Day: September 29, 2021

Exchange Rates

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Today’s meditation was about ten minutes long and was a self-guided meditation using breathing exercises while doing piriformis stretches and trying to ease some of the tension in my back.

Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of the give and take of generosity and charity, and at times can also represent the hidden (and possibly nefarious) expectations of someone feigning altruism for their own ends.

I very much see that last part of the traditional meaning mentioned above in the imagery of this card, in the way that the wealthy individual’s body language leans into the other man. His kindness definitely appears to be expecting something in return.

And that’s where the Thera-Pets card for today steps in.  It is a reminder that not everything has to be give and take. We all deserve kindness and care, love and understanding. We should not have to bargain for them or barter for them. Today’s cards tell us to take a look at the dynamics in our relationships and ensure that they are healthy.  Do you have to pay a price for the love and affection that others should be offering freely? If so, perhaps it’s time to examine your own self worth and figure out why you’ve made this type of exchange as acceptable.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt for the Sacred Grounds Tarot Club
Question: How do I make time for rest and relaxation… every day?

Tarot by CaroReading Summary: It is a conscious choice (Two of Swords) that you have to make in order to foster (Queen of Wands) your emotional health (Five of Cups).

Take Away: Your emotional health and well-being has been a major focus of the last few years, and being sure that you are making the right choices that further these goals is a part of that process towards better mental health. Sometimes this means making choices between what you truly want to do, and what you need either mentality or emotionally.

DECK USED: TAROT BY CARO

Healer Josephine’s #MindfulImperfectionTarot Prompt
Questions for September 27th thru 29th

Smoke & Roses Oracle and Tarot of the Thousand and One NightsWhat support does my body need in releasing hyper-vigilance and anxiety?
Bluebells atop Orange Lily, Nine of Swords

Stop looking at your body, the damage it has sustained, its limitations, and the chronic pain as an enemy. Be grateful for your mobility and all that you can do instead of looking at the worst case scenario at every turn.

What support does my heart need as I release rigid expectations, impossible standards, and harsh “shoulds”?
Helenium atop Freesia, Ten of Pentacles

Supportive friendships that will provide an ear when I need it are important. These friendships can help you to see see just how much you have in life, and that you don’t have to drive yourself so hard for more all the time, but instead need to spend more time focusing on what you have in the present.

DECK USED: SMOKE & ROSES ORACLE AND TAROT OF THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

Daily Self Kindness

I had to cut my deck gathering short today and lie down due to a headache that just kept getting worse and worse, even after taking something for it.  It developed into a migraine and instead of pushing on, I marked the decks still to gather down to get later and laid down for a nap.

Gideon’s Challenge

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If I Were An Ant

Little bit
of tufted green
I’d burrow in
and breathe in
deep
nuzzle soft
feathered fronds
and take a nap
in welcoming soft
with such a bed
of gentle warmth
I’d sleep away
the day safe
from birds
that serenade

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Weekly Creativity Prompt – A Walk in the Woods

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Prompt: Imagine a walk (or remember your last walk). Draw between 3 – 5 cards from your deck. Then for each card, associate the card to something you saw on your walk. Share your card(s), and your reasoning behind the associations that you made with each card you pulled.

Tarot Manouche Universel du XXIè Siècle

Acorn – La Protectrice (The Empress) – She holds within her the burgeoning promise of new life. Fallen and upon the earthen floor, she bathes in the dappled light cast between softly rustling leaves and whispers of the secrets that grow within her belly that will soon take root… and grow.

Squirrel – Le Fou (The Fool) – He bounds from branch to branch with curiosity and enthusiasm, chittering in the trees with a merry voice that celebrates his eager task. There is quickness and cheer in every movement, even in the moments he moves with purpose.

Douglas Fir Cone – La Force (Strength) – There is an old legend in the Pacific Northwest (believed to be of indigenous origins) about the Douglass Fir that speaks of a large fire in the forests of the west. Many animals ran around frantically trying to escape the flames. Tiny mice, not fast enough to outrun the fire, sought shelter from various trees. The mice approached many trees asking for help and were turned away again and again. When they eventually approached a mighty Douglas Fir tree and asked if they could take shelter among its branches, the Douglas fir agreed to help the mice, and allowed them to hide within its cones. As a result, the mice survived the fire, and to this day, if you examine a Douglas Fir cone, you can see the tails of the mice sticking out between the scales of a cone.

Stream – La Sagesse (The High Priestess) – Water flows and explores. It seeps into crevices and slips into cracks, soaks and saturates even as it flows ever onward. It spreads beneath the soil, showing only a small bit of what truly runs ever onward, while so much is hidden beneath the earth where none can see.  Water holds many secrets, and flows ever onward.

Fallen Log – La Mort (Death) – Decay is the birth of new life as a fallen log lies within shaded forest floor and begins to break down. This tree that dies, fallen and lies, now offers itself up to the forest and the promise of new life. A nurse log. And as structure breaks down it provides shelter and nutrients, seeds take root, while mushrooms and moss grow from slowly forming crevices and holes. As life fades… so too does it flourish once more. One form transforming to make another.

DECK USED: TAROT MANOUCHE UNIVERSEL DU XXIè SIÈCLE