Presence as a Gift

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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 Traveler's Tarot - Ten of Pentacles and a card from the Mindfulness Cards

Today’s draw is the Ten of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction and stability in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that have to do with hard earned success, accomplishments, abundance created through patience and hard work, and reaching a point in that abundance and stability where it is comfortably shared with those around us.

The Ten of Pentacles has then been combined with the Feel the Ground card from the Mindfulness Cards, which says, “Just like the breath, our connection to the Earth is always available to us. I simply pay attention to the feeling of our feet, we can literally ground ourselves at any time. Practice this in different circumstances and in different places so that when you’re facing difficult moments in the future, you have an always-accessible tool to bring yourself back to the present moment.”

Sometimes the security and stability that we offer others has nothing to do with money or wealth. Sometimes it’s in how our presence makes them feel safer, comforted, or more grounded.

This is why the simple act of spending time with others is often overlooked as one of the most valuable gifts you can give to those around you. When you sit at someone’s bedside when they’re sick or come and listen to them when they need an ear, you are providing for them something more valuable than money ever could.

The message in today’s Ten of Pentacles and grounding card is a reminder that these types of contributions to others are just as valuable as, if not more valuable than, gifts or money ever could be. This is because in these moments, you are giving of yourself rather than just offering something of use but without heart.

DECKS USED:  THE TRAVELER’S TAROT AND MINDFULNESS CARDS

September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 4th : sipping on the eye of a storm

Creative Writing Exercise with the Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio Playing Cards Hupo Standard Edition

Six of Spades

I stand and watch in silence
as hammer moves to displace
the guts of old brass hinges
from their hidden space
And as the door comes free
he thinks that he has won,
as no protests are spoken aloud
while I mentally prepare to be gone.

Queen of Spades atop Queen of Hearts

In these moments of daydreams,
I find solace and support,
aware that sharp tongues pause
merely to sharpen edges
then come back for more blood.

Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Encouraging Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: STRANGE TALES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO PLAYING CARDS HUPO STANDARD EDITION

@jourie.co‘s An Imaginative Life Journal Prompts
Prompt for September 4th : What part of your life looks fine out does not feel right?

Tarot Reading with The Traveler's Tarot and Contact Oracle

Reading Summary: You have chosen to shut away your past, instead of communicating with others about it and sharing your experiences (Past Life Regression). This makes you appear strong and stable (King of Coins), while on the inside there’s a lot of emotional churning going on that nobody knows about (Ace of Cups with Past Life Regression).

Take Away: You tend to willingly share a lot about yourself and your present, as well as your hopes and dreams for the future, but you very rarely share much of anything about your past.

This is understandable, as there are a lot of emotional traumas and vulnerabilities that still need to be worked through in that area; things that you don’t give others much of a clue about so that you can look far more stable and invincible than you really are.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
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
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE TRAVELER’S TAROT AND CONTACT ORACLE
Daily Self Kindness

I confirmed the housekeeper’s next visit instead of giving in to the urge to cancel it to avoid the social interaction involved.

Gideon’s Challenge – Anticipation

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Storm Clouds

Anticipation

autumn
creeps closer
with churning
gray skies
interspersed
between blue
and the splat
of spitting
rain clouds
not yet
committed
to giving
dry earth
it’s due

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

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