Fusing Tarot and the Body by Miriam Jacobs

Fusing Tarot and the Body

By Miriam Jacobs

Tarot can give us tremendous insight, clarity and affirmation about what we already know. Polarity Therapy is a holistic integrative healing art that balances life energy in the body. It addresses 4 components: bodywork, exercise, nutrition, and communication skills. Both Polarity and Tarot are processes that provide meaning and direction to one's life. When fused by astrological and chakra references, together they bring about a profoundly deep healing – both physical and even emotional. 

 

Polarity Therapy is based on the 5 universal elements, as is the Tarot. The connection to the first 4 are traditionally;

Air - Swords

Fire- Wands

Water - Cups

Earth - Pentacles

The 5^th representing Ether is the Major Arcana which I’ve taken poetic license with. When I laid out the chart below I was blown away by even more connections. All 2,3 & 4s astrologically were cardinal signs, all 5,6 & 7s were fixed, and all 8,9 & 10s were mutable, perfectly aligned with Polarity’s suggested type of touch. 

The Cards chosen may tell us where to contact the body and what type of touch to use, and a suggested practice to balance and integrate the lessons of the Tarot. Incorporate whatever practice from a particular card(s) that you are drawn to into your daily mindful practice.

Major Arcana cards have meditative practices. Minor Arcana cards have yoga-like exercises and Court cards have art practices.

 

Examples: 

 

Empress III

Astrological:Taurus – fixed Earth Anatomy:neck

Touch:light and off the body

Practice:Breathe into your heart. Feel love for Mother Nature.

Eight of Wands/Fire

Astrological:Sagittarius - mutable fire Anatomy:thighs

Touch:deep and dispersing

Practice:Creates action - Bend your knees and slightly pitch forward at the hips. With your palms on the top of your thighs, sweep your palms downward towards your knees. Make a loud fiery “RAM” sound.

Queen of Air

Astrological: all Air signs Anatomy:shoulders, kidneys, ankles

Touch: all

Practice: Dance in free form or with flowing scarves.

"I have been reading Tarot cards for over twenty-five years. Since I found them so effective in making decisions that I began to include Tarot in my bodywork sessions. The brief readings help affirm my clients' experiences, differentiating and integrating their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. I realized there was a more expansive and expressive way to use the Tarot. This inspired me to create a unique and comprehensive deck. The images are digital collages. I found inspiration for the images included in the Polarity Wellness Tarot everywhere: in nature, in sculpture, in yard sales and junk shops."

Miriam Jacobs, IPE, CMT, BFAis the creator of the first somatic Tarot deck Polarity Wellness Tarot that provides a Tarot-body connection. Her book on Tarot and the Chakras, with Schiffer Publishing LTD. is due out in 2014.

After a successful career as a visual artist Miriam found herself drawn to the healing arts and began her formal studies in 1989. She trained at the Polarity Wellness Network in New York City and was certified by American Polarity Therapy Association. She received certification in Swedish Esalen massage from the McKinnon Institute in 1996.

Miriam helps people to change through bodywork sessions and Tarot card readings. At times she combines them. Her practice is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. She is also available for workshops, Tarot parties and over the phone readings.

Miriam Jacobs Oakland, CA, USA
©2013 copyright ~All Rights Reserved 
 

http://polaritywellness.com http://www.facebook.com/PolarityTarot

mimi@polaritywellness.com

Going into your own world. by: Dana Neeley

When you are in meditation, you want to visualize things that you feel close to, such as the ocean, the animals, you can make up the colors in the environment. The animals in it you can make them up as you go, lets say you like the color purple, and you like tigers, you can make a purple tiger with black stripes, anything that your imagination can come up with, do not limit yourself, the sky is not the limit..

I can not stress more the the importance of breathing, when you are having a stressful day, what is the thing we are told most?.. Breath.... Just take a breath and chill out, basically this is what we need to do on a daily basis. With the meditational breathing you can sit at work or lunchtime and meditate within 5 minutes or less, just a few minutes at a time does a world of good for the heart, mind, body, spirit and soul.. Remember breathing in through your nose, then out through your mouth as you feel comfortable in doing so. Find your own method that works for you. 

I have previously covered the fact that we can listen to music during meditation, this is a good tool for focusing, there is an old saying I have said over and over again, if you can meditate on a bus, train, park (with many people) and beach, you can meditate pretty much anywhere.. 

I never want you all to limit your abilities, ever, meditating everyday is very good for all reasons, health being one of them. I personally have healed myself of many things due to meditating and focusing on my intention. Results are different for everybody, but trying is the key. 

Now with the focus, you can do dishes, walk around, some of us have been known for having a full conversation and be meditating while we do this. Yes, it can be done with focus. Discipline is very crucial, the more of it you have the more that you can focus and heal yourself, clear your head of stress, anxiety, worries, depression. I could go on but the list is way to long to even list of the benefits.
Dana Neeley 2012

Soulscape Commission by Jade Ashcroft. See Jade Ashcroft Website

Cloud Meditation (for sleep) by: Dana Neeley

First of all I want you to lay down and relax, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, after a while of repeating this, I want you to visualize that you are laying on a cloud, a soft, fluffy, warm comfortable and colorful cloud.

The cloud, as you are laying on it, is of a rainbow-like color with silver and gold in it as well. As you are laying there you start to feel as though the cloud is taking you somewhere, its going upward, more and more, as you are laying there you can not help but wonder what you are feeling beneath you.. You feel as though there are small bolts of lightening going from head to toe, as you feel these bolts going through you, it feels as though your negative emotions are being pulled away from you by this lightening.

The cloud is now at the top of a mountain, and it has stopped for you to get off of. As you are walking around you feel as though you have been there many times before. Out of the corner of your eye, you see that there is a bonfire, blue fire, with a man sitting there, roasting marshmallows. This man you have known your whole life, he is your guardian, taking a moment or two you and him have much to talk about..

A Very long pause before continuing on with the meditation.. After having a talk with your guardian you start to feel like the weight of the universe has been lifted off of you, you feel like the stress has left you and entering you is this feeling of happiness and joy all into one.. As you start to walk towards the cloud, you turn around for one last look before going back home, then lay back down on the cloud.. As you feel the cloud moving, you start feeling a bit tired and fall asleep as the cloud goes to your next journey into the dream world...
Dana Neeley 2012

Image Copyright Belongs to Jade M Ashcroft 2012 From the forthcoming Soulscapes Tarot.
http://www.jadeashcroft.co.uk

Meditation and what it will do for you.

Image ©2011 J M Ashcroft All Rights Reserved.

Meditation gives you the time to connect with your inner core, it gives you the time to see things from outside the box as some of us say. 

There is so many things that we can benefit from meditating, just a few minutes of meditation to hours of meditation, depending on your lifestyle.

The most important part of meditation is the fact that every time we do this, is every time we get more and more enlightened , we see more than just meets the eye, it helps us "see more clearly" into what is going on in our lives that we are missing out on.

I believe for the most part that every time we meditate, the intention we have in mind manifests into reality, for instance, lets say we have a loved one and they are sick, meditation gives us the advantage of sending them the energy to heal.

We are all healers in our own way, it is tapping into the healer inside of us that is the part that needs to be done. With meditation, we gain the discipline, knowledge, clarity of mind, body, and spirit.We learn from ourselves through meditation, we begin to see more of the truth that is out there. It is the key to everything that the universe has to offer, we are the universe as the universe is us, we are the very key to all of existence.

With meditation we are keys that are at all times opening doors, doors that most thought never existed.
                             by: Dana Neeley