Peace
don’t let me
interrupt
your quiet moments
before dusk
steals the light
away
as I merely
pass by
on my way
to somewhere else
and I’m no danger
to you
even if
I were to stay
Gideon’s Challenge – Peace
Letting Go of Judgemental Recriminations
Today’s meditation was Today’s meditation was a ten minute Daily Calm session from the @Calm app.
• • • ◈ • 🎃 • ◈ • • •
The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Burn Prompt for October 1st : Release
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home. This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.
I am a judgy SOB. Not so much when it comes to others, for when it comes to others, there’s a great deal more forgiveness and effort towards understanding… but when it comes to myself. This includes those things that are associated with me such as my car, my home, etc.
It’s not so much that I expect them to be of a greater value than they are. I love my Prius. I love that I have a mortgage instead of rent. But at the same time, my place is a mess. Never mind all the very good and acceptable reasons why it’s a mess; it’s still a mess.
I try and whittle away at it a little bit at a time, and I pay someone to come in and clean the bathrooms and the kitchen as well as dust and vacuum… and yet it’s still a mess.
That’s the thing, though, right? If you’re not willing to look at the causes of the situation and take them into account, how can you really judge yourself for the mess? And yet I do.
The message in today’s Four of Wands and Release prompt is a reminder that just because my house is a mess doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong, nor does it mean there’s anything wrong with it being a mess. Today’s cards are an encouragement to let go of unreasonable expectation around this hot button topic for me personally.
The mess is here because life is busy, because I’m running a home business inside a small home that I also live in, and because I’m passionate and have lots of interests. None of these are bad things and just because the house is cluttered doesn’t mean that it is unhealthy… thus it’s time to let go of harsh judgments in this area.
DECK USED: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2026 Challenge
Prompt for October 1st : Do the Fourth Quarter Spread
Year Ahead Theme : The Devil
The Devil card is traditionally a representation of temptation, struggles with moderation, harmful excesses, addiction, and self-harm. Temptation is not always bad for you, but neither is it always good. It’s through grounded and sound judgement that we are able to make healthy decisions when choosing what temptations we indulge in and which ones we leave behind.
Theme for October : Trick or Treat
Seek out joy. You can look at the world as scary and intimidating, or you can choose to have fun with it and focus on the rewards. The choice is yours.
Focus / Advice for October : Bow
Keep those things you want in your sights. You will forget about them, and as a result lose your chance to seize them, if you aren’t paying attention and focusing on what you want to achieve.
Ray of Hope for October : I am brave and unafraid to explore new haunted paths on my journey.
Confidence is the name of the game! When you focus on what you want this month, by keeping things turned in the direction of fun and the rewards involved, the scary stuff and challenging situations aren’t quite so difficult to overcome.
Theme for November : Seven of Swords
You may find yourself feeling cheated this month, as if someone has runaway with your hopes for the future. Pay attention to hints that malicious tomfoolery is afoot.
Focus / Advice for November : The Stream
One person’s loss is another’s gain. Look at not what has been lost, but where to go from here. The key to moving seamlessly forward during these disruptions lies in not grieving for the past, but adapting to the future.
Ray of Hope for November : You’re still making progress, even on your worst days.
November may feel like a setback, but keep in mind that progress is still being made, even if more slowly than you’d like or expect. Celebrate the small wins.
Theme for December : Eight of Wands
Busy, busy… go, go, go! November may have felt like a loss but December has the potential to feel llike you’re running yourself ragged. Make sure you are getting enough rest to give yourself the energy you need to just keep up this month.
Focus / Advice for December : Moving Trees
The goalposts are moving and you’re going to have to be quick on your feet to keep up. Even those things that you thought to be immovable are going to try to prove themselves otherwise.
Ray of Hope for December : Ghosting what no longer serves me
Clear your plate of those things you can let go of in order to give yourself more wiggle room in all that rushing around.
Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Foraged Pin Oak Leaf for Strength and Endurance
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECKS USED: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT, HELLOW TAROT, AWRY THE FOREST GAME CARDS, AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION CARDS
October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 1st : the ghost in my coffee cup
Turnera diffusa
for a gentle lift
that allows joy to sink in
(Nine of Cups)
Verbascum thapsus
for a breath of fresh air
and a kiss of calm on the skin
(Six of Spades)
Artemisia vulgaris
then opens the door
to what lies beneath and beyond
(Ace of Clubs)
while the remnants
in the bottom of the cup
tell us of what’s to come and has gone
(Jack of Spades)
Other elements included in this reading:
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Amethyst Mushroom for Fostering Spiritual Connections
Smoky Quartz for Introspection and Emotional Balance
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: A STRIKING COLLECTION MATCHBOOK LABEL ART PLAYING CARDS
@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October
Stop – Eight of Wands – Stop pushing and shoving and rushing so much. You are allowed to take your time, and now is a good time for doing so.
Let yourself savor things for a little while instead of rushing through everything. That rushing is just another way of closing yourself off.
Start – Judgement – It would be a good idea to start checking in on yourself more often to ensure alignment with the path you want to take in life and the person you want to become.
Evolution of the concept of that future person is allowed, but it’s important to keep tabs on the changes you make in that vision so that you aren’t accidentally left trudging down a path that’s no longer relevant.
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: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT
I got the template set up for my October posts today instead of putting it off. It’s one of those things that can feel overwhelming (especially when done on my phone as I did today), but if I don’t do it right away, it ends up feeling as if it’s piling up and holding me back from stepping into the transition from one month to the next.
📆 Transitioning from September to October
Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.
Tres d’Épées – You are struggling with your mental health at this time. Let yourself acknowledge what is going on so that you can begin dealing with it.
The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.
Valet de Deniers – Income can’t come in any faster than you are able to produce it. Don’t get overconfident or you will end up making a fool of yourself.
What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.
Cavalier de Bâton – You seek more enthusiasm and energy, but you may find that it will be too much for your own good if you manage to obtain it at this time.
Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.
La Maison Dieu Rx – Over-catastrophizing the issues you are dealing with won’t do anything but exacerbate the problem.
The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.
Quatre d’Épées – Rest and recovery still needs to remain your focus. Find healthy alternatives to stewing in stillness or picking up new projects and responsibilities when you are feeling restless.
The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.
Dix d’Épées (tipped right) – Your fatalistic outlook is blocking your path forward to better things. It’s time to look at where the building blocks of that pessimism lay and begin exploring them.
Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.
Valet de Coupe – Some origin story meandering down memory lane with Gideon could be good for you right now.
A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.
Bonus Art Card – Don’t let your discomfort keep you from looking into the dark places where trouble congregates and tangles itself into knots. Pull out the issues and deal with them instead.
Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.
As de Bâton – Lean into enthusiastic curiosity and explore where it takes you.
Message from the Spirit World – Women trouble is fast approaching. Pay attention to the cues and clues, and be curious instead of put in the defensive. It won’t help anyone (not them or you) to get your back up, as you’ll just get more tangled in the chaos.
Message from the Mind’s World – Take things slow when you’re not feeling well, and don’t allow either yourself or others to push you with their expectations. Whether physical or mental, unwell is unwell. Treat yourself kindly instead of bending to pressure.
Message from the Physical World – There’s a painful lesson coming concerning not listening to your emotions. If you want to mitigate this lesson, you need to focus on approaching unpleasant surprises without letting your emotions take control… and not by burying them either.
Other elements included in this reading:
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting with Nature and the Wild Within
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Carnelian Agate Mushroom for Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECKS USED: LE TAROT DE MARSEILLE POLE KA
Gideon’s Challenge – Impatience
Impatience
blood drips
from wounds
not recognized
and feed the earth
the taste
of my essence
as I wait
on the roadside
for help
that feels
like it will
never arrive
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Emotions vs Mental Health
Today’s meditation was skipped.
• • • ◈ • 🌾 • ◈ • • •
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Three of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of depression, grief, and disappointments. This theme often seems strange to people, being that it is seated in the Swords suit (which is often all about intellect and the mind), but it is important to remember that how we react emotionally is often rooted in how we think and what expectations we create for ourselves before everything falls apart.
The Three of Swords has then been combined with a card from the Crone Power Oracle and Affirmation Cards, which says, “I am knowing. I trust my inner guidance.”
There is a reason that depression is a mental illness and not considered an emotion illness. It’s our brains that create clinical level depression, and we’re not given much choice in it. We do what’s needed to shorten its span and ride it out with medication, therapy, self-care, etc, and hold on tight until it’s over… but it’s not like someone with clinical depression can just “choose” to cheer up.
Moods and emotions are also somewhat uncontrollable, and yet far more easy to budge and fluctuate.
The key with depression is catching it early. It’s listening to your mind and body, and making sure you’re aware when the slip down into depression’s pit starts to happen. It’s reacting with the care needed then and there in order to shorten its duration and weaken its effects.
The message in today’s Three of Swords and affirmation is a reminder that self awareness is important. These cards offer encouragement to not ignore warning signs with wishful thinking that what’s happening will pass you by.
DECKS USED: GOTHIC MOON TAROT AND CRONE POWER ORACLE AND AFFIRMATION CARDS
September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 30th : cavernous for you
usually quiet and easy
with nothing much to say
(Four of Hearts)
happy to watch and listen
while others fuss and bray
(Queen of Spades)
I found myself at a loss
the first time I saw you
(Seven of Spades)
flustered and restless and
unsure what to do
(Ace of Clubs)
and as your stare found my gaze
and my body flushed in surprise
(Ace of Clubs atop Two of Hearts)
you reached deep inside
and carved out my insides
(King of Hearts)
Other elements included in this reading:
Moss Agate for Attracting Opportunities for Growth
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: ART OF NATURE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS PLAYING CARDS
#DiscordTarotholicsSep2026 Challenge
Prompt for September 30th : Pick a spread of your choice and give it a go!
What is humanity’s greatest accomplishment?
The Fool – Intrepid exploration, enthusiasm, and eagerness to reach beyond one’s sphere.
Humanity’s greatest accomplishment comes in breaking new ground; whether that is in exploring the oceans, visiting the and moon for the first time, or discovering new and wondrous species on our own planet.
What are humanity’s 3 major strengths?
Four of Pentacles – To be independent in thought and action.
The Mirror – To self-reflect.
Ace of Wands – To catch the threads of passion and have the innovation to follow their lead.
What is humanity’s greatest mistake?
The Death’s Head – Taking for granted the fragility of life. Humanity as a whole and as individuals have a tendency to forget that life is precious and fleeting, and because of that we often lose track of what priorities are truly important and of value.
What are humanity’s 3 major weaknesses?
Darkness – Selfishness and apathy.
Nine of Wands Rx – Their reactivity to fear.
The Loom – Rigid adherence to structures that don’t always work as planned.
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Garnierite for help in Releasing Anger, Anxiety, and Guilt
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECKS USED: GOTHIC MOON TAROT AND THE BLACK BIRD ORACLE
I took a nap at Ms B’s today. It was sorely needed. I’m not sure the drive home would have been safely accomplished without it.
Gideon’s Challenge – Dismayed
Dismayed
as the world
falls apart
in shades
of brick
and gray
it comes to mind
that small fixes
might not
be enough
to turn
the tide away
