The Cycle
Autumn
is filled with
damp and decay
as vivid shades
fade away
to mushy muck
and wet gunk
that sticks
to the bottom
of muddy shoes
Then spring
will come and
muck will dry
and crumble
to become soil
for something new.
Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Woods
Prompt: Pull (at least) three cards use them to tell a story in which the characters are warned not to go into the woods.
The Woods
“Don’t go into the woods” they said, but he just couldn’t resist. He went every day. Some days for just a few minutes, and other days for hours and hours on end. Sometimes in the darkness of wild storms, and sometimes during clear skies with the sun or moon to light his way. (The Fool atop The Devil)
He didn’t understand what they all were so afraid of. Nothing bad ever happened when he visited the woods, and so he became confident and comfortable in his visits. (The Magician atop The Moon)
He would wander for hours, lost in his own thoughts while he marveled at nature’s splendor. He admired the birds and their fluttering wings, the squirrels and their speed and ingenuity, and even took joy in the slow trek of the snails moving over forest floor and fallen logs (The Sun atop The Hermit)
One day in his wandering he came to a small grove covered in moss and was so enchanted that he decided to sit for a while and enjoy. He found a comfortable spot to settle upon the ground beneath an old tree and as he watched the creatures and plants go about their daily routines, he became very tired. The exhaustion came upon him suddenly, and soon found himself so tapped of energy he had need to lie down upon the ground. (The Lovers atop Temperance)
While lying upon the ground, he watched motes of pollen swirl through the air like dust motes in the light of the setting sun and a great sense of peace overtook him. Soon, he let his eyes close and breathed in the fresh air fragrant with pine needles and damp earth. He imagined himself cradled lovingly in the palm of the earth’s embrace and as he drifted off to sleep, he felt as if he was slowly sinking into a deep and heavy darkness. (The Empress atop The Star)
And indeed, as he slept, he was embraced by the earth. Foliage crept close and roots shifted to make room. (Death) He was gently lowered deeper and deeper beneath the soil as it shifted to cradle and accept him within. So in tune with the earth, so comfortable within her embrace, he yielded to her without alarm or fear and became one with the earth without ever waking from his deep sleep. (The World)
And alas, the young man was never seen from again.
DECK USED: TAROT RESOM
The World Spins On, Regardless
Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.
The topic of today’s meditation was actually an activity in love and compassion where you first build an energy of love and compassion that you direct toward yourself, and then towards a loved one, and finally towards the world as a whole.
I had an interesting experience in the middle of this meditation. I was wide awake, so it was not a dream, but it felt as if my consciousness… slipped into something. A dark place of flickering lights like stars in a midnight sky with a flowing swirl of navy and blue similar to those photos you see of traffic where the shutter has been left open and all of the lights are streaked swirls instead of points of light. There was a moment when I seemed to move within that swirl of blue streaks like a leaf in a stream. It was only for a brief moment, and then I was back within my meditation.
I think I might have astral traveled… which would be a first. But I’m not 100% certain, as that is not something I’ve ever done before. In fact, it’s something I’ve been told I will be unable to do unless I ease up on my grounding and rooting. As I haven’t eased up on these things… this brings into doubt that that was what I experienced.
Today’s draw is the Four of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of rest and restoration. It’s about taking a break and allowing yourself time to heal and recover.
First of all, I took this card as a demand to do exactly that. Although my phone has been going off with orders all day, I have made a concerted effort to ignore work for the majority of the day and do a little self care instead. I even took a nap. The only thing I’ve kept up on was responding to customers.
Beyond that… what stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the little bird. That bird looking over the resting man feels a lot like the stained glass window with the figures in it that is in the traditional RWS cards.
In both cases, what I see is a loving, caring watchfulness. A quiet wait and gentle protection that is less about brute strength and more about love and kindness. Perhaps the bird is in fact the soul of the man, watching over the body while it recovers.
The message in today’s card is that there’s more to kindness to self than just going through the motions. You have to mean it, and you have to trust that when you are taking care of yourself that your responsibilities and the world around you can take care of themselves for a while.
DECK USED: WINTER WAITE TAROT 2019 EDITION
#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where should I direct my focus this week to foster my relationship with myself?
Reading Summary: Make sure you’re practicing a bit of moderation (Temperance) when planning your direction (Two of Wands) and forward motion into the future (Six of Swords) concerning the things you want to pick up and explore (Page of Wands).
Take Away: These cards are a reminder that I can’t take on every single little thing that strikes my interest or pulls at my attention. There are so many things that I want to do and explore, and it always feels like there’s not enough time to do them all. So I always try to pile on more and more of them onto my plate so that I can make sure I get to explore them all.
But the thing is? When I pile on so much, suddenly none of it is any fun and it all feels like a chore. Moderation is important. Extremely difficult for me, but important. Which means prioritizing is important as well. If I can’t get to everything I want to do and try, that means I need to make sure I prioritize the ones that feel the most important ahead of the rest.
DECK USED: FANTASTIC MENAGERIE TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge
Suspended Moments
There are times
in life when
you take a pause
and look
with clear sight
upon where you are
where you’ve been
and where you’re going
when the world
stretches out
before you
and time seems both
so brief
and so very long
all at once.
