Month: April 2020

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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 – Eight of Cups, Six of Pentacles, Night Magic – This week it will be important to focus more on yourself and your needs, and less on contributing to others. The cards here indicate that you are spending far too much time trying to fulfill the needs of others, and this week is an ideal time to take a little time away from those endeavors and let yourself loose to have a little fun your way on your own terms.

Air – Eight of Pentacles and Patience – Take some time to enjoy the moment this week instead of always planning ahead.  Your business and work is well in hand, and impatience for the future won’t make it come any faster.  Focus on the here… the now… pour your attention and talents into what you’re doing now.

Water – Ace of Wands, Magic Maker, Freedom – Tap into your emotions and your intuition and let these parts of you flow into your creativity this week.  Allow that inner spark of passion to flourish inside you, and allow it to flow outward into your creative endeavors.  Now is a time to connect your intuition and emotions to that creativity that makes life so very much worth living.

Fire – Five of Swords and Passion –  Stay on guard against those things and/or people that tap into your passion and drain it away.  This week is all about exploring your passions and enthusiasm, connecting to creativity and emotion.  Make sure you don’t let obligations (real or imagined) stand in the way of letting that happen.

Waning – Modify – You’re reaching a phase in your growth out of the fog and stagnation from the winter months where you no longer need to “fake it until you make it”.  You’ve made it into that more positive space, and now you just need to utilize it rather than taking it for granted.

Waxing – Answers Within – Take time to meditate and touch upon inner wisdom for guidance and that shining light that brings creative ideas to life.

Take Away – Take the newly discovered freedom outside of the fog of fear and uncertainty and do something with it.  Take time to enjoy yourself and don’t worry so much about the (real or imagined) obligations toward others. Now is the time to embrace that freedom and have a little fun.  Let go of the weight for a bit, get in touch with your inner spark, and set it free this week.

DECKS USED: MARUCO ANIMAL TAROT, SPIRIT CATS ORACLE, WHISPERS OF HEALING ORACLE

The Mistakes of Others

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Today’s meditation was… non-existent.  Ugh.  I was going to do the meditation after I did the neti pot of my nose (you know, so that I can breathe because my allergies have been up in arms for three days now).   But then I did the neti pot and discovered a raging sinus infection going on up there.  The salt on the wound reaction throughout the front of my face caused a severe headache among other lesser issues and, after a great deal of cussing (that no one could hear) and stomping (that everyone could hear), instead of meditating I ended up lying down and taking a nap.

The Heirophant - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Heirophant (Hierophant) card, which is traditionally a representation of spiritual guidance and wisdom shared, as well as constructs of conformity and institution.

What I see in this card’s imagery today definitely has to do with learning, which is an intrinsic theme of this card, but it has to do with learning from other’s mistakes rather than in the institutional or traditional means usually indicated by the Hierophant.

This message has to do with the little water nymphs and their fishy tails, and the trapped and soon to be eaten catfish on the rock under the pelican’s foot. The nymphs look on and see the lesson learned by the fish, understanding the caution needing to be executed in order to continue their own survival by witnessing the danger and the mistakes of others first hand.

The card in today’s draw is a call to pay attention.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthApril Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I introduce more simple joys into my current routine?

Cosmic Tarot

Reading Summary:  Stop skipping out on my self care (Empress) and look at ways to instill a little more order (Princess of Swords) into the uncertain parts (The Moon) of my day to day routine.

Take Away:  I just love it when I get called out for skipping self care opportunities (sarcasm).  Okay so yes.  I have not been doing all of the whole self care stuff I should.  Although… I have been getting plenty of sleep, so at least there’s that.

Anyway.  The message here is that I need to step up my self care, and let my organizational freak flag fly.  That by doing so I will overcome my uncertainty and open up room for more simple joys to step into that space.

DECK USED:  COSMIC TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #2  Is that RV across the street going to be moving along to somewhere else in the foreseeable future?

ETA Tarot - Emerging Toronto Artists TarotReading Summary:  They have a lot to accomplish yet (Seven of Pentacles) but are eager to start having some fun (The Sun). Too much pot (Five of Wands) is making it a struggle to keep their eye on the ball (Two of Pentacles).  Note: Second sentence is an intuitive hit off of the imagery rather than anything to do with traditional meaning of the cards.)

Take Away:  So.. yes.  But it’s going to be quite a while yet. I’ve seen a good deal of progress going on, but there’s also long gaps between when they come to do work that the cards indicate are filled with partying.  This is slowing down their progress and going to cause it to be quite some time yet before the RV is ready to be moved anywhere.

The cards do indicate, though, that it will eventually move.  They’re eager to get on the road and start enjoying the freedom that the RV represents.  It’s just going to take some time yet before that happens.

DECK USED:  ETA TAROT (EMERGING TORONTO ARTISTS TAROT)

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What is my life purpose?

Fantastical Creatures Tarot

Reading Summary:  To take the struggles, hurdles, and hurts that come (Seven of Swords) “like a man” (The Emperor… and just saying? But I hate that phrase) and continuing to move forward at a steady pace (Knight of Pentacles).

Take Away:  Perhaps the purpose involves learning how to take the difficulties in life and move forward from them without falling apart in the process… or maybe it involves just doing it so that others can see that it can be done and thus learn from my experiences and mistakes.  Either way, the theme of the cards here deals with overcoming difficulties by remaining steady and sure and filled with purpose even when those setbacks make that attitude and action a struggle to accomplish.

DECK USED:  FANTASTICAL CREATURES TAROT

 

Sustainable Strength

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and attached to the end of my yoga/physiotherapy session, which was extra long today as I’ve been struggling with a bit of increased immobility in my right hip, probably due to my lack of visits the sports medicine clinic over the past month or so that they’ve been closed due to the pandemic and the lockdown orders.

I was aware when they closed down that it would be a bit of an issue.  I was hoping that the stiffness that I experienced when my ribs slid out of alignment and settled into their current position that that would be the worst of it.  Apparently there is more to come.

Knight of Oak - Knight of Pentacles - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Knight of Oak (Knight of Pentacles) which is a representation of an active beta energy, personality, or person in the areas of resources, health, finance, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that deal with the steady progress of hard work and routine (as opposed to the more rash energy of the other knights) as well as topics that have to do with the steady attainment, sustainability, and conservation of resources.

Honestly?  Whenever I see the imagery in this card, it makes me think of you.  Not that I see you as the Knight of Pentacles, but rather that there is something in the imagery itself that reminds me of you being both reasonable and resourceful at the same time.

And that is where the message of today’s card resides.   It is in that steady and reasonable energy of using one’s resources wisely and plotting the course that makes sure that those resources retain sustainability for the future. Although, unlike when I see you in the card, this message is not found  today in the figure or the moose, but rather in the water at the feet of the moose and the touch of the hand upon it.

Today’s message is a reminder that I have the capability to make our resources work for as long as needed to get through this mess with the pandemic and closures, etc.  I can and will stretch what we need and find that resourcefulness to make it through and bring those I care about through it with me.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

 

The First Time

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Today’s prompt is brought to you by one of the Discord servers that I am a member of.  Just as a side note… the reason I do not link these Discord servers is because each server has their own rules about if you’re allowed to share them publicly and how, and it’s a pain in the ass to look it up for each one so I just don’t share them.

On to the question… “What was your first time divining like? How does it compare to how divining is for you now?”

Rana George Lenormand

Seamless… accidental.

My mother had been using Lenormand cards with my sister and I when we were children as bedtime story prompts for a long time before my first use with them as a divinatory device.

My first dip over the line was during one of those story times. It was my turn to contribute to the story and I pulled my card and something shifted. It didn’t feel right. Not as in I couldn’t have used it to contribute to the ongoing story, but that it didn’t feel like that’s what the card was meant for in that moment.

When I tried to set it aside, my mother encouraged me to explain why I wasn’t using it and why it didn’t “feel right”.

And there it was.

It’s pretty much the same now except I’m far more comfortable and far less confused.  That inner “voice” is still where direction comes from as far as what the cards are for, what they’re about, and what their message is.  They also sometimes still take me by surprise.

 

Self Nurturing Is Important

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Today’s meditation was just under fifteen minutes long and was another of those guided “contact your spirit guide” meditations which… was another flop.

Honestly?  This one was all about the narrator’s voice.  I really did try to stay focused and allow my body to relax into the meditation, but her voice was just so…. ugh.  Not nasally or scratchy but somehow still grating.  I can’t really explain it.  I was sure I could relax to the voice and yet some odd quality in it just… wouldn’t allow me to relax enough to get into the meditation.

Queen of Oak - Queen of Pentacles - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Queen of Oak (Queen of Pentacles) which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the areas of the physical world, nature, resources, etc.  This translates into themes to do with a blend of practicality and strength combined with nurturing receptivity.

What really stands out to me in this image is the touch of hands over the heart and the life blood that mixes with the honey.  It speaks to me as a reminder that even as you care for others, you still need to care for yourself as well.

I think that the message here and how it relates to my life is pretty self explanatory.  I’m not the greatest at balancing my self care into the rest of my life and responsibilities, and that is what today’s card is encouraging me to work harder at.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: Am I settling for less than I deserve?

New Liminal Tarot

Reading Summary: I spend too much time working alone (Three of Discs). I need to accept the help of others more readily, and will gain more strength as a result (Strength).

Take Away:  The answer is yes.  I am settling for less than I deserve because I don’t accept help from others as readily as I should.  In accepting that help, it does not create a vulnerability or a weakness, even if this is what I have always been taught as a child.  Instead, the ability to accept help from others is a strength, and one I need to work on developing if I want to stop settling for less than I deserve.

DECK USED:  NEW LIMINAL TAROT

#MidnightTarotChallenge Prompt
Question: What expectations am I holding for myself that need to be shed?

Universal Celtic TarotReading Summary: I lean too heavily on trying to find value in past experience (Six of Pentacles) instead of accepting with quiet strength (King of Swords) that sometimes discomfort and uncertainty is just what it is (The Moon) and moving on from it (Eight of Wands).

Take Away:  I truly do believe that our experiences are there to teach us something.  If not to develop our human mind and self, than to teach and develop our inner spirit.  The cards indicate that maybe sometimes I spend a little too much time looking for that benefit and finding answers to fill in where confusion resides, rather than just letting things go and moving on from them.

DECK USED:  UNIVERSAL CELTIC TAROT

 

Contentment and Gratitude

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IMG_3766Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and focused upon using the 4-7-8 breathing technique to help  in lowering stress and inducing a sense of relaxation.

This is actually a method that I use regularly in the day to day, and often during my meditation.  It involves breathing in a full deep breath for a count of four, then holding that air in for a count of seven, then exhaling slowly to a count of eight.

When I use this technique, I use my heartbeats as the method of counting in order to make sure that the pace stays even through the entire process, and I’ve found it to be extremely beneficial in assisting me in relaxing during times of high stress.

Nine of Brine - Nine of Cups - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Nine of Brine (Nine of Cups) which is traditionally a representation of themes concerning satisfaction and attaining a state of contentment and comfortable completion in the area of one’s emotions and relationships.

What I see here is comfort and security, which I suppose is very much along the themes of contentment. The bones on the shore speak to me of a lot that has been lost by both parties, and yet the elephant and the youth move together in the shallows, leaning upon each other and taking comfort in each other.

This speaks to me of remembering what you have and appreciating it. Times of struggle and hardship can rip people apart, or they can bring people closer.  By approaching the relationships you have during these times with a sense of gratitude, it allows those relationships to strengthen rather than deteriorate.

I am currently experiencing this first hand with both my sister and Z.  This opportunity to spend so much time with both of them is a struggle, but it has also brought us closer.   The same, too, can be said for the drop and the bond formed as  I lean on you during those times of vulnerability.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthApril Challenge Prompt
Question: What impact is stress having on my life at this time?

Fairy Lights Tarot

Reading Summary:   Disconnect is shown in the curve of the “horn” that, in this reading looks to me like a disconnected umbilical cord that has been parted from the figure with the hole in its torso.  Others look on in horror, indicating that this disconnect involves a sense of loss.

Scarcity is seen in the center card, depicted in the colors of the card as well as the sharp thorns of light scattered throughout the image and slumped figures.  The imagery feels like needs that are sharp and painful and not being satisfied.

Loss is what I see depicted in the last card.  A sense of mourning in the curling slump of the figures in the center of the image and the curl of their hands and arms.  The blue feels stark instead of comforting.

Take Away:  This is less about how it is effecting my life and more about how it can very easily turn around and bite me in the ass if I’m not careful.   Stress, that is.   It has the potential to pull me into a mindset of disconnection and scarcity where  I fear loss and, as a result, struggle with these emotions as they drag me down and jumble up my head and heart.

There is no symmetry in these cards, speaking of that confusion.  No easy flow going on here.  Instead, everything is discordant, just like my emotions when stress starts to become overwhelming and eat away at me.

DECK USED:  FAIRY LIGHTS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What new perspective is waiting for me to be realized?

Forager's Daughter TarotReading Summary: I am not immune (Five of Swords) to the need for celebration and fun (Four of Wands) and need to make sure I’m taking a break from responsibilities (The Fool) now and then.

Take Away:  Ew… I don’t like this reading.  *Cracks up.*  But, I’m not saying it’s not true either, just that the idea of taking a break from responsibility in order to fool around and have a good time goes against my very nature.  I do understand that it’s a necessary part of life to cut loose now and then and I’m not exempt from the same human needs as everyone else… it’s just not easy for me to let it happen.  So yeah, as far as realizations waiting to be realized?  This is a good one where I am concerned.

DECK USED:  FORAGER’S DAUGHTER TAROT