Day: August 3, 2021

Distractions Can Help

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long, and was the 9th installment of the Balance app’s introductory course. It focused on combining the skills of breath focus and body scanning into meditation together.

Sacred Bridges Tarot and How to Be a Wildflower DeckToday’s draw is the Nine of Stakes (Swords), which is traditionally a representation of nightmares, worry, negative inner dialogue, and the things that these things result in such as insomnia and anxiety.

The chaos in the Nine of Stakes (Swords) card pulled today is filled with chaos.  It’s about how the world looks when your mind is not at ease, how everything seems out of control.

The Affirmation card for today (front and back are both displayed in the mage), encourages you to take some time to step out of that chaos when it starts to encroach.  Find your joy and follow it, allow it to take your mind off your troubles for a while.

Sometimes, problems don’t get solved through obsessively worrying about them, fussing over them, and struggling with them.  Sometimes? The easiest way to solve our problems is to step away from them and allow our minds to settle.  Then, when you come back to them, it’s with a cool and calm mind that is far more prepared to deal with the issues your mind was so obsessively struggling with.

DECK USED:  SACRED BRIDGES TAROT AND HOW TO BE A WILDFLOWER DECK

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Hold Tight / Let Breathe / Set Free

Insect Tarot and The New Arcana OracleHold Tight – King of Cups and The Maze – Hold tight to Gideon, no matter the ups and downs or where life might take you. There are so many things in life that can change and so many unexpected turns to go through, but he’s the one to be by your side through it all. Don’t loosen your grip, and for fucks sake don’t let go.

Let Breathe – Six of Wands and The Giant – The expectations of others will crush you if you let them. You can’t please everyone all the time, but you can make sure that everything is up to your own personal standards. That is enough.

Set Free – Ten of Cups atop Six of Swords, The Lucky Cat – Set free the idea that everything has to be perfect. Life is not perfect. Nature is not perfect. So why would anything that you do have to be perfect? It’s okay for it to be good enough… and not perfect.

Remember that it is only through the flaws that true perfection is actually found.

DECK USED: THE NEW ARCANA ORACLE AND THE INSECT TAROT

The #MysticStarChallenge at the Sacred Grounds Tarot Club
Questions for August 1st thru 3rd

Sacred Bridges TarotRight now my Major Arcana card is:

Temperance – Speaking to themes that deal with moderation, and taking time to connect with and savor the world around me.

What message does the card have for me?

Plowing forward (Artisan of Stakes) can upset the apple cart (Chief of Wheels Rx). Pause to really think about your choices (Two of Stakes) and learn from your mistakes (Apprentice of Stakes).

This is about making sure I’m not just doing what I know, but rather making sure I take my time and align with my new path choices.

Diving into work, ignoring my needs, constantly obsessing over what needs to be done, and focusing only on work and my need to build more and more stability. These things are not working for me anymore, and like a stone struck with a hammer too many times, I was beginning to crumble under the abuse.

What challenges does this card wish to warn me about?

Don’t just jump on those new creative pursuits and opportunities when they come your way (Ace of Waters), you have a tendency to go too fast and think on the go instead of before you leap (Eight of Staves).

When I see something that interests me that I’d like to try, I have a habit of diving in and doing things on the fly instead of pausing to think it all through first. I trust my intuition, creativity, and adaptable nature to help it turn out in the end.

Although this works for me as a process, it allows me to take on too much, as I don’t fully realize beforehand just how much time and work will be involved.

At this time, how can I embrace and incorporate this card best into my life?

Create good boundaries for yourself and toe the line on them (Nine of Staves). Let others help you with the responsibilities and obligations that you already shoulder (Three of Waters).

DECK USED: SACRED BRIDGES TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

So much good time with Gideon today.  I love you so much.

Gideon’s Challenge

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IMG_7726The Claiming

Lie me down
upon deep waters
float me there
buoyant and free
wrap your hands
around my throat
and dip me deep
hold me there in
peaceful darkness
suspended and silent
as thoughts turn
into swirling currents
and your heart beats
call my name

Drown me

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Morning Bonus Read – Monthly Key Spread

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The Prince Lenormand - Monthly Key Spread

Key to Your Heart: What will Guide you to make decisions that are aligned with your heart and your truths this month?

Ship – You know that whole proverb that says “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket“?   Yeah… that.  A lot of times, the Ship card is about travel and business, but in this case? It’s about making sure that you’re not screwing yourself (and your business) over by focusing too much in one area.  Even if you’re not diversifying now?  Make sure you have an escape plan for if you need to. In order to adapt and come out on top, this is important.

Anchor: What will ground you in the face of anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and existential dread in general?

Letter – Write.  Write down your thoughts and your feelings, write down your anxieties and worries.  Share them with Gideon.  Fill your blog with them.  Have a big idea that you can’t explore right now? Write those down too.  List making is a good thing this month, expressing yourself through the written word is very much in your forte.  Use these skills to help ground yourself and find balance when things feel out of control.

Star Wand: What accelerates your magic, creativity, and manifestation powers?

Sun – Optimism and positivity. Sometimes I feel corny when I get this response from the cards. But the thing is? It really does work. Does it entirely take away the depression? No. It doesn’t. But it makes the time spent in them not as severe, and it makes the visits into a depression not as long. It provides more energy, and just… makes the days better. What is “it” that I’m talking about? Optimism and positivity. Making the -effort- to try and see the good side of things, including the Card of the Day activity that I do where I ask each day for the cards to provide me with a positive message to carry with me throughout the day and foster perspective. It helps, no matter how corny my inner pessimist says it sounds.

Blessings from the Stars: The Universe has got your back – how will you be supported this month?

Man – Gideon will be a huge influence in your life this month, in supporting you and helping you in working through what comes up. Don’t forget that he’s there for you and don’t shy away from leaning on him when you need to, sharing with him whatever and whenever you want, and trusting him to always have your best interests at heart.

One Trick Up Your Sleeve: A life saving idea or inspiration for any unexpected challenge or difficult moments?

Lily – Take a pause to think things through, and don’t be shy about asking for advice from those with more experience that have time tested wisdom to offer up to you. Crones are called wise women for good reason.

Emergence Pt 1: What is emerging within you / within your reality right now?

Moon – You’re finally starting to come out of the mind fog that you’ve been struggling with through this season. As you do, your curiosity and creativity are beginning to thrive once more, and you’re starting to experience more enjoyment in your artistic endeavors.

Emergence Pt 2: What are you expanding towards?

Tree – Evolution from past to present. Growth that comes from finding connections to the past that will help you flourish rather than wither your roots. It is time to transform those issues that still drive your inner destructive tendencies, and turn them around into something healthy.

DECK USED:  PRINCE LENORMAND ORACLE