Monday is Tarot Day: The Three of Cups and the urge to Partay!

As I've already shared, I spent my birthday at Disneyand with over a dozen people, riding rides, savoring Dole Whip, and soaking up all the goodness and whimsy a soul can possibly take in.  But after all the gifts were opened, the photos were sent and enjoyed, the thing that remains most vividly for me is the spirit of camaraderie and the birth of new friendships that this trip encouraged.

Besides myself and Ben, thirteen people, ages 9 to somewhere in the mid-5os, came together to celebrate my Day of Days - and came away with deep connections, forged due their connection with me and, more importantly I think, the love of All Things Disney.

The 3 of Cups is a card of celebration, of sharing, and enjoying time together.  The three women depicted are all different, yet similar, brought together for some sort of shared event.  Their gowns seem to suggest that it's somehow an important occasion - and there's movement and dancing and frolic in the drawing here in the Rider-Waite version (some versions depict three static women holding three static cups, but I prefer this version's sense of whimsy and play).

Since Disneyland on my birthday, I've become rather a glutton for bringing folks together under the umbrella of "Pam's Parties".  So I've decided to call 2013 the Year of the Celebration - and I'm planning a Party a Month.  Some may be small in scope (like a girl get-together), while others will have all the bells a'ringing and the whistles a'blarin' (like last night's Oscar party).

The celebratory essence of the 3 of Cups - in a teacup!

To watch the alchemy that happens when souls meet and sparks of friendship ignite is the greatest gift anyone can give me - or I can give to myself. 

Monday is Tarot Day - President's Day and presidential cards

Happy President's Day!  Whether you're taking time to reflect on the lives of Lincoln and Washington today, enjoying your day off by writing at a local cafe (like I am), or driving around the malls for Presidents' Day sales (what would our founding fathers have to say about that?  Hey - a good deal on 200-count sheets is a good deal; I cannot tell a lie.), the fact is that this day is in honor of some great men who helped make our country the way it is today. 

As a tarot reader, I was musing, "What sort of tarot cards are equated with presidential energy?" My knee jerk is to take a look at the King cards, the leaders of the pack, as it were.

King cards are the highest resonance of the suit's energy, fully-embraced and realized.  It's also the strongest demonstration of the suit in daily life.  But it's the full embodiment of the suit's energy, highly diluted.  So, imagine if you will, a president who wears his heart on his sleeve and cries a lot.  Or a president who does character voices during his State of the Union address.  How about a Prez who's as analytical as Mr. Spock?  Or how about a POTUS who knows how to handle big business, but nothing much else.

A cheat sheet on the qualities?  This'll help you see the differences in a nutshell. 

King of Cups

King of Wands

King of Cups (or Hearts): an emotional leader, sometimes to a fault. Lets the heart lead, first and foremost.  May have highly romantic flights of fancy.  He's quite caring and helps out the downtrodden. 

King of Wands (or Rods): a highly charismatic leader, someone who lights up the room.  Often an actor, or someone who is quite dramatic.  Highly creative and artistic. Bold.

King of Swords: Quite cerebral.  Suffers no fools, may be a bit more cynical, cold or distant.


King of Swords

King of Pentacles: Practical, good with money matters.  Perhaps a little stodgy.



King of Pentacles

The fact is the King cards have elements to their energies that all Presidents have embodied, for one reason or another, good or bad. At least, let's hope so. Because a one-suit leader might not be the best choice for any country.  If only the energies which comprise one suit are manifested primarily in a leader, seems to me it's a recipe for disaster. 

Think of it this way: we hope that our leaders are highly self-actualized. I feel when we vote for a president, we hope to find a person who really owns who they are and are able to operate on all cylinders consistently, embodying the qualities of the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual realms as fully as one can.  

What are your thoughts?  Could the U.S. be governed by, for instance, a King of Wands?  Someone who isn't a clear amalgam of all King energies?  I'd love to hear what you think!

Valentine's Day in the 1960s - the romance of the stereotypical "boy gets girl" film.

Ah, romance in the 1960s.

The truth: probably my Mom was thrilled when dad brought her a box of Fannie May chocolates.  Simple things like chocolate made my Mom exquisitely happy.  Or dad would pick up a little bottle of perfume to go with that chocolate, like Tabu or Tuvache (I recall the Tabu bottle, a rosy-peach color, the texture of which reminded me of rubber, which is very odd for a perfume bottle).

And then my Mom made Dad one of his favorite dinners, or since it was a special day, she may have even rolled up her sleeves and delved into one of her Polish or Czechoslovakian cookbooks for inspiration and whipped up something really great, like peach dumplings (which quite often had the dough separate from the peaches, but no one cared because they were so tasty), or stuffed cabbage.  If she made time, maybe svickova, which is marinated beef (who am I kidding?  That would MAYBE be for Christmas, as it involved pickling beef and was very time consuming and smelly and Mom had to find the ceramic pickling container and the onions made her eyes tear and, really, how is THAT romantic? ...)

The real truth?  At least by the time I was able to recall (say, late 60s), there wasn't too much romance going on in the Turlow house.  There was warmth and love.  But not too much of the sexiness - at least to the eyes of a small child.

Which is probably why when I think of romance in the 60s, I fall in with the fantasy version of it.   Of Doris Day and Rock Hudson and "Pillow Talk" and Tony Randall as the nervy-nerdy sidekick and quick quips and handsome rogues who always get the hard-to-get girl.

Frankly, I'm obsessed with this film genre.  Recently, Ben and I started recording films after doing DVR searches for the aforementioned actors, plus Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.  And, oh, the treasures we found!  Like Jack and Shirley in "The Apartment" (which was the source material for the cat and mouse, boy gets girl antics found in the musical, "Promises, Promises").  "The Glass Bottom Boat" and "Send Me No Flowers", both starring the ultra perky Ms. Day.  And let's not forget "Boys' Night Out", starring Randall as a man who's looking for "something on the side" and Kim Novak (who went to high school with my mom, if you'd like to know!) as the girl he and his cronies aim to romance - until she finally gets the best of them, that minx!

A few years back, the film "Down With Love" perfectly captured the iconic style of the 60s rom-com and with that, I give you today's link and message for the day, this 14th of February. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izt6sT9aJUU

Happy Valentine's Day!

A "Bewitched" Serena LOVEFEST! Serena on MeTV all week long!

Because she was born hundreds of years ago, there's no record of Serena's birthday.  Apparently, this was never taken into consideration when the writer's of the groovy 60s sitcom "Bewitched" were devising character backstories, to consider what the characters' sun signs might be.

I would bet you a bucket of gold dubloons that Serena was (aw, come on, she's ageless and eternal: IS!) an Aquarius.

So it seems cosmiscally right and proper that this week, stuck right in the middle of Aquarian Time, MeTV is presenting a Serena Fest!  Just think: one whole week of primetime "Bewitched" episodes featuring my favorite sitcom character of all time.

As you probably know, Elizabeth Montgomery played both roles, and played them exquisitely (although Serena was credited as being played by Pandora Spocks.  Say it fast; you'll get the pun).  As a child, I was enthralled with the idea of having a dual role in a play or TV show, of having a photo double you'd respond to.  Then, as I got older, what really got me intrigued was the not as much the idea of having a groovy cousin who you resembled so much that people got conufused (sparking much madcap zaniness), but rather the theme of the alter ego.

Which got me thinking of my own personal astrology.  If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm an Aquarius, full out and proud.  But I'm also a Leo rising.  That's the part that allows me to be onstage, both literally and figuratively, helps me transcend my Aquarian oddballness and tendency to be rather remote.  And it's on the opposite side of the astrological wheel, a bit of a polar opposite.  So, in some ways, I've been living the Samantha/Serena life.  The oddly aloof versus the gregarious.  The highly creative child versus the respectable adult.

We're all an amalgam of warring factions.  All of us have sides of our personality that seem to clash with other attributes and interests we develop in life.  So it makes perfect sense that the concept of the alter ego, the light and dark, continues to inspire and intrigue us over the centuries.  It's so very universal, while being so very personal and unique to each of us.

I invite you all to catch this week's MeTV "Bewitched" episdoes and take some time to ask yourself who your "other self" is, what she wants and what you can do to feed her.  Because, like Serena in her go-go boots and maribou, she won't be going away any time soon.

Disneyland's Court des Anges - our mystical visit.

Folks, where to begin?

Last week, on Friday, February 1, I celebrated my 50th birthday at Disneyland with 14 other Disneyphiles (or Disneyphiles-in-training.  Or Soon-to-be-Disneyphiles who had no idea they'd end the day being Disneyphiles), riding the Indiana Jones ride, enjoying lunch at the Jolly Holiday cafe (sipping the Practically Perfect Punch, but of course ...), visiting old pals Pinocchio and Mr. Toad, and rounding out the evening with a fireworks spectacular.  When the voice of Julie Andrews spoke about "dreams do come true", I cried an ugly cry, while being held by my sweet hubby - and holding hands with my Lil' Sis Sara, as she shared in the ugly cry.  My dream had come true, a dream I held dear for at least five years: to bring a group of like-minded Disney fans together on my day of days, to revel in Walt Disney's creativity and soul.  And for all to have the chance to become an honorary 1000th "happy haunt".

But let me begin near the end of the day, at the Court des Anges in New Orleans Square.

After dinner, but before visiting the Pirates and the aforementioned Happy Haunts, I led our intrepid troupe through the streets of New Orleans and up to the tucked-away alcove.  Occasionally, the area is used for a Princess Tatiana (of "Princess and the Frog" fame) meet & greet.  But it's usually just a quiet, beautiful area to rest a spell during a long day of Disney play.

I've been doing a little research; the area isn't just a place designed for no apparent reason.  Seems that Uncle Walt himself was looking to open a jazz club in the Square; these stairs would've lead to that club.  The space the stairs lead to is now used for storage for the exclusive Club 33, an area Walt had designed to host special guests to Land.  Sadly, Walt passed before these dreams could be realized.

So.  It's a quiet, still area in a busy part of the park.  Few people give it much notice.  But whenever I visit it, even if it's perfectly silent, I feel movement, a stirring of spirit.

Enter the group photo!  Here's our gang, aged 9 to 55, a dozen+ Magicseekers, enjoying their time at the Happiest Place on Earth as the day slips into night, about to embark upon their last ride together as a bunch of Mouseketeers:

Look closely at the arched window at the left.  And above Melissa, the tall girl with red hair.  Could those be orbs, the manifestation of spirit - or angels?  Look very closely at the larger orb.  Do you see a face?  Who does the face look like to you?

Friends, that is Disney magic, at its most mystical.


To see some more photos of the space, go here:  http://gallery.toursdepartingdaily.com/Disneyland-Resort/Photos/16408290_jb4Kv8/1860146902_BmjjqL9#!i=1860146902&k=BmjjqL9