Month: January 2020

The Three Sisters – Story Time

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Pull at least three cards and use them to…
…tell a  story about an argument between siblings.

Fey Tarot

Annabelle, Beatrice, and Nora are three sisters living under the same roof with completely different goals.  Living together is stressful because they each have such different personalities.

Coming into the kitchen one morning, the ever impulsive Annabelle (Knave of Pentacles) announces, “I’m taking the car today.  None of you need it and I have a hot date with my boyfriend (Three of Pentacles) later to play DND with some friends (Ten of Pentacles).”

Beatrice, the benevolent older sister of the three (The Empress), looked over with a frown from where she was cooking at the stove, “You are going to need to wait until later.  I need the car to go to the grocery store and run some errands. You can have it when I’m done.” (The Chariot)

At that moment, soft spoken Nora lifts her head off the table where she’d appeared to be napping. (Four of Swords)  “I don’t feel very good,” she says, “Do you think someone could take me to see my counselor?” (Three of Swords)

Annabelle knows better than to argue with Beatrice, but she’s seething on the inside at this interruption in her plans today.   So it’s not a surprise that when the youngest sister, Nora, speaks up that the scowl on her face is supremely displeased and her glare in Nora’s direction is seething. (The Seer)

“You don’t need to go see the counselor,” snaps Annabelle, worried that now her plans are dashed and she won’t be able to have the car at all. “Stop being such a whiner!”

“Annabelle!” Scolds Beatrice with a glare at her selfish younger sister. “WHAT has gotten into you?   Why don’t you go study for that exam that you have to take on Friday. (Eight of Pentacles) You can have the car when I get back.”

Beatrice then turns to Nora and comes to sit down beside her.  Putting her arm around the youngest sister, she gives the girl a comforting hug.  “I think that the office is closed today, Nora.  But how about you come with me to run errands and I’ll take you to the pet shop to visit with all the animals. (The Magician)  You really like that.   Then you and I can come home and veg out in front of the tv and talk about what’s bothering you. (Two of Chalices) Okay?”

Nora leans her head on her sister’s shoulder and nods.  Beatrice always knows what to do to help make her feel better and keep Annabelle from getting too mean (Strength), and having some time alone with her without Annabelle’s chaotic energy always feels good (Four of Wands).

As Annabelle grouses under her breath and heads upstairs to study (Eight of Pentacles), Nora follows Beatrice to go get on her coat.  Beatrice’s promise to go see the animals has created a spark of excitement within her for the day of head that she’d been lacking just a short time earlier (Queen of Wands).

DECK USED: FEY TAROT

 

Nudge Nudge

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Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes long and was not particularly relaxing, although I really tried.  I think I was just too excited about the snow and couldn’t settle to get myself in the zone.  Even my yoga/physio was a bit restless and difficult to stick on track with today.

Three of Wands - Spacious TarotToday’s draw is the Three of Wands, which… seems to be what the Spacious tarot really wants me to see a lot of this month.  Out of the seven times I’ve drawn from this deck so far this month, five of them have given me wands.

The Three of Wands is about planning the path to one’s goals and ambitions, and beginning the execution of those plans.

It really feels like the deck is trying to tell me to get my ass in gear… which, has been difficult.  It’s definitely trying to light a fire under my ass, though…. or rather, prod me with a stick to get me moving.

Today’s guidance from this deck is that you can think about what you want all you want to, but at some point you have to start moving forward.   Now’s the time.

DECK USED:  SPACIOUS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What risk does the universe want me to take this year?

Bohemian Animals Tarot

Reading Summary:  Learn to celebrate your accomplishments more (Four of Fire) and put yourself out there to help others discover theirs as well (The Shaman).  Also, seeking emotional stability through immersion (Queen of Water).

Take Away:  I’m very skilled at minimizing my accomplishments and/or discounting them as “nothing”.  It always feels awkward and a bit of a risk to me to not do that, as if I might fall into a pit of pridefulness (new word!) and become a jackass because of it… or something.  By the same turn, helping others requires accepting and being comfortable to put myself out there, and… I really hope I don’t come off as a prideful jerk doing so.  Just sayin’.

In the Queen of Water card, you can see the little seal in the far background submerged in water, yeah?   That is what stuck out to me in this card.  With weight put on that little figure’s presence, the card is telling me that if I want to find a stable balance with my emotions, I’m going to have to immerse myself into them and do the work at becoming familiar and comfortable with them, and that in doing that I will (over time) learn (and earn) that stability I seek.

DECK USED:  BOHEMIAN ANIMALS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #3  Will I have found a way to connect with and communicate with my spirit guide(s) by the end of the spring?

Vintage Oracle Tarot

Reading Summary:  Following uncertainty and darkness between the Moon and the Two of Swords, the darkness bleeds over from the moon into the card beside it.  This means there’s going to be a good deal of it throughout the spring on this issue.  There is also a color match between the girl’s dress and the ground upon which the Hermit treads, speaking of  a connection between her feelings of needing to work with intuition more rather than physical senses is going to be the foundation of my path forward.   In the sky, the light grows from utter darkness to moonlight glow, to a great full shine moving forward to the right in the Hermit card, which speaks of a progression but not of actual success, as the light is not in the foreground and bleeds off the card into the future beyond the time limit of the reading’s parameters.

Take Away:  The answer is no.  There will be a clusterfuck of confusion and uncertainty at first until I find a balance within myself that allows me to tap into the inner voice and intuition needed.  Once I find that balance, the path forward will lie before me.  I will make progress over this time period, but I won’t accomplish the reading’s goal by the end of spring. 

DECK USED:  VINTAGE ORACLE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: How can I improve my time management?

Golden Art Nouveau Tarot

Reading Summary:  Get moving on my goals (Knight of Wands) and stop (Death) lollygagging (Six of Cups).  Take a different perspective (Hanged Man) on my addictions and interests (Devil), and turn them around into something more useful than their current state (the Hanged Man is on top).

Take Away:  This reading is about distractions and how I have been letting distractions do a lot more distracting lately than usual over the past couple of weeks.   The cards are telling me that it’s time to get back on track, and indicating the distractions that need the most work in order for time management to improve. 

The distractions represented here are the Six of Cups and the Devil, which speak to the childlike fun I’ve been having with some of the games on my phone, and the bit of overwhelmed distraction I’ve been experiencing concerning my deck collection.  The first I need to work more on.  The second is going to resolve itself now that I have a new bookshelf to work with and can begin sorting things out in a different manner for better organization.

DECK USED:  GOLDEN ART NOUVEAU TAROT

Hermit Crabs and Tortoise Shells

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Today’s meditation was… non-existent.  I’m running on about two and a half hours of sleep at the moment, and any lying down or inactively sitting still I do is going to result in me falling asleep.  Because of that, there was no way that I could do my meditation this morning, and I couldn’t do it in the car because the weather and roads were so bad today that even when I wasn’t driving, J needed the help in keeping an eye out for issues.

I will try to meditate when I lie down for bed tonight, though.  If I fall asleep then, at least it’ll be safe and that sleep won’t be cutting into anything important.

Efflorescent Tarot (Color Edition)Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning that both cards came out together from the deck.  The cards in today’s draw are the Hermit card and the Eight of Cups.

This is 100% about how I feel today.  It’s about the drop, and it’s about our issues last night, and it’s about how I feel on the inside.

I don’t want anything to do with what happened yesterday.   And after last night?  I don’t want anything to do with the drop either.  Not that the drop is ever pleasant to begin with, but… yeah.

Today’s cards have appeared to force me to confront that want to hide away and retreat, and a reminder that what we have is worth fighting for and holding onto, even when all I really want to do is retreat into my shell and hunker down in there out of sight.

DECK USED: THE EFFLORESCENT TAROT (COLOR EDITION)

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I make space for that joy this year? (From yesterday’s cards.)

Arcana Tarot by Hydra-Nix

Reading Summary:  I need to better balance my needs (Justice card) with my constant quest to know more (Page of Swords) and doing better in those things that foster my sense of security (Page of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I always prioritize the whole “learning more and doing better” thing when it comes to how I manage my time, and that includes time spent in my relationship with you.  I work hard to obtain and hold onto security and stability in my life both financially and in my home, and that is where a huge amount of my focus lies.

Expressing dominance in our relationship (which is the joy that yesterday’s reading was about) takes a significant amount of energy and effort, even when that need rises to a point it can’t be ignored.  That energy and effort over the past year has been channeled into my work and fostering that stability instead of being expressed through our relationship.

Today’s cards indicate that I need to find a better balance between those material demands (and the knowledge gathering they require) and the facet of our relationship that allows me to express those more dominant urges.

DECK USED:  THE ARCANA TAROT BY HYDRA-NIX

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What concession can you make to provide for yesterday’s inner child craving?

Forest Creatures Tarot

Reading Summary:  I need to look into and explore (Page of Swords) a better way of getting to those natural places I crave (The Chariot) rather than dispairing that I can’t reach them (Nine of Swords).   If I make some changes (Death), I’ll find myself much happier with what I have afterward (Nine of Cups).

Take Away:  Yesterday’s read was about getting out in nature more, even when it’s frigidly cold, as it is right now.   The cards in today’s reading are about finding better ways to access nature so that I can spend the time I need there to feel good and right with the world.  I need to explore alternative ways to get where I want (and need) to be.  Maybe I should look into something like a snowmobile rental or some sort of ATV use for this time of year so that I can get out to those remote spots more easily when the temperatures are so low that hiking isn’t an option.

DECK USED:  FOREST CREATURES TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: What could help my daily organization?

Lighteater's Tarot

Reading Summary:  I need to be kinder to myself (Amicka) and stop presenting the image that I have it all together (Six of Staves) when in truth I’m a bit lost in the weeds (The Moon).

Take Away:  Okay so firstly?   This deck needs to be moved over into my shadow work decks.  Because… Jesus.  Just sayin’.  But this is the second time the imagery has jerked me into some pretty intense reactions…. and the second time I have used the deck.  (I just bought it earlier this month.)  I’m going to continue to use it through the end of the month as a regular deck, but I have a feeling it’s just too hard-hitting for “everyday” use.

So, that out of the way… I am very skilled at being extremely hard on myself.  I’ve had a lifetime of practice with a spectacular teacher who was very skilled at making you feel that you aren’t good enough.   This tendency means that I often present a “everything is perfectly fine” front even when it’s not.  If I want to find a better way of organizing my daily life?  I’m going to have to let go of both that tendency to tear myself apart and the tendency to pretend everything is okay, because I need to be able to let others in to help me when i start to feel lost and overwhelmed.

DECK USED:  LIGHTEATER’S TAROT

Balance in Boundaries

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and, as with yesterday, I chose to do my meditation without a guide.  For today, I did a quiet breathing exercise and full body scan that started at the top of the head and traveled to the tips of the toes, then back up again.

This is one of my favorite meditations, as it allows for the systematic relaxation of muscles that sometimes I don’t even realize are holding tension.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to get rid of headaches, and I have had one since waking up for work this morning.

Nine of Wands - Spacious TarotToday’s draw is the Nine of Wands, and I’ve really noticed that this particular deck seems to really love throwing wand cards at me. And.. I do mean throwing.  This one hit me right in the face between the eyebrows.

The Nine of Wands is traditionally a representation of culminations, fulfillment, and consequences in the area of one’s ambitions, drive, and passions.  This often communicates itself through themes involving resilience, persistence, and setting good boundaries.

What really stands out to me in this card today is the rose, and the fact that the wand it rests upon is in front of the other wands in this card instead of tangled within them or concealed behind them.  It speaks to me of not just boundaries, but the fact that sometimes you need boundaries in order to achieve growth.

Boundaries can sometimes provide a safe place for growth and development to take place without that protection.  The card is a reminder that when setting boundaries you need to do so with balance.  If the boundaries are too tight, then there is no air to breathe and no light to nurture growth.   If the boundaries are too loose, the rose can end up trampled.

DECK USED:  SPACIOUS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What does my spirit enjoy that it didn’t get enough of last year?

Ethereal Visions Tarot

Reading Summary:  Taking the reigns (Three of Wands) and allowing my inner strength to rise (Strength) within my relationship (Two of Cups) within a grounded and self possessed manner (Nine of Pentacles).

Take Away:  This is about Dominance.   I had my reasons for not going there over the past year.  One of the strongest being the burn-out that was caused by the time between us when you were dealing with your grief and the imbalance we went through during that time.  That said, there were a few times I felt the urge and pushed it away, mostly out of concern that I wasn’t ready yet to step back into those shoes.

DECK USED:  ETHEREAL VISIONS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What does your inner child crave that you’ve been ignoring?

Jeremy Miranda Oracle Cards

Reading Summary:  All of the cards here are depicting shades of cold, and the layout is bracketed in ice.  It speaks of cold on so many levels, but with three of the four of the cards also depicting being on the inside and looking out, there is a very clear message to me of the need to get outside and enjoy nature.

Take Away:  Get your ass outside already.  Yes, it’s cold… but do it anyway.

DECK USED:  JEREMY MIRANDA ORACLE CARDS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: What do I need in order to create a better evening routine?

The Prediction Tarot

Interpretation: Focus, organization, and intuition. Honestly?  This isn’t a read off the cards and their traditional meanings, but rather off of intuition from the imagery before me.   There is a lot of stress placed within these cards about new methods and finding a balance between the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual aspects in my life.  If I want a better evening routine, the cards indicate that I am going to need to focus on finding that balance.

DECK USED:  THE PREDICTION TAROT

Up And At ‘Em

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Today’s meditation was just under fifteen minutes long and was incorporated into some extra stretching during my physio/yoga time as I was quite sore this morning.  That was due to the furniture adventures yesterday, which I did while dehydrated and thus caused me to be unusually sore today.

It was relaxing, although not the norm.  Most of the focus during this time is on breathing, just as it is during regular meditation, but there is also a good amount of focus paid to body alignment and the release of muscle tension.

Four of Swords - Efflorescent Tarot (Color Edition)Today’s draw is the Four of Swords, which is a representation of reassessment, ease, stability, and shelter in the area of the mind, intellect, communication, and logic. This often presents itself with themes involving restoration, meditation, and recuperation, as well as potential stagnation.

What I see in today’s card is following along the same theme of a number of personal readings that I’ve done over the past few days.  That is to say, it deals with the stagnation that I have personally been feeling of late where I seem to be stewing in place rather than moving forward.

The card, to me, clearly communicates that in staying in one place too long, you run the risk of becoming tangled up and at risk.  Rest is only good for as long as you need it, then it can become something harmful.   This card’s appearance is further assertion (atop the recent readings) that it’s time to move forward instead of lingering in the murk and mire of indecision and hesitation.

DECK USED:  THE EFFLORESCENT TAROT (COLOR EDITION)

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What can I do to prepare myself to accept that gift? (Build off yesterday’s cards.)

Maregician Tarot (Sleeplessness Edition)

Reading Summary: Get your ass in gear (Justice atop the Nine of Diamonds), look at where you want to go (Judgement), and enlist others to assist you in getting there (Three of Hearts).

Take Away:  This is essentially a reiteration of my Self Care Saturday reading that I did yesterday.  The cards are saying that I need to take a good look at the amount of rest and recuperation I’ve been immersed in and begin the process of moving again in the direction of my goals.  The theme of bringing others in to help me is also pretty consistent, and being repeated again here as a reminder that I need to allow others to help me instead of forcing myself to take everything on by myself.

DECK USED:  MAREGICIAN TAROT (SLEEPLESSNESS EDITION)

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Why do you take what what came up in yesterday’s prompt so seriously?

Lo Scarabeo Tarot

Reading Summary: Because I feel that it makes me stronger (Strength), and more prepared for disaster and difficulty (Nine of Swords), which gives the impression that by pushing myself harder I then manage to somehow free myself up for exploration of new inspirations and creative endeavors (Page of Wands).

Take Away:  The answers in the cards explain why, but that why is an illusion.  It’s true that it does feel that by bearing down on myself and being harsh with myself I am somehow not just increasing the quality of my work but also my productivity as a whole, freeing up time and energy to later explore what I want to do rather than what I have to do… but in truth what ends up happening is I end up exhausting myself and don’t get to use that free time earned in the way I want, because I have to use it to recover instead.

DECK USED:  THE LO SCARABEO TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: What do I need in order to create a more dependable morning routine? (Question was rephrased for clarity.)

The Textured Tarot

Reading Summary: Stop binding myself up in useless extraneous crap (Eight of Swords) so that I can have a quicker turnaround and more control concerning what gets done and when (The Chariot). I also need to work with L to coordinate better so that we aren’t tripping over each other so much (Two of Cups).

Take Away:  When L and I are trying to get ready at the same time, we have a bit of a “dance” we do where we circle around each other like satellites.   But there are times when there is absolutely no rhythm to it and we collide and bounce off each other, trip over each other and get in each other’s way.    The two of cups with it’s four faces and two of them bloody?  That is a representation of this occasional lack of rhythm and symmetry.

The other two cards indicate a need to not dawdle so much in the checking of mail and messages and other such extraneous pursuits when trying to get my ass moving in my morning routines.

DECK USED:  THE TEXTURED TAROT

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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As I’ve mentioned before, these readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and are not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

SCS

Earth – Ten of Swords, Seven of Cups, Taurus (The Lover) – The message here is about over-indulging and having been too much in my head lately. Over the next week it will be important to get back in touch with grounding myself and finding that steady center. Considering how stuck I have felt lately, these cards are right on the mark. I feel like I have been a little too lax with myself and need to tighten up the reigns. It will be important to do this one step at a time, but even that slow progress is better than stagnancy.

Air – Five of Pentacles, Waxing Crescent (Play), Waxing Gibbous (Manifest) – “Find the Fun” is the message here. I’ve spent too much time in my head (as mentioned previously) and not enough time creating the right kind of energy to spark my interest and get me moving. Changes for the better are coming, but in order to dig myself out of the slump? I need to find the fun.

Water – Three of Cups and Honey Moon (Productivity) – Building on the “find the fun” theme of things and finding my way forward out of this slump, the cards are indicating that enlisting the help of friends and love ones will not just make the work and transition I’m looking to manifest far more enjoyable, but also create a greater level of productivity without it feeling so much like work.

Fire – Queen of Wands, The Star, Pisces (The Psychic) – This is another call to reach for grounding energy and stay in the present. Looking too far ahead or too far behind can distract and overwhelm. By keeping focused on the present, though, the path forward can become illuminated one step at a time instead of seemingly being a tangle of “to do’s” and “what should I do’s”.

Waning – Waxing Crescent (Nourishment) – This card is a reiteration of the message above, especially in the earth position. It is about getting off my ass and taking the first steps instead of coddling myself and my indecision.

Waxing – Waxing Gibbous (Focus) – Combined with the message in the Waning position, this card is an indication that I need to train my focus on moving forward. Foster that focus moving through the next week and I will be able to begin digging myself out of the quagmire of inaction I’ve found myself in lately.

Take Away – Focusing upon the present is really important right now, as is tightening up the reigns on my self-indulgent behavior, and reaching out to others to help make moving forward with my plans not just productive but fun as well.

DECKS USED: WHEEL OF FORTUNE TAROT, SPIRIT DE LA LUNE ORACLE, QUEEN OF THE MOON ORACLE