Day: April 19, 2020

The Sky Is Falling

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

sacredToday’s meditation was just over twenty minutes long and a bit different than my normal meditation.   I tried another of those “meet your spirit guides” meditations from YouTube.

There’s a couple of different things that I realized from today’s meditation that might be why I’m struggling with the guided meditations of this nature.

The first thing is the fact that they don’t really do any sort of guided relaxation beforehand.  They just jump right in without any “take a breath” or “relax your muscles” or any relaxation technique before getting started.    I think that this is something that would really help me in finding that level of consciousness that would get me where I need to be in the meeting your guides part of the meditation.

The second thing that I noticed is that literally all of the meditations I’ve tried on this topic are essentially astral travel assisted connections. They all involve the whole “rising above” out of body type guidance that you are given for astral travel work.  The problem with this is that I don’t astral travel. Can’t, actually.  The prevailing theory is that it is because I’m so grounded, and so deeply rooted into that grounding, that I can’t rise into that airy un-grounded space and float free. Regardless of the reason why, though, the fact of the matter is that I did really well with the meditation right up until the point that they tried to get me into the astral plane, and then… it all fell to shit.

So… I will keep trying.  Maybe if I listen to enough of them sooner or later I will have learned enough of the non-astral methodology that I can then piece those parts together into a more grounded method that might work specifically for me.

Nine of Zephyrs - Nine of Swords - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Nine of Zephyrs (Nine of Swords) which is traditionally a representation of worries, anxieties and mental overwhelm leading to themes that do with anxiety and occasionally mental illness.

When I saw the card today, what really stuck out to me was the phrase “the sky is falling” which then brought to mind the story of Chicken Little from which that phrase originated.

This story is essentially about blowing things out of proportion which I didn’t really have a match for until this evening and the need to step back from a situation and allow others to deal with and handle it.  Normally, it’s the sort of situation I would step in and act on, but I was unable to do so in this instance because I might have been overreacting and blowing things out of proportion due of my own personal issues concerning those involved.

It was… ridiculously hard to step away.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Am I ethically obligated to improve myself?

White Sage TarotReading Summary: When you improve yourself (Page of Wands) you create a healing and stability (Four of Swords) that spreads outward to heal the world (The Sun).

Take Away:  Absolutely. As I improve myself, I subsequently improve the world around me. Ethically speaking, it is the most base and basic way in which we can improve the world and the lives of others. Butterfly effect. 

DECK USED:  WHITE SAGE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What does my inner critic say to me most often?

Shadowland Tarot

Reading Summary: It picks at my scarcity issues (Four of Cups) and my fear of losing my stability (Two of Pentacles). Other two cards are advice. Be good to yourself (Empress) and lighten up (The Sun).  And, just sayin’? That Four of Cups so very speaks to me of those scarcity issues btw. LOL

Take Away:  Scarcity and my fear of things falling apart are really my biggest fears, and are also the fears that were triggered the most strongly at the beginning of this pandemic.  Although I’ve gotten a handle on those fears, that is where my inner critic tries to pick at the most when it raises its ugly head.

The cards were also kind enough to give me encouragement, though (cuz I pushed for a third card rather than letting it stick with the first two) in the form of advice, reminding me that I need to be kind to myself and make an effort to strive towards optimism when my inner critic is trying to pick at those worries.

DECK USED:  SHADOWLAND TAROT

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

These Saturday 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 is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

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

SCS

Earth – Six of Wands, Nine of Wands, Mugwort (Cycles) – Artemisia vulgaris is the “Wheel of Fortune” of the plant world. The wands here in the reading speak of having spent a long time working towards finding a sense of accomplishment and carrying that forward. The Mugwort card is a reminder that all things come in cycles and what is good today can topple tomorrow. Remember that these cycles are natural and when things feel to be turning into a down swing, it’s a temporary situation in the same way that the good times are temporary as well. Cherish the good while you have it, and when the bad times come, hold tight to the knowledge the good times will come around once again.

Air – Eight of Cups and Calendula (Shine) – With the drop coming, there is sure to be some self doubts creeping up and in around the corner.  The danger in these self doubts is allowing those doubts to turn you away from what brings you joy and the areas where you truly shine.  Calendula officinalis teaches us not to turn away from those areas where we shine, but to turn toward them and allow the skills and abilities that make you special shine brightly for others so that they, in turn, are encouraged to let their own beauty and greatness shine as well. This message is an encouragement concerning my upcoming class on Wednesday.

Water – Ace of Swords, King of Cups, Devil’s Club (Reclaim Power) – Oplopanax horridus is a representation of the strength and resiliency of one’s inner spirit and, as well as the need to allow yourself to make the hard choices and loose the sharp edge of your tongue when needed to set balance in your life. The cards here speak of the need to stay centered in your emotions and not allow the intruding thoughts and perspectives of others to rock the boat and cause disruption.  With the drop coming, this is especially important, as it creates a vulnerability that causes chinks in your emotional armor that those sneaky little thoughts and opinions from others can sneak through.

Fire – Eight of Pentacles and Ginseng (Conservation) – By being discretionary on where you invest your focus and energy, you can provide for your needs and responsibilities better than spreading yourself too thin.  Panax genseng’s lesson is that quality results and stamina both come by choosing your battles and playing to your strengths.  This week, be sure to continue that focus on keeping some space free on your plate, which will allow you to better focus on those interests and responsibilities that really matter to you.

Waning – The Brat and Pedestal – It’s time to move away from feeling “precious”. This isn’t to mean move away from not feeling valued, but it has to do with the potential for being overly sensitive and getting up on one’s high horse as a result.  Although these type of feelings have the potential for sprouting up in the week ahead, it will be important to make the conscious choice toward focusing on remaining grounded and well balanced instead, and not allowing those feelings to take control.

Waxing – Gift Revealed and Whispers of Spring –  The energies of spring create a sense of freshness and invigoration that need to be recognized and appreciated this week.  Wallow in the springtime spark that is all around you and allow it to uplift you into a lighter space within your heart and mind.  Don’t forget to have a little fun as well!

Take Away – It appears it’s going to be a somewhat rough and emotionally sensitive week this week.  The cards are reminding me that I have strength to help me through and crappy times don’t last for ever.  Instead of focusing upon the struggle and strife, I am encouraged to do my best to continue looking on the bright side by focusing on the little things that bring me pleasure even during times of darkness.  Self care this week will require that focus on these little things, as well as making sure that I don’t overload myself so that, like thinning of plants to allow air circulation and room to grow, I too have room to expand and flex in those interests I choose to pursue.

DECKS USED: BUNNY TAROT, HERBAL HEALING ORACLE, FAIRY WISDOM ORACLE