Pat Dumas, Astrological Consultant/Tarot Reader

08/07/2025

DAILY DRAW, Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
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Y'know, it's interesting how this card, in almost every tarot deck out there, is one that makes people and make the sign of the horns, warding off the "evil eye". And, in truth, the Rider Waite deck truly fosters that sense with the image of a man prone on the ground with 10 swords in his back!!!

It's the card of intellectual overkill... "Like, one sword wouldn't be enough?!"

It's the card of the victim mentality. Of moaning about your lot in life, of believing yourself to be suffering an attack...of self-pity. Now mind you, you may truly have some real sh... er... stuff you're dealing with, but what's required is a change of persepective, a change of attitude. Remember, the 10s of the deck ALWAYS herald either a new cycle ending and beginning, or the NEED for it shift.

Here, in MJ Cullinane's "Guardians of the Night" Tarot she points out the need for boundaries, between the cowbird and the warbler... it is only by clearly refusing to give in are those boundaries enforced, and nestlings hatched in safety!

So, the presence of this card could clearly be a signal to you to pay attention: Are you giving in to others just to bitch about it afterwards?! If so, you're doing a great job as a martyr, and a lousy job as a self-directed human being.

Are you wailing "Woe is me!" so often that it's become like a broken record? Time to erase those tapes and start a new song!

Are you forever at the mercy of others because you've developed an amazingly good talent for martyrdom? This card can warn you to wake up and take back your power.

Time for a new attitude, a new method of communication, new ideas, which are what the warbler represents.

I don't mean to sound harsh, truly I don't. But WE write our stories. WE decide the path our lives take. When we use the words 'can't', 'should', 'shouldn't', etc., we are limiting ourselves and our potential. Won't is fine... we take ownership with that word. WE decide. But can't? Nope. Zip. Nada. Not gonna happen.

Time for a new intellectual challenge, baby. The Warbler says so. :-)

Namaste, y'all.

08/04/2025

Daily Draw, August 4th, 2025
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Today's card is a tough image to look at... the Three of Swords - Sorrow, from Robin Scott's "The Urban Tarot."

In number theory, the Threes of Tarot represent the natural progression from the polarity of the Twos to stabilization or culmination. And, as is the case with all the Swords, we're studying a situation that involves an intellectual challenge. The Three of Swords represents the culmination of an idea... the reality of a situation coming home to roost, and clearly it is an idea that is mentally painful to face.

Sorrow comes when we truly have to face the reality of a situation we can no longer hide from nor escape. The disturbing image depicted gives the sense of all positive emotion and hope drained away like the water in this empty tub, leaving nothing but the cold, harsh reality of truth behind. As Scott writes in her paragraph on this card, "Without the emotional support of Water, Air can lead us to nihilistic conclusions as the only logical path." That bloody razor blade on the tub's edge says it all.

But like water, we must remember that air ALSO has an ebb and flow. Rather than giving in to the mental anguish of this card, Universe asks us to take a beat and breathe (USE that air!). This is a time we need to connect with others: talk to someone else to find clarity, remove the blinders that cause tunnel vision. Acknowledge your pain, but don't allow it to drown you.

This card can also be a warning we are tempted to hurt others. That double-edged sword of "well, I'm just telling the truth." You may be, but if you're enjoying the pain that truth is causing someone else, then you need to look in the mirror and really examine your motives.

This card may also be the herald of that sharp, painful shock of coming smack up against reality we've refused to look at, either a betrayal by a friend or loved one, or seeing ourselves for who we really are and not liking what we see. Whatever the cause, if this card comes up, it is NECESSARY for us to face that reality and deal with it...WITHOUT the razor blade. Reach out for help instead, I beg you. Su***de doesn't end the pain; it prolongs it.

Namaste, y'all.

08/02/2025

I'm SO looking forward to this class on August 17th! The perfect chance to understand more about what the Sun and the Moon mean in your birth chart! And it's in easy to understand, smaller 'bites'... I call it "Astro Light... less filling, tastes great!" LOL

Seriously, these beginning astrology stand-alone workshops tackle fundamentals of astrology for the person who wants to just understand more about astrology, not necessarily the person who wants to study to become an astrologer themselves (that may happen, of course! But this class isn't the more rigorous 1st year training I used to teach!).

Check out Firefly Hollow's Website to learn more!

P.s. - Rich and I are ALSO looking forward to seeing you all at Booth A25 at the Expo!

08/02/2025

Daily Draw, Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
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Another draw from Robin Scott's "The Urban Tarot." Today, the Five of Disks, Reversed - Worry.

What a breath of fresh air this card represents in its reversed state! It signifies a letting go of material hardship and worry. However, let me be clear: the energy for this card IS present. It doesn't mean that you're going to suddenly walk into your bathroom and find your bathtub full of Benjamin Franklins. So, I would err on the side of prudence and not go out and buy a yacht when all you can afford is a dinghy.

But, seriously, folks (insert rimshot), to me what this card is truly saying is that WORRY about your financial or resource situation is fruitless. Worry robs us of our peace. It isolates us and makes us feel on the outside, looking in, feeling as though 'no one is suffering as much as I'.

That viewpoint always makes me think of a quote from Haruki Murakami in his book "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running." Paraphrased, he states that while physical pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We can't avoid the reality of physical or even mental pain in this life. However, what we CAN avoid is exacerbating our **attachment and our reactions** to that pain: that IS in our control, though it usually feels otherwise.

Mindfulness is the key. Being IN THE MOMENT. "Right now, I have everything I need." "Right now, I'm safe." "Right now, I have a roof over my head." The hard part is learning to accept that pain is a part of life; that expecting life to always be comfortable and easy is a fallacy. Learning this is one of the greatest gifts to mental health and emotional wellness and resilience.

So today this card teaches us this: We can ALWAYS choose the way we respond to our discomfort in challenging situations. ALWAYS. We may FEEL that today's world situation has made us powerless, but in reality we always hold immense power within us.

Namaste, y'all.

08/02/2025

So much on the hopper this month at Firefly! Of Course, Richard and I will be at Booth A25 at the Expo, AND I'm teaching a standalone astrology workshop on the Sun and the Moon on August 17th!

Email from Firefly Hollow Wellness Plus a Special Gift for Attendees🎁     August Calm & Community: Visit Us at the Expo!   August 2025 August is alive with inspiration—and Firefly Hollow will be fron

08/01/2025

Daily Draw, Friday, August 1st, 2025
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First up, Blessed Lughnassadh!

That said, I celebrated this sabbat by purchasing a new Tarot deck... And it is challenging me, intriguing me and downright delighting me!

Today's pull, The Prince of Cups from Robin Scott's "The Urban Tarot." It's styled by using the same nomenclature for the suits as the Thoth Deck (Cups, Swords, Wands and Discs), designed by Lady Frieda Harris under the direction of the deck's author, Aleister Crowley, between 1938-1944. Also like the Thoth, this deck's court cards have no kings. The Queen ranks highest, with the Knight as her consort, and their children as first the Prince, and finally the Princess.

Here, we have the enigmatic Prince of Cups, which combines the elements of water and air. I love how Scott designed him as "The Filmmaker," implying a certain amount of emotional manipulation being possible. After all, what is a filmmaker but someone using imagery to evoke an emotion? The cards asks us do we actually FEEL the emotion? Or are we simply trying to LOOK as though we do? Are we truly emotionally invested in a situation? Or just paying it lip service, and instead maintaining a 'professional' distance?

This Prince completely understands the churning of emotion, but very rarely allows anyone to get close, allows anyone to pe*****te his vulnerability.

So perhaps the lesson for today is to recognize where we are doing the same. Where we are only paying 'lip service' to truly letting someone in. To be vulnerable takes incredible trust. Trust in ourselves. Trust in others. Trust in the universe. And in this day and age, that is not a commodity that is readily accessible nor available.

This Prince is most content when he, himself, is removed from the equation and his work takes center stage. Perhaps his goal is to take the personal OUT of the situation and bring the emotion into universal status... something global.

Where can you allow someone in? Where can you let down your guard and truly BE loving... BE intuitive... BE emotional? Where can you truly be real?

Namaste, y'all.

07/25/2025

Thank you, Sue Stover Petersen, for forwarding this one!!!

07/14/2025

Daily Draw, Monday, July 14th, 2025

Happy Bastille Day! And in the Two of Swords, there's a lot going on indicating a revolution of sorts is about to get itself underway in your own soul.

I usually wince at this card, because it has always felt to me as though she's thinking, "Good lord, no matter what choice I make, I'm gonna slit my own throat, here..."

This card, from the Universal Waite Tarot (U.S. Game Systems, Inc.) depicts a young woman, blindfolded, holding two swords. It is the card of choices to be made, of avoiding a difficult situation, or blocking emotions you need to face in order to make the right choices. Of stalemate, and refusing to make any choice at all!

The twos of the Tarot point out polarities... here, since the suit is swords, two opposing points of view or ideas. So, where is it YOU don't want to look at the truth? Where do YOU need to remove your 'blindfold,' and face whatever unpleasantness you think will happen in order to move on to the next step of your journey?

The Swords, representing the element of air, prefers logic and intellect to emotion, but this card is reminding us that suppressing our emotions, or hiding our distress, doesn't eliminate the emotions churning within us (note the water behind our young woman is a bit choppy). The emotions are THERE; when suppressing them, we are only hurting ourselves.

This card tells us it's time to get off the fence; make a choice, take a stand. Surely whatever frustration or upset we fear can't be any worse than the 'stuck' feeling we're enduring now! My dad, bless him, always used to say, "For God's sake, DO something, even if it's wrong!" At least with action, you can see what tweaks or changes of direction need to be made.

Honor your feelings. Make your choice. Trust that Universe has your back.

Namaste, y'all.

07/11/2025

Daily Draw - Friday, July 11, 2025

It's been a few days since I had the time to publish my daily draws, and I love that this is the card that pops up upon my return! :-)

Aces always represent the purest form of the suit they represent. In this case, we're looking at pure Creative Force! The Wands of the Tarot align with Fire - drive, enthusiasm, creative expression, motivation and drive.

When the Ace of Wands turns up in a reading this could well mean you have a need for a new beginning in your life, something that allows your creativity to be put to use... a need for growth and expansion, or for doing something that allows you to reach for and meet your potential.

It also tells you to GO FOR IT! For this is the card of confidence and enthusiasm!

To me, this is one of the most magical cards of the deck for it taps into the greatest power we all have, we all possess (in differing degrees, but we DO all have it!)...

Belief in ourselves.

So go on! Dream big and reach for the stars!

Namaste, y'all.

07/10/2025

Tea and Tarot at Firefly Hollow Holistic Wellness Center, 200 Farm Road, York, PA, this weekend! Openings still available!

07/04/2025

Daily Draw - July 4, 2025

So on target... my thanks to Corinne Kenner and John J. Blumen for the images from the "Wizard's Tarot" today.

When I touched my deck, TWO cards insisted on being drawn, and they make so much sense to me on this Independence Day 2025.

It's message suggests that we are in a situation in which we feel embattled, "me against the world" in some way, as though fighting for existence, or beliefs and values are at stake. The Seven of Wands is the card of standing your ground, facing the world around you with courage and determination. But that reversal... sometimes it feels as though we're losing the battle. That no matter how hard we resist, it's all for nothing.

But the message of the Queen of Cups reminds us that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Love. Lead with Love. This Queen rules her kingdom wielding the weapons of patience and compassion... that have no blade to dull, no ammunition to run out. For we always have love. The way she's sitting on that fallen piece of statuary - the broken head of a warrior - is a clear reminder: "Love conquers all."

Namaste, y'all. And a blessed Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Remember, Freedom for ALL.