Money, Romance and Stress

Q. Thanks for your last reading, it really helped. Since then, I've found someone new. ****** is great, and we are really happy together. Now I want to know about money. Finances and school have been a huge stress for me lately. Do you see any calmness coming my way? What can I do to deal with all of this stress?

A. Hi ***

I'm so happy to hear about you and *******. My first instinct is to say treasure that, and put your energy into that. If you have a happy loving supportive relationship, you can cope with all the rest. What would pay for a relationship like that?...it's priceless! So finances and school stress take a back seat to love and relationships sometimes. The important thing is don't let the school and financial stresses put stress on the relationship. Don't let the other bad things corrupt the good thing...give your energy to the relationship, not the stress. Focus on the loving good things and take refuge in that to let you cope with the other stuff and keep it at bay.

But all of that is easier said than done. Another thing that springs to mind, even before picking up the cards, is to work on calming your nerves and dealing with the stress rather than worry about what is coming down the road. More often than not, that's what stress IS, worrying about things that might or might not happen, rather than paying attention to what you have right here, right now. Look at the good things you have now, like ******. Are you familiar with aromatherapy? A blend of lavender and roman chamomile with a drop of sandalwood in a lotion comes to mind. My hunch is that it would be more effective in a body lotion rather than a room scent for you. If you make your own, use good quality oils, 12 drops chamomile, 10 drops lavender, 1or 2 drops sandalwood in 2 oz of whatever unscented oil or lotion you like. Apply it whenever you feel stressed, or at the very least, rub some on your hands, and inhale the scent deeply when you are feeling stressed.

That being said, you probably remember from our other readings that tarot doesn't predict a single thing....so can I see calmness heading your way? No...tarot doesn't see the future, it helps you create it.

So I'm looking at this as a "pathway to happiness" reading, NOT a looking at what is coming.

First, in the general pattern, we start with minor arcana cards then move to a major arcana card. The suggestion there is act now...manage things now to prevent bigger problems later, or at the very least, prepare for what may come in the future. My feeling is that this is a crossroads. Choose your priorities (cherish and take care of things with Angel, don't get so caught up in money stress that it damages things there). Choose well, act wisely, and you can prevent problems later.

The first card is the page of swords. It traditionally means faith. Sometimes I also associate it with trust. Being in the "lessons from the past" position, my instinct is to ask if there is someone you trust to give you advice about the finances. In my mind's eye I see an older man, with white hair. The hair could be literal or just symbolic. But it is something to think about. If you get guidance and make a plan about what to do with school and money, and plan for the various outcomes that are causing you stress, then they won't seem as stressful anymore.

The "lesson now" is the 4 of wands meaning a strong foundation. This card is more cautioning than the advice of the last card. This seems to say 'rely on your foundation' 'go with what you know'. Now may not be a good time for risk or searching the unknown.

This may seem like a paradox compared to the final card, the High Priestess. Traditionally, this card is read as "mystery" or "mysteries of the universe". I get the feeling that learning to see hidden meanings may help you move forward. If you learn to read the subtitles of a situation, that makes them feel less risky and stressful too. What is a mask, and what isn't? What is the hidden messages behind the things that worry you? What is undue worry about the future, and what is your intuition giving you a warning that something may be wrong now, or may go wrong soon if you don't act. You've learned difficult lessons about romance. Now is the time to learn cunning, wisdom about the world at large...less focus on the emotional, more focus on the "nothing personal" "it's just business" work-a-day (and sometimes very cut-throat competitive world)

As I look at this without the cards, I again get the image of you and ****** in a bubble, light, light blue, a separate thing from the other stresses.

I get the sense of protecting that through advice, logic, learning the "street smarts" of things...but not dragging that mud and dark into your place of light and love. Kind of the emotional equivalent of taking off muddy boots before you go inside the house, if that makes sense.

And there it ends.

I certainly wish you and ****** all the best, and good luck with school and everything else too!

Baihu
http://www.modern-oracle-tarot.com

(Sometimes I do readings for a volunteer online consulting site...I use the pen name "Baihu" there.)