I called my 51st edition of the Tarot Blog Hop, Inside the Magic. This is because Self Love is a form of magic, its an internal kind that only we can really manifest. 

This last week or so I have been reminded about going back to basics. I was at an event towards the end of April, where I was a vendor; most of the lead up I had been vexed about what cards, tools, and so on to have available and then a few nights before I was told to go back to basics.

So, for this hop, I am continuing this theme/trend and using the Celtic Cross, one of the very first layouts that I learnt. The focus of this entire post and its pages is using this spread, walking us through the cards and their meanings relating to self-love.

1st Position: Four of Cups – The Matter at Hand

We look at Self-Love culturally as something way down our to do list, and we prioritise other aspects of our lives as more important, so eventually it becomes forgotten about, or deemed as unimportant. Society deems everything more important than the self, and yet the rates of unfortunate endings in life seem to rise, sometimes needlessly.

This Four of Cups is representing the idea of society finding it abhorrent to even consider putting yourself before the needs of friends, family, and work/society generally. How many times have you been asked ‘how are you’ as a fair-weather question, only for them to glaze over if you go beyond the social norm of “I’m fine thank you” Only our truest friends are actually interested in our honest answers.

The idea that someone may actually listen to us, truly listen, and hold space for our answers, is something that so very few can handle. 

We’ve never been taught how to hold space, how to be present, or truly honest. Individually, our nature is supressed in favour of competing against another person, it starts within school or even the home and it never really stops.

However, sometimes there will be a moment of crossroads that makes us give pause, reflect, and if we are truly lucky wake up.

2nd Position: Seven of Cups – What Crosses Your Path?

The Seven of Cups is that card of crossings, it addresses the question of ‘How are You’ by asking firstly “Who are You” the Seven here is the card of the Higher Self, subtly pointing out that it is now time for you to wake up and meet yourself, not just with eyes open, but also heart open.

It is a card that actually asks you to step into a space of self-love, and discovery, which is sometime not that easy to do. It can force you into having a dark night of the soul, revelations about your nature, and also place you on the path, where the first step to self love is actually self-forgiveness.

In order to fully appreciate our own sovereign self, the part of us that holds the light not just for our self but others as well, we sometimes need to look at the reasons behind where we’ve ended up, and this is exactly what the surrounding cards within the Celtic Cross spread are doing, starting with this first card. It sits above the first two and delves into the past.

3rd Position: Page of Cups – The Distant Past

The distant past sometimes can take us further back than we’d like, and also than necessary. Before going all Freudian and looking at your childhood upbringing, try looking back over the last year or so. Failing that go back a little further, mostly stick to the relevant areas, like relationships and how they’ve made you feel.

In love, we learn a great deal about being loved and giving it. Partners often reflect back the best or indeed worst in us, and that’s even before we find the ‘one’ if they even exist for us in this incarnation. Before we can settle into a long-lasting relationship, we first have to be really sure what that is for us.

So, look at relationships, both plutonic and romantic, sexual, and friendly, try and discover what it is you look for in yourself and also in the one or ones that you truly wish to be loved by. 

In doing that, you may find it easier to move beyond a stereotype or type and look at a person as well as yourself in a different more loving light.