Helleborus
Color returns
with little
primrose flowers
and great big
hellebore blooms
that turn away
from the sky
but reach upward
to the clouds
as leaves
unfurl
and petals fill
with the
first blush
of Spring
Today’s meditation was skipped… again.
The @GlitterbyInk #FebYOUary26 Moments & Memories Challenge
Prompt for February 12th : Grief
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is The Hierophant card, which is traditionally a representation of traditions, spiritual guidance, long standing institutions, teachers and guides, and themes that deal with conformity and social norms.
Seek help when grief feels heavy.
Over the past few years, I have watched a very close friend going through her grief over losing her husband of 40 years. Sometimes it feels like she has made no progress at all. Her depression lingers and she seems to vacillate between a loss of will to live and anger.
I can’t help but wonder; if she hadn’t rejected all efforts to try and help her through her grief, would she be in a better place right now? I think she would.
And yet, convincing her to go speak with someone qualified to help her in this area is impossible. It doesn’t matter that she knows that I go for depression and has seen how much therapy has helped me. It doesn’t matter that I take medication and she has seen how much that has helped me too. Her refusal isn’t even finance related, as her insurance would cover 100% of her visits. She doesn’t want the help, as if she’s punishing herself over and over again every day.
It hurts those around her, but instead of that spurring her into getting help, she just writes that off as one more reason that she shouldn’t be alive anymore.
The message in today’s cards is that there are people that can help you with your grief, and if you have the opportunity or ability to use them, please do so. They really can help if you’re willing to reach out to them.
I also need to hear to this message, because I am struggling under the grief that came with the shift in my business last Fall, and with it a loss of stability that I had in my life which is no longer there.
One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 2 | Entry 4 – Love and Relationships
Affirmation : “I seek relationships where I feel seen without judgment.”
Prompt : Think about a belief or situation where you feel unfairly criticize or misunderstood. What is something you wish others knew about you? Draw a card to guide your reflection on this and consider how you can better communicate this to others in your life.
What feelings came up when I pulled this card?
I felt that brief millisecond of confusion that indicates this card and its answer are of the “it’s a thinker” variety, instead of something that just pops in into my awareness through intuition.
What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?
The “situation” I chose for this prompt was the topic of my deck collection, and how when people discover the size of my collection, I get a huge array of different reactions in response.
The Moon card is all about uncertainty and illusion. Its appearance made me question why I should feel uncertainty in this area. I’m not denying that I do, I just don’t understand why.
It turns out, after some time to consider, that the uncertainty isn’t focused so much on my collection at all, which I enjoy immensely, but rather on other people’s opinions and/or my perception of their opinions or judgements.
Am I perceiving judgments from others where there aren’t any? Why would that even matter?
What in the artwork spoke to me?
They’re all cats. The Moon, the one that emerges from the water (which is usually a crustacean), the calico on the left and the black cat on the right. All cats. This speaks to me of all of us being human. That means that there is no pat answer or opinion, because everybody has their own reactions from admiration to envy, from wonder to disgust.
There is no one answer, and there is no right answer. Just as all of us in humanity are diverse, so too will be the reactions to my collection of decks.
My prompt response and reflections.
I struggle with how to behave in social situations, primarily because my life is a child was so isolated from society, and my introverted nature meant that continued to be the case as I grew up and became an adult. This means that sometimes I have to look to others in order to figure out what a proper response is or what “correct” behavior is. This is a part of my learning journey when it comes to my emotions, because all of the uncertainty in this area is wrapped up in my emotions.
Because I look to others for cues on how to behave in social situations, sometimes I put too much weight into places it doesn’t belong… like their personal opinion concerning things that shouldn’t matter to them.
My collection is fucking magnificent. I enjoy it a great deal. I shouldn’t have to make excuses for it, even if other people seem to want me to at times or that little kid inside me seeking approval says I do. That validation and approval needs to come from within myself, not from others who, if they are judging me harshly based on my collection, clearly don’t have the same values as I do in the first place.
Other elements included in this reading:
Green Aventurine D20 and D6 Gemstone Dice
@ambitiouslyalexa’s February Journal Prompts
Prompt for February 12th
How I show care to myself
Knight of Coins, Toppashin, The Chariot – You slow down to take things at a slower pace, while leaning upon the guidance of others to help keep you on track.
This is a new practice that you’ve been working on over the past year, as well as accepting that that slower pace (as well as asking for help) is okay.
How I can improve in this area
Three of Coins, Ten no Kami, Justice – Keep in mind that helping you helps them turn, so by allowing them to help more you are creating a greater balance between you and them; not (as it sometimes feels like) accruing a debt.
There is no give or take, only togetherness created through mutual caring and sharing in each other’s needs, burdens, and desires.
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
I worked on catching up on blog posts today. I’ve fallen behind over the past week. (Essentially? This means that I took the photos and sometimes even edited them, did the readings, took the notes… but haven’t proofread/fleshed out the results into anything that anyone other than I could read and understand.)
Grounding
Rainy days
refresh the soul
as roots in soil
drink deep
and feed the green
with each drop
that falls
and as I lie
in the grass
wet and
breathing deep
with my roots
in the soil…
I am fed too
Today’s meditation was skipped.
The @GlitterbyInk #FebYOUary26 Moments & Memories Challenge
Prompt for February 11th : Revelation
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Five of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of pessimism, regrets, doomsday thinking, disappointments, and occasionally, failure (or at the very least, the perception of failure).
Even if you don’t like the rain, it’s what keeps the plants alive and the forest green.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, which gets a lot of rain. Not only that, but I live in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest, which means we get an extra lot of rain.
Many people move here because the forests are beautiful and we have a rugged and breathtaking coastline. And I agree, I feel that this part of the world is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in pictures or in person.
That said, although lots of people move here for the beauty of nature? Nearly just as many move away because once they’ve been here for a while, they start to suffer from seasonal affective disorder and other depression related symptoms. Why? Because we don’t get as much sunshine as they’re used to. Instead, we get rain. Lots and lots of rain. And with the rain comes overcast skies, and lots of gray days.
It’s all that rain that gives this place its beauty, for without it, our forests would not be green year-round. The evergreens would die, and all of the dripping moss and lichen would disappear.
Interestingly, while others struggle with lack of sunshine and it affects their mood in negative ways, I have the opposite problem. I struggle when there is not enough rain and too much sunshine.
The message in today’s Five of Cups combined with the “revelation” prompt is a reminder that not everything can be “toughed out”. It’s okay to appreciate the beauty, or simplicity, or wonderfulness of something or someone, and yet not be able to live with that particular thing or person in your own life. Bringing those things to light that you can’t handle or tolerate doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you have good boundaries and know what you need.
Just remember that not being able to have something in your own life or being unable to agree with something doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad or wrong. It may just not be right for you.
@ambitiouslyalexa’s February Journal Prompts
Prompt for February 11th
A boundary that would make life easier
Eight of Wands and Three of Cups – Don’t let others rush you into things that you would be better off not participating in. Sometimes when others are enthusiastic or they’re trying to get you to agree to something, they use impatience or a sense of urgency in order to drag you along with them. Just like a barker insisting that the availability of something is extremely limited (when in fact they actually have overflowing warehouses of the stuff).
It’s important to realize when this is happening, and not allow yourself to be carried off into whatever their agenda is by these machinations.
How best to go about establishing this boundary
Queen of Swords and Five of Swords – Keep a kindly face to the problem and the person, even as you apply your stubbornness to come out on top of the situation. It’s in awareness of what is going on that you can catch and dissuade this type of behavior from them.
When you dissuade this type of manipulation, it then creates a president for you to do it again and again going forward. Just make sure that you’re tackling the issue with kindness instead of becoming sharp tongued or harsh with them.
Other elements included in this reading:
Carved Jade Japanese Kitsune for fostering Wisdom and Cunning
Foraged Purple Heather Sprigs for Independence and Luck
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2026 Challenge
Philosophical Prompt for February 11th : Does love necessitate action, or can it exist simply as a feeling?
Reading Summary – Love often has a tendency to push us towards action (Six of Pentacles), but because people often long for love while feeling undeserving of it (Five of Pentacles), the actions that love spur within are often thwarted (Eight of Swords).
Take Away – These cards say that love does not necessitate action. It inspires action, but doesn’t necessitate it.
Instead, sometimes it just is. Existing within us while other factors hold us back, whether those factors internal or external. Unexpressed love or unrequited love is still love, even if the person feeling that emotion never does anything about it.
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Dried Lavender Bundle for Calming and Comfort
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day since I didn’t write it down at the time.
Goodbye
Lost and gone
into the rush
of water below
unseen
in the dark
to head off
on an adventure
all its own
whether or not
it was meant
to slip
between the bars
Today’s meditation was skipped.
The @GlitterbyInk #FebYOUary26 Moments & Memories Challenge
Prompt for February 10th : Resilience
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Queen of Cups (Blue Lotus), 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.
I often incorporate blue lotus in my relaxation tea blends. I feel that it’s floral and citrus flavors blend well with chamomile, and can take the edge of some of the more bitter sleep-assisting herbs like valerian root.
The use of this flower on the Queen of Cups makes me think of how it’s easier to relax when you’ve gotten “off your chest” whatever it is that’s bothering you. Letting go of feelings by sharing them helps us to rest better and sleep better, creating a stronger us for tomorrow than we are today while we’re holding onto those feelings.
The message in today’s Queen of Cups/Blue Lotus card and “resilience” prompt is an encouragement to find someone you can unload on. Someone willing and able to lend you their ear when you need to get things off your chest and create space for you. Sometimes all we need is someone to listen. It isn’t about finding someone to solve all our problems, but finding someone willing to help just by listening and being there. If you already have this person in your life? Today’s message becomes an encouragement to utilize them. We are stronger when we’re not weighed down with our bottled up emotions… so bend their ear and let it out. You’ll feel better and stronger for having done so, and thus be more resilient to the days stresses as a result.
@ambitiouslyalexa’s February Journal Prompts
Prompt for February 10th
How I know when I’m overwhelmed
Solar Plexus and Waxing Moon – You experience a rising tension in your solar plexus. It’s very similar to the tension that you feel when you’re in a sub-drop, but with no activities with Gid involved to bring it on.
It also doesn’t hit out of the blue like the sub-drop often does, but instead the tension comes on a little at a time as your overwhelm mounts.
What to do to help myself in these moments when the obvious answer (rest) is unavailable
Sacral and Dream Space – Consider trying to ground yourself with a few minutes of visualization meditation. The Calm app meditations may not cut it in these moments. You need something that involves your senses and allows your focus to lock in on something soothing. Rooting type meditations where you feel your energy digging into soil is a good example, or any type of meditative visualization that doesn’t have you “free floating” but anchored in some way.
Other elements included in this reading:
Orange Aventurine Leaf for Pause and Reflection
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2026 Challenge
Prompts for February 9th and 10th
How you can assist yourself in staying safe this season.
Temperance and The Hierophant – Remember that the Iris flower and the Mandarin Duck may reflect balance and devotion, but the Iris also attracts snakes. By the same turn, just as the Lilac flower and the Crane may symbolize spiritual awakening and wisdom, the Lilac flower also speaks of Spring and the crane of enhanced awareness.
Traditional safety precautions are needed and will serve you well, but so will a greater awareness of what is going on around you. Take care not to lose yourself in brain fog, and to trust those outside of your closest circle with careful moderation this Spring.
How you can assist those closest to you in staying safe.
Eight of Swords and The Magician – Don’t turn away when things get difficult. Don’t worry about the thorns or getting entangled in the mess (Blackberries) if others are in need of your help (Lily). You have the tools to ensure assisting without entanglement, as long as you are clear of mind in the process of helping and clearly communicate (Parrot) your intent along the way.
Just as you would help someone tangled up in blackberry vines by announcing each move you make before you do it (ex: “I’m moving this vine”, “you will feel a tug here”, or “I’m cutting this free”), so too do you need to clearly communicate to others -how- you are helping before each effort put in. This allows them to feel reassured in your presence instead of panicking that you might do something they aren’t ready for or don’t want.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flowers for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Cedar Heart with Feather Moss Sprout for Protection of Understanding
I took a few extra stops on the way home today just to get out and stretch, as my back was bothering me.
Twisting the Leaf 