can reveal. Traditional meanings are lack of passion, resisting change, being self absorbed, failing to see a new opportunity, and the need to honestly evaluate yourself or your situation. The Tarot of Oneness guidebook lists similar meanings:  apathy, dissatisfaction, and withdrawal. Robyn Voisey suggests that you need to change your focus and let down your guard but I can’t help seeing the positive in this card. In her image, we are more active than the person in Pamela Colman Smith's image; we’ve made a choice to focus on something that the bright sun obscures.

THE SUN
One card that deeply resonates with me is The Sun card! Its traditional imagery often feels disconnected from its meanings of safety and freedom, childlike joy, growth, and honesty. Typically, we see a baby precariously perched on a horse, a scenario more perilous than reassuring; the wall in the background seems more like Plato’s cave than protection and no infant could hold the enormous red banner. At least Robin Wood made the child’s mount a small pony. However, in Robyn Voisey’s Tarot of Oneness, we find ourselves on the back of a white horse that is cantering along a beach, with susurrating waves on one side and a child’s sandcastle on the other—a scene radiating joy, freedom, and (for the moment) security. In this card, we feel able to embrace life's boundless possibilities with exuberance, confidence, and clear vision.

EXTRA CARDS
Voisey's inclusion of five additional cards will hopefully enrich the deck and add valuable insights into various aspects of life. The Higher Self card, in which you are climbing a heavenly stairway, symbolizes intuitive guidance and self-awareness, facilitating a deeper connection with one's inner wisdom and fostering personal growth.

CONCLUSION
The Tarot of Oneness by Robyn Voisey is a profound tool for diving into the essence of each card, fostering a deeper understanding of its imagery. With its immersive imagery and thoughtful reinterpretations, this deck promises to be my cherished deck for exploration and introspection.

The Fours

The fours of the minor arcana are some of my favorite cards in Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot. They feel like home, in the best sense of the word. Each of these cards shows a container, a safe, nourishing place in which you can grow and express yourself. The fours are earthy cards.

The Four of Air shows a robin’s nest holding four, blue eggs. The nest is a work of art, but it is also hidden. The eggs are safe from predators and the baby birds will be safe until they are strong enough to fly.

In the Four of Fire, four pillar candles and twelve smaller candles delineate a sacred space. Inside the circle, a woman performs a ritual. Abundance flows from the silvery sphere of the moon behind her shoulder—her circle cannot contain it all. She represents our desire to experience more, our desire to make our lives purposeful and meaningful. Can her sacred space become a doorway?

The Four of Water depicts the well at Glastonbury. A woman gazes into it, surrounded by a short, circular wall. This card is mysterious. What does the well contain?

The Four of Earth is a cornucopia. From the opening in a tree trunk, where a squirrel has stored acorns, the seeds of new life pour out extravagantly. In the foreground of the image, there is a blessing cairn, holding and expressing gratitude.

These cards also represent a pause in which we can experience the Force and Source of Life that is behind all that we know, a moment to feel the abundance available to us. Two colors predominate, one cool and one warm, representing the relationship between contemplation and action.

Related to the fours of the minor arcana is the fourth card of the major arcana, The Builder. He creates structures in which to live, places from which we can interact with the world. He represents responsibility and empowerment. What have you created with your life?

Another major arcana card is related to the fours; it is Death. We can embrace our fears and fly across the sparkling water or we can rot here with our decaying boat.

While we remain in our “containers,” we are constricted. A tree can only grow so large in a ten gallon, terra cotta pot. Sometimes, we need to step outside the boundaries we have crafted.

Is it time to build, to be nourished, or to fly? What is the state of the container that you’ve placed your life in?

The card I pulled to answer these questions for myself was the Ten of Fire. It is time to burn this container to the ground, let the smoke clear, and see what’s is out there.

Once you have built something—something that takes all your passion and will—it becomes more precious to you than your own happiness. You don’t realize that, while you are building it. That you are creating a martyrdom—something which, later, will make you suffer. (A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar)