A Health Spread

Virgo26

Hi all, I tried out Saskia's Healthier, fitter me spread (http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=250624) because I've been feeling a bit meh. Here is an example of the reading I did this afternoon. Felt it seemed straightforward but if there's other takes on some of the cards, please share!

1. What would be the best goal for me in search of healthier/fitter life? Knight of Pentacles
Routine seems to be associated with the Knight, so maybe I just need to start doing something and do it on a regular basis in order to see results.

2. How can I best achieve this goal? 5 of swords
Good old 5/swords is still hanging around. I see this as self-interest. I threw in a clarifier and got Temperance. I can get so caught up in things I feel like I should be doing that I probably put my health last. Be a little less extreme and look after myself every once in awhile.

3. What new activity or exercise I should try? The Hanged Man
Could be yoga :p Or just meditation or other activities that require a bit of contemplation. Also thought tai chi or qi gong

4. How to best achieve/maintain my ideal weight? The Magician
The tools are at my disposal. So far weight hasn't really been an issue for me, mostly just toning or maintaining overall health. Could also see creative visualization to help keep things going.

5. What will motivate me with my weight/fitness goal? 3 of Cups
Just the desire to feel a bit happier again. friends or people with like minded goals could help hold me accountable too.

6. The best advice for me to be healthier? 6 of Swords
Move on to better pastures. I may have had certain thoughts/habits in the past but if I want to be healthy I have to try something different. That can include being in a different environment for awhile, or try to feel more calm and less anxious.
 

headincloud

What would be the best goal for me in search of healthier/fitter life? Knight of Pentacles
slow and steady progress

2. How can I best achieve this goal? 5 of swords
This is a card of energy being made available to you, it's also connected to sport and marshal arts etc.

3. What new activity or exercise I should try? The Hanged Man
Could be yoga :p Or just meditation or other activities that require a bit of contemplation. Also thought tai chi or qi gong

4. How to best achieve/maintain my ideal weight? The Magician is focused energy, the ability to realize your goals and make things happen.

5. What will motivate me with my weight/fitness goal? 3 of Cups
Make exercise a social event too, work in a group.

6. The best advice for me to be healthier? 6 of Swords
Leave your troublesome habits behind.
 

Virgo26

headincloud said:
What would be the best goal for me in search of healthier/fitter life? Knight of Pentacles
slow and steady progress

2. How can I best achieve this goal? 5 of swords
This is a card of energy being made available to you, it's also connected to sport and marshal arts etc.

3. What new activity or exercise I should try? The Hanged Man
Could be yoga :p Or just meditation or other activities that require a bit of contemplation. Also thought tai chi or qi gong

4. How to best achieve/maintain my ideal weight? The Magician is focused energy, the ability to realize your goals and make things happen.

5. What will motivate me with my weight/fitness goal? 3 of Cups
Make exercise a social event too, work in a group.

6. The best advice for me to be healthier? 6 of Swords
Leave your troublesome habits behind.
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Thanks. I think you may have mentioned something similar with the 5 of swords in another reading. Do you generally see this 5 as energy made available?

I also am a bit more motivated to exercise when it's like a class. I didn't do much at the gym when I did have a membership but I liked the classes they had!
 

headincloud

Virgo26 said:
Thanks. I think you may have mentioned something similar with the 5 of swords in another reading. Do you generally see this 5 as energy made available?

I also am a bit more motivated to exercise when it's like a class. I didn't do much at the gym when I did have a membership but I liked the classes they had!
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Not always but I often find under it's influence a lot of energy is made available hence the person is likely to expend it on same sex sports or a night out with the girls. More often I find it to mean conflict and ego but not here, it's positive imho.
 

Saskia

Virgo26 said:
Hi all, I tried out Saskia's Healthier, fitter me spread (http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=250624)

1. What would be the best goal for me in search of healthier/fitter life? Knight of Pentacles

2. How can I best achieve this goal? 5 of swords

3. What new activity or exercise I should try? The Hanged Man

4. How to best achieve/maintain my ideal weight? The Magician

5. What will motivate me with my weight/fitness goal? 3 of Cups

6. The best advice for me to be healthier? 6 of Swords
Click to expand...

Hi Virgo, I hope you don't mind me reviving this, I only now saw it :)

1. This could be: learning to become more methodological and resilient (in exercising, diet or new lifestyle in general), or becoming more grounded: less cerebral or emotional, for example, and more in tune with your basic bodily needs - only eat when you're hungry, exercise when you feel restless/drained, etc.

2. Do you have a lot of conflicting thoughts, such as confusion, self-doubt, self-criticism; or are you bombared by others' views and solutions? I think you need to find a way back to the Ace of Sword's clarity from whatever is conflicting in your head. Alternatively, this could mean: challenge yourself more, don't be afraid of "messy" ideas or plans, such as mixing elements of different diets, lifestyles or exercise regimes.

3. Yup, this card screams yoga, tai chi and similar :D Anything that's meditation centred and allows you to learn from momentary discomfort / stretching.

4. Trick yourself into it! Such as, swap your treats: strawberries instead of chocolate, lighter alternatives for your other usual meals... You have the tools, you only need to find creative ways to change your life almost without noticing it: don't make a big, laborious effort of it, but try and use small tricks where you can: walk the stairs, do a few push ups while watching TV, etc.

5. People with same goals will motivate you. This could be group fitness, finding a group to go for walks together, or getting your friends join you for exercise, lighter cooking etc. It could also be a specific hobby group or team sport / social sports.

6. Stop worrying and start moving! This could be literally water-related, such as rowing, canoeing, surfing, swimming; or maybe you could go for walks that de-stress. Being on the move in general has the ability to make one de-stressed and relaxed.
 

Barleywine

In trying to see a common thread in this series of cards rather than reading them as a series of isolated activities, I got the idea of paying more attention to metabolic imbalances: a "calories in, calories out" sort of thing.

One of the definitions of the Knight of Pentacles is "Increase of matter;" I'm not sure if this means a literal increase of mass or just the growth of something in the matter, but its focus on "steady increase" seems counter-intuitive to the goal (unless "improving health" is the correct connotation). As a more energetic Earth card it suggests spending more time in the outdoors (but get off the horse and walk, or maybe ride a bike!)

The 5 of Swords has the feel of persistent anxiety or misgivings about how to get started down the right path; it makes me think of stalled initiatives and false starts. But the Fives are all "action" cards in some sense, and pave the way for emergence of the Sixes. Since you have both of them here, the Five could simply mean that you have to "cut the mooring rope that holds you to the dock" (of past habits and associations) in order to get underway with the voyage implied by the 6 of Swords. Fear of failure must be put behind you.

As a Three, the 3 of Cups is about increase, and the element of Water gives me the idea of "water weight," or fluid increase. Temperance is sometimes described as "creating the right flow," so it touches directly on the "feel" I get from the 3 of Cups. It could have to do with drinking more pure water and less of other beverages.

Since stress is one of the main contributors to deteriorating health, the Hanged Man suggests "taking a break" from daily cares to the extent possible. Set time aside for this and do it regularly. You could call it "a pause that refreshes" (no, not Coca Cola; have some calming chai tea with your tai chi :))

I can see the Magician as having something to say about both stress management and caloric intake/output. I don't recall ever seeing a plump Magician in any of my decks. "Regulation" is one keynote of the Magician's mode of operation, just as it is for Temperance. In fact, there is some "creative tension" between the two cards, since the Magician has a Mercury correspondence and Temperance relates to Mercury's sign of detriment, Sagittarius: "regulation" and "adjustment" (of habits) are implied.

The Sixes can show one's "comfort zone," but the 6 of Swords advises getting out of it and seeking a new "blueprint" for your efforts. A purposeful direction rather than a scattershot miscellany of "this 'n' that." The 6 of Swords as a Mercury card echoes the Mercury association of the Magician; a clear mental vision of your destination coupled with creative or innovative tactics is key to success.
 

Virgo26

Saskia said:
Hi Virgo, I hope you don't mind me reviving this, I only now saw it :)

1. This could be: learning to become more methodological and resilient (in exercising, diet or new lifestyle in general), or becoming more grounded: less cerebral or emotional, for example, and more in tune with your basic bodily needs - only eat when you're hungry, exercise when you feel restless/drained, etc.

2. Do you have a lot of conflicting thoughts, such as confusion, self-doubt, self-criticism; or are you bombared by others' views and solutions? I think you need to find a way back to the Ace of Sword's clarity from whatever is conflicting in your head. Alternatively, this could mean: challenge yourself more, don't be afraid of "messy" ideas or plans, such as mixing elements of different diets, lifestyles or exercise regimes.

3. Yup, this card screams yoga, tai chi and similar :D Anything that's meditation centred and allows you to learn from momentary discomfort / stretching.

4. Trick yourself into it! Such as, swap your treats: strawberries instead of chocolate, lighter alternatives for your other usual meals... You have the tools, you only need to find creative ways to change your life almost without noticing it: don't make a big, laborious effort of it, but try and use small tricks where you can: walk the stairs, do a few push ups while watching TV, etc.

5. People with same goals will motivate you. This could be group fitness, finding a group to go for walks together, or getting your friends join you for exercise, lighter cooking etc. It could also be a specific hobby group or team sport / social sports.

6. Stop worrying and start moving! This could be literally water-related, such as rowing, canoeing, surfing, swimming; or maybe you could go for walks that de-stress. Being on the move in general has the ability to make one de-stressed and relaxed.
Click to expand...

No worries, Saskia. Thanks for having a look. It seems like overall part of it is the whole de-stressing thing. I'm good at handling it outwardly but tend to internalise it. I do tend to have doubts or conflicting thoughts. & with the lack of grounding at times I don't make consistent strides in implementing helpful techniques or methods. Maybe a group would help me become more accountable.
 

Virgo26

Barleywine said:
In trying to see a common thread in this series of cards rather than reading them as a series of isolated activities, I got the idea of paying more attention to metabolic imbalances: a "calories in, calories out" sort of thing.

One of the definitions of the Knight of Pentacles is "Increase of matter;" I'm not sure if this means a literal increase of mass or just the growth of something in the matter, but its focus on "steady increase" seems counter-intuitive to the goal (unless "improving health" is the correct connotation). As a more energetic Earth card it suggests spending more time in the outdoors (but get off the horse and walk, or maybe ride a bike!)

The 5 of Swords has the feel of persistent anxiety or misgivings about how to get started down the right path; it makes me think of stalled initiatives and false starts. But the Fives are all "action" cards in some sense, and pave the way for emergence of the Sixes. Since you have both of them here, the Five could simply mean that you have to "cut the mooring rope that holds you to the dock" (of past habits and associations) in order to get underway with the voyage implied by the 6 of Swords. Fear of failure must be put behind you.

As a Three, the 3 of Cups is about increase, and the element of Water gives me the idea of "water weight," or fluid increase. Temperance is sometimes described as "creating the right flow," so it touches directly on the "feel" I get from the 3 of Cups. It could have to do with drinking more pure water and less of other beverages.

Since stress is one of the main contributors to deteriorating health, the Hanged Man suggests "taking a break" from daily cares to the extent possible. Set time aside for this and do it regularly. You could call it "a pause that refreshes" (no, not Coca Cola; have some calming chai tea with your tai chi :))

I can see the Magician as having something to say about both stress management and caloric intake/output. I don't recall ever seeing a plump Magician in any of my decks. "Regulation" is one keynote of the Magician's mode of operation, just as it is for Temperance. In fact, there is some "creative tension" between the two cards, since the Magician has a Mercury correspondence and Temperance relates to Mercury's sign of detriment, Sagittarius: "regulation" and "adjustment" (of habits) are implied.

The Sixes can show one's "comfort zone," but the 6 of Swords advises getting out of it and seeking a new "blueprint" for your efforts. A purposeful direction rather than a scattershot miscellany of "this 'n' that." The 6 of Swords as a Mercury card echoes the Mercury association of the Magician; a clear mental vision of your destination coupled with creative or innovative tactics is key to success.
Click to expand...

Hey barleywine. thanks for the input. It's good that we have different ways of looking at the cards. I often think my interpretations are quite rudimentary. the 'increase in matter' of the knight of pents could just be an increase in substance when it comes to improving health. ie, just start doing something and more of it to see an overall improvement. agree with more water (I do love the Coke though!) and maybe like Saskia was saying, more clarity of where I'm going and then explicitly setting the intention. What's the goal, why I'm doing it and then actual ways to do it!
 

LeFou

Knight of Coins -- Be a "work horse."

5 of Swords -- "Walk away" from something bad (which makes you feel "conflicted")

Temperance -- Slowly "mix in" some better options.

Hanged Man -- Stretch!

Magician -- Prove you can set and reach a goal.

3 of Cups -- Zumba!

6 of Swords -- Always keep moving forward.
 
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