Unconditional Love’s Safe Space

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌾    •    ◈    •    •    •

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Threshold Tarot - Eight of Discs and a card from the Crown Power Oracle and Affirmation Deck

Today’s draw is the Eight of Discs (Pentacles), which is a representation of hard work, expertise through practice, honing a skill, quality craftsmanship, handicrafts, and manifestations through skill and hard work. The card is often the embodiment of the “practice makes perfect” adage.

The guidebook for this deck says, “You have, at last, learned to be careful. Perfectionism isn’t as prudent as you think it is…”

The Eight of Discs has then been combined with a card from the Crone Power Oracle and Affirmation Deck, which says, “I am protected. I am safe and loved.”

No one holds you to the same impossible standards and unrealistic expectations as you do yourself.

The perfectionism mindset is impossible to satisfy and unreasonable in its expectations. We have protection from these demands, though, if we choose to rate our performance not on our own unrealistic expectations, but on what others expect instead. Specifically, those that love us unconditionally.

This unconditional love protects us from harsh judgement and censure when we fall short of impossible demands for perfection. By learning to love ourselves in that same unconditional light that others love us, we then create a safe space to not just be wrong now and then, but fall a bit short on the standards we shouldn’t be holding ourselves to in the first place.

The message in today’s Eight of Discs and affirmation card remind us that love is kind and understanding, and can create a buffer between you and your harsh inner narratives. Love yourself enough to create the same safe space and protections for you that others who love you unconditional do.

DECKS USED:  THRESHOLD TAROT AND CRONE POWER ORACLE AND AFFIRMATION DECK

September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 2nd : it will be blue again

Creative Writing Activity with the Nezha Playing Cards Dakki Edition

Queen of Hearts and Ace of Clubs

As the weather begins to shift
from summer into fall,
the skies become crowded
with the gray of raindrops to come.

And while one soul mourns the loss
of sun and blue sky above,
another soul dances in delight
at what is soon to come.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: NEZHA PLAYING CARDS DAKKI EDITION

@lightningwildflower‘s September Self-Talk Challenge
Prompts for September 2nd through 4th

Tarot Reading with the Threshold Tarot and Mushroom Spotter's Deck

Release – Where am I holding myself to a standard that no longer serves me?

Two of Discs and Mica Cap
“You can’t do it alone.”

Just as you are in the process of redefining for yourself what stability means, so too are you in the process of redefining balance. It’s difficult for you to accept that neither include stillness in their execution.

It is easier to keep your footing with a little help from others.

Focus – What part of my life needs thoughtful attention?

Ten of Cups and Chicken of the Woods
“Act with confidence and determination to inspire others.”

Know what you want and go after it unequivocally. Don’t just choose your pursuits with abandon, but instead select them with thoughtful care and attention given to the idea of deep diving with interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm. These qualities are what encourage others to do the same.

Spaciousness – What would make my day feel more spacious?

The High Priestess and Common Mycena
“Create community.”

Allow your gut to have a say in who you let into your inner circle and who you don’t. This doesn’t mean you might not still be wrong sometimes, but you’re far less likely to be disastrously so. By following your gut instead of your head, you create connections that fit together like puzzle pieces, building an entire picture out of those you choose to let in and be involved.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Foraged Ponderosa Pine Cone for Resilience and Adaptability
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Foraged Red Oak Leaf for Fostering Unconditional Love
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Moss Agate for Attracting Opportunities for Growth
Calcite for Gently Calming the Mind and Stimulating Insights
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THRESHOLD TAROT AND MUSHROOM SPOTTER’S DECK
Daily Self Kindness

I took it easy today, and even managed a decent nap while at Ms B’s house before dinner.

Gideon’s Challenge – The Liminal

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Bright Green Moss on the Trunk of a Tree

The Liminal

a wandering path
through tall trees
and the droop
of evergreen boughs
takes footsteps
through
thresholds
until each
boundary crossed
caries with it
circumstance
and consequence
as we are
forever changed
by the kisses
of the fae

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Cutting Fears Down to Size

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌾    •    ◈    •    •    •

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Cat's Tarot of Wondrous Journeys' Queen of Cups and card from the Create Brave Cards

Today’s draw is the Queen of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition. Among other things, this often translates into themes to do with emotional support and advice from a trusted party that is easy to talk to.

The Queen of Cups has then been combined with the Brave card from the Create Brave deck, which says, “ I take action despite my fears.”

The thing about fear is that it’s an emotion, right? That means it’s not always going to be logical. This shows itself most often in the fact that when we fear something, the longer we choose not to confront it, the larger that thing we fear becomes.

It starts off small, but the more we avoid it the more it grows until it feels completely insurmountable, even though in reality it’s size or scope hasn’t changed at all.

The message in today’s Queen of Cups and affirmation card is a reminder that it’s when we confront our fears that we bring them back down to size. By being nurturing and supportive to our emotions, we give ourselves the confidence to deal with our fears and take action despite them, rather than allowing them to control us.

DECKS USED:  THE CAT’S TAROT OF WONDROUS JOURNEYS AND CREATE BRAVE DECK

September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 1st : your fingerprints on my future

Creative Writing and Cartomancy with the Peacock Playing Cards

When we first met, I was young and filled with an eagerness to build a life for myself of comfortable solitude. I wanted to believe that I had no need for love, and was busy building a future of stability and comfort… a nest for one. (Two of Diamonds atop Four of Diamonds)

The first time I saw you, my stomach fluttered. My insides felt liquid and unstable, and each time we were in the same room, it happened again and again. You made me feel vulnerable and uncertain in ways I didn’t understand. (Jack of Hearts)

You never promised me everything, as if instinctively knowing that’s not what I wanted. Instead you moved from day to day, encounter to encounter, giving me slivers of happiness and comfort until I couldn’t imagine happiness existing without you as a part of it. (Ten of Hearts)

You became a guiding light, someone I can depend on. Someone I need in my life for things to feel secure and stable. (King of Hearts)

You created for me a safe place I could open up within, be accepted within, and find a love I never realized I wanted, let alone needed. You marked my soul in the process, and placed your fingerprints indelibly upon my future in the process. (Four of Hearts)

I love you. Always.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: PEACOCK PLAYING CARDS

@lightningwildflower‘s September Self-Talk Challenge
Mars square Saturn, Mercury sextile Mars Prompts for September 1st

Tarot Reading with The Cat's Tarot of Wondrous Journeys and Schamanische Seelen Medizin

What action feels blocked?

The Emperor and Geburt

The Birth card in this deck proposes that the conditions of your birth are a predictor of the type of life you will lead. For example, if you had an easy birth as a child, your life will be easy, whereas if you had a lot of struggle and had to be pulled forth with forceps, you may find your life fraught with obstacles.

I’m not sure how much I buy into this idea, but when joined by the Emperor card, this card combination speaks of difficulties from the past during formative years holding you back from the healthy leadership you could be demonstrating.

That is to say that unhealthy defense mechanisms and expectations that were drilled into you as a child have a tendency to hold you back in your adulthood, creating unnecessary blockages between you and your goals.

What will help me move through this resistance?

Six of Cups and Engel

To help you move through this resistance, take choice out of the equation when you’re able to do so. Trust, instead, in divine timing and that things will work out how they are meant to without your meddling in the process. Accept that not everything has to be under your control to work out how you want (or in some cases even better than your expectations).

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flowers for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Black Spruce Needles to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE CAT’S TAROT OF WONDROUS JOURNEYS AND SCHAMANISCHE SEELEN MEDIZIN
Daily Self Kindness

I ordered pizza for second supper. It’s been forever and I just didn’t feel like having anything I have on hand.

📆 Transitioning from August to September

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Monthly Check-In Oracle Reading with the Spirits of the Hedgerow and Shadows of the Hedgerow

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Deaths Cap – It’s okay to not be okay. You are masking heavily right now instead of being honest about how you’re feeling, and beating yourself up for your mistakes using the excuse that the punishment will “make the lessons stick”, when in actuality it’s just self-abuse. Hold on tight to the temporary nature of moods, emotions, and the stages of mental health struggles.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Hemlock – Weed out those in your life that are only there to use you. Their roots need to be thoroughly excavated, and a watchful eye trained on making sure once removed they don’t try to resurface and settle back in.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Rosehip – It’s time to pay particularly close attention to your health. Make sure you are eating right, taking your meds as directed, and moving your body. Do what’s needed to keep yourself healthy and hale.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Lords and Ladies – Perfectionism is not your friend. Holding yourself to unreasonable expectations doesn’t motivate for a good result, it just gives your inner narrative something to kick at while simultaneously setting yourself up to fail. Let go of impossible standards and unreasonable expectations. They are hurting your progress.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Hensbane – Your pain is valid, whether that pain is physical or emotional. Seek out those that are empathetic to you and your needs, open to you expressing them as best you can, and supportive even in those times they might not fully understand your suffering.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Cyclamen – Take time to reflect on the obstacles that you have overcome in the past and work on letting go of the ones that you failed to overcome. They also hold value, but only if you dig for the benefits they have to offer you. If you don’t, these wounds never fully heal.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Daisy – Look at the positive benefits you’ve experienced from adding a positivity practice into your daily routine. It’s time to re-familiarize yourself with what this practice and other wellness practices offer you, instead of looking at them as just another chore or otherwise taking them for granted.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Imbolc – You are running the risk of falling into darkness (depression). Make sure you are focusing on the light with your attention trained on positivity and optimism, rather than on the familiar pull that feels seductively comfortable but is anything but.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Blackthorn – Check in with yourself and what really matters. Let the minor inconveniences go instead of allowing them to pile up into a potential explosion.

Message from the Spirit World – Take care not to use positivity to cover up the pain. That makes the positivity toxic. Instead, use it as a tool for checking in with yourself when you’re blowing things out of proportion and catastrophizing.

Message from the Mind’s World – Use those times when you’re not okay as a tool to suss out those that don’t have your best interests at heart. Their true colors will show in their apathy toward your struggles and well-being.

Message from the Physical World – Your perfectionist tendencies makes it hard to take joy in the activities you don’t complete perfectly. It’s time to let go of that mindset and instead celebrate even your small accomplishments. Ex: You may not have completed the trail you chose to hike, but you still got yourself out in nature and you made it to the half way mark before turning back.

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Gray Agate for Instilling Gentleness, Calm, and Stability
Moss Agate Tree for Attracting Opportunities for Growth
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: SPIRITS OF THE HEDGEROW ORACLE AND SHADOWS OF THE HEDGEROW ORACLE

Gideon’s Challenge – Determined

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Withered Blackberry Leaf

Determined

the incline
so steep
my hands
touch earth
alongside
booted soles
and muscles
tremble
with the strain
as lungs
struggle
and sweat
beads
but with
each step
I’m closer
to the paradise
of rest
that awaits

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Timelines for Healing and Growth

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌻    •    ◈    •    •    •

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Everyday Witch Tarot - Seven of Pentacles and a card from the Pass Around the Smile Guided Affirmation Cards

Today’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of slow growth, sustainability, domestic harmony, hard work, and practicing patience while the fruits of your labors develop and take form.

The Seven of Pentacles has then been combined with the Release card from the Pass Around the Smile Guided Affirmation Cards, which says, “ I am able to release the feelings and situations that are holding me back. I am not attached to them.”

This is part of the reason that growth often takes more time than we are expecting it to take. That release of the things in the past that hold us back is a form of healing that takes time. Thus, growth is slow as a result.

That is why it’s often better to see growth as “it’ll happen in its own time” rather than pushing it. When you push it, you often ignore the healing that needs to take place in order for the growth to be healthy and productive.

The messaging in today’s Seven of Pentacles and affirmation card is a reminder that patience is a quality worth developing. It helps us in our growth, as well as in our healing of past experiences and the wounds that are left behind by them. Being impatient with these wounds only makes them linger and sometimes even fester into something worse.

DECKS USED:  EVERYDAY WITCH TAROT AND PASS AROUND THE SMILE GUIDED AFFIRMATION CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2026 Challenge
Prompt for August 31st : Grab a spread of your choice you’re curious about… and give it a go!

The Unlived Life Tarot Reading with the Epoche Tarot

A version of myself I never became

Four of Swords Rx – The lazy person I was predicted to become by my father. Alone and lackadaisical. Cut off from others by my choices and preferences. A waste of space.

The story I tell myself about that version

Six of Wands – The story (lie) I tell myself is that I could impress him and gain his favor by not becoming that person. That his acceptance of me and my choices was based upon my performance.

What I grieve about that unlived life

Ace of Swords – It isn’t that unlived life I grieve, but rather that I never got the chance to communicate honestly and openly with my father. I grieve the chances I wasn’t given to connect with him, learn from him, and see eye to eye with him.

What aspects of that unlived life can still be lived now

Page of Pentacles – I am learning how to let go of those judgements thrust upon me and find my own path. One suited to me and stable beneath my feet. One created in the bedrock of who I am rather than who he wanted me to be or expected me to become.

Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Encouraging Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Foraged Ponderosa Pine Cone for Resilience and Adaptability
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Foraged Lodgepole Pine for Strength, Growth, and Renewal
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: EPOCHÉ TAROT

@lightningwildflower‘s August Reflections Challenge
Jupiter trine Saturn
Prompt for August 31st : What long-term goal feels expansive but also sustainable?

Tarot Reading with the Everyday Witch Tarot

Reading Summary: Rebuilding your concept of stability (Queen of Pentacles) to a place where when struggles arise (Five of Pentacles) they are seen as opportunities for something new and exciting (Two of Wands) instead of end-of-the-road obstacles (Five of Pentacles).

Take Away: You’ve fallen into a habit of catastrophizing things when something goes awry or an obstacle lands in your path. As a result, you seek to return to a better mindset where you can see these obstacles and struggles in a way that benefits you rather than something that destroys your efforts and decimates your goals.

This goal is about not just finding the boon in negative experiences, something you’ve always done but have struggled with lately, but also about reconnecting with a greater sense of flexibility and adaptability. That, in turn, can allow you to capture a greater sense of potential in each step along your journey instead of getting discouraged and letting that discouragement slow you down or hold you back from making the progress you otherwise could have made.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Red Oak Leaf for Fostering Unconditional Love
Calcite for Gently Calming the Mind and Stimulating Insights
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: EVERYDAY WITCH TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I went for a hike in the woods today.