On the 20th day of December, tarot gave to me: the 8 of Pentacles from the Gilded Tarot. In a few days, it'll be "...the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." But now, a few days before Christmas, everyone is stirring, putting last minute touches on the treasures they will present to their loved ones. So what are you doing here? You'd better scurry!

The Ace of Pentacles is one of my favorite cards. But this was not always the case. Pentacles in general have always been my suit of choice, but I never favored the Ace until I noticed that Arthur Waite tells us that this card is “the most favorable of all cards.” Usually I don’t pay much attention to Waite (I find him dull and incomprehensible, although some of my colleagues assure me is incredibly funny with this amazingly dry wit. But then, there is no accounting for tastes, is there?), but in this case, I’m clinging to his words simply because they please me. In addition to pleasing me, Waite’s phrase inspired a modification of a technique I like to use. I think of this

If you haven’t already read the previous blog post, take a minute and check that out for some background information. Also I should reiterate that I use the phrase "bad card" somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Most tarot readers agree that there are no "bad" cards, that all the cards have gifts and shadows. When I use the phrase "bad" card I mean a card that you (or your client) is having trouble seeing the gift or a card that indicates an undesired outcome. The exercises given by Elinor are ways we can find the gift in any card. After we completed the Burden into Blessings spread, Elinor taught her Gestalt Therapy “Be the Card” Technique. She tells us that: "This is a projective