The Muddy Path
Well trod paths
wind through
the green
and each step forward
in the muck and mud
takes us further
deeper
into the secrets
unknown
to all but
those that live
with rich soil
within the soul
Month: September 2021
Kindness Over Cruelty
Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and was the third installment of the Foundations III series on the Balance app. This meditation wend deeper into the details of a body scan meditation (Yoga Nidra), and focused on how each part of the body can hold influence over the others.
Today’s draw is La Madison Dieu (The Tower), which is traditionally a representation of the chaos and destruction of sudden, unexpected changes.
Something that really stood out to me in today’s card is that the destructive lightening in this imagery comes from the sun specifically. To me, this is an indication that all the good going on has unbalanced the scales, and thus balance needing to be restored, the joy is struck down in preference for destruction and change.
Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is about how you respond to these sudden chaotic changes.
Some people take change in stride. Some rail against it in anger or fear. Others become disheartened and take all of the onus and blame upon themselves, even when it isn’t theirs to claim. The message here is not to allow these moments to drag you down and create a pattern of self-abuse. Don’t let the crappy shit that happens in life make you feel like you’re less than or unworthy. Shit happens. It happens to everyone. Our task is to pick ourselves up, take care of ourselves and treat ourselves like we matter, and continue on.
DECK USED: TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
#DiscordTarotholicsSep2021 Challenge Prompt
Questions for September 23rd thru 25th
What are you ignoring that needs rooted out and dealt with?
Cavaler de Cupe – You need to work out what it is that’s holding you back from finding joy in the things that you do, and how to reignite that joy in your life. It will make the busy season to come that much more tolerable, and you’ll weather it much better with the support of pleasure in your craft.
Stop – The World Rx – Stop purposely doing things that hold yourself back. The self-destructive tendencies getting in the way of your growth are only hindering you and need to be cut loose.
Start – The Star – Lean into positive thinking and the supportive energy of your spiritual path. Everything evolves together, supporting everything else in their own evolution. Instill positive energy into this process. What seeds you plant are what will grow… grow good things for yourself in your life.
Continue – Four of Cups – You’ve started picking back up on your meditation practice. Don’t be dissuaded or distracted. It’s important, especially as things start to pick up and stress increases in the months ahead.
As fall draws to a close next month, what needs to be let go of?
Nine of Cups – Chilling out and enjoying the bounty of what you have accomplished over the year thus far. You only have a limited time to enjoy this before you will have no time for anything at all but work and filling orders. Enjoy it while you can, for as fall draws to a close you will need to let go of this to make room for responsibilities to come.
DECK USED: THE PULP OF TAROT
Healer Josephine’s #MindfulImperfectionTarot Prompt
Questions for September 21st thru 25th
How would it benefit me to further embrace my humanity?
Carnaval and La Maison Dieu
It would allow me to see more clearly beneath the masks that others wear, exposing what it is they are afraid to bare to the world. This in turn has the potential to radically change my perception and perspective of the world around me and those within it.
Where do I need more self-compassion?
Roi Père atop Fol, King of Wands atop Five of Coins
Instill a little more direction and purpose into your meandering moments in life. It’s through having a sense of purpose to focus on that you can come to grips with and overcome your scarcity issues.
The self compassion here in these cards is in alleviating some of the scarcity issues that plague me emotionally. They are not based in logic.
How can I release the fear of getting messy?
Déchéance, Two of Cups atop Le Diable
Accept that “messy”is a part of life. Instead of fearing it, invite it in and allow others to help you moderate its presence in your life.
DECK USED: ORACLE MÉDIÉVAL ET MERVEILLEUX
I took a nap. Which, considering it is an orders day, is huge. But I really needed it.
Gideon’s Challenge
The Carrot
You are a beacon
shining bright
in the shadows
a welcoming
splash of vibrantcy
in a world
of darkness and
shades of gray
and every day
as I find you
and that first
“I love you”
is given
my life lights up
once more
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Morning Bonus Read – Libra Season
What needs balancing?
Eight of Coins – You are spending too much time focusing on work. Even in your down time, this is where your mind lingers. You’re not in the busy season quite yet and you need to make sure that you don’t push yourself into it before it’s time. Six weeks in that demanding physical and mental space is long enough.
How to align your energy?
Three of Wands – Movement. Get yourself outside your burrow and experience the world. You need the fresh air and the exercise, the movement and the time outside. Get as much of that as you can, while you can. Soon enough you won’t have time for it (or much of anything else) and you’ll be aching for it.
How to create a better work/life balance?
Knight of Cups – Spend more time pursuing the stuff you enjoy. It’s about having fun and finding the fun in the things you do. At one point you found joy in every aspect of your work, and it’s time to start seeking out that joy once more.
How to find balance and harmony in relationships?
Page of Swords atop Eight of Swords – Learn to identify more quickly when a relationship isn’t working for you and needs to be severed. Cut the cords before they become toxic.
How to find peace and balance in your own heart?
King of Swords and The Tower – Seize control of the chaotic moments of change in your life. Make them yours, and use them as tools to strategize towards something better.
DECK USED: RETROSPECTIVE TAROT
Your Best Is Enough
Today’s meditation was skipped because I fell asleep. I was just so tired and apparently the sandman decided I hadn’t had enough sleep and made sure I got some more.
Today’s draw is the Queen of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the areas of ones inner drive, willpower and determination. This often translates into themes that have to do with inspiring others and supporting others to reach for their dreams.
Again, for another card of the day, we see a theme that has to do with perfectionism and how to deal with this tendency in a more healthy manner. How to allow yourself to let go of the need for everything to be just so, and let it be how it will be.
As we pursue our passion projects and dive into the things that spark our enthusiasm and motivation, it’s important to remember that our level of “expectation” needs to be held in check. It’s more important to enjoy the journey and take joy in the process. Do your best… don’t expect more from yourself than that. It’s not healthy, nor realistic, to demand more.
DECK USED: CERISE TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
Mr Lionharts’ #TheSeptemberTarot Rise and Fall Prompt
Questions for September 22nd thru 24th
What (future) changes am I asked to embrace or accept?
Scavenge, Seven of Coins atop Page of Cups
The shift of attention from slow growth of your emotional intelligence into that of the holiday rush is coming. Don’t fight it, as resistance will only hinder what you need to accomplish over the busy season.
How do these changes support my best personal journey?
Survival and Knight of Coins
You need the holiday rush and that overwhelming busy season it offers in order to fill your coffers for the year ahead. Being all-in on the transition will ensure you get the most out of the holiday rush that you possibly can.
Something I am asked to approach differently.
Isolation and Temperance
Make sure that any alone time you have going forward is healthy alone time. No wallowing, no hiding. Reserve alone time for restorative activities.
DECK USED: URBAN CROW ORACLE AND TYLDWICK TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsSep2021 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: What are the three major weaknesses of humanity?
Page of Swords – Curiosity. This quality is a weakness, but also a strength. The problem is when we indulge in our curiosity without applying common sense or good safety practices. When humanity dives into curiosity without these cautionary elements in place, we lose our humanity in the process and end up hurting ourselves and each other as a result.
Three of Cups – Hedonism. Much like curiosity, pursuit of pleasure requires a dose of common sense and good safety practices. When humanity delves into hedonistic pursuits without them, more harm than good is the result. Turning a blind eye to the damages does will not mitigate the fact that they are happening, and the destruction of such behavior can compound over time.
The Chariot Rx – Impatience. Does this one really need much of an explanation? Impatience breeds frustration, anger, and can even spark cruelty directed to both ourselves and others. It also creates the situation where rushing creates mistakes and less thorough care of what is being done, thus accidents and injuries.
DECK USED: CERISE TAROT
I filled my pill boxes today. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’ve been gathering my medications each night before bed for the past few days instead of having my pill box full and prepared with what I need. Getting the pillbox filled ensures I don’t miss any meds, and also ensures I don’t miss any of my vitamins during the day.
Second Harvest 2021 – Autumn Equinox
Today is the Autumn Equinox. This is considered by many to be the first day of Autumn, and is one of only two moments in the year when the sun is exactly above the Equator, and that day and night are of equal length. Like Halloween is a time when the veil between the land of the living and the realm of the dead is thin, this holiday (as well as its cross-point in the spring) are times when the veil between our world and that of the Fae is at is thinnest… and it is when I personally experience more interactions with them than any other time of year.
In my path, the Autumn Equinox is also known as the Second Harvest (also called Mabon), and is a day that marks the transition of the growing season into full harvest. After this day, the darkness of night begins to overtake the sun’s reign in the sky as the days continue to grow shorter and shorter, and the nights longer and longer. The earth is winding down its abundant generosity and beginning to close up shop for the year.
Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the upcoming third and Last Harvest of the year (aka. Samhain, Halloween) at the end of October.
Theme of the Season – Mabon, Full Moon, Sweet Violet (Viola Odorata) – As explained above, Mabon is a harvest holiday, and the energy at this time of year is one of transition from growing and abundance, to the bounty of harvesting what has been sown. Now is the time to look at all that we’ve accomplished this year, and examine the lessons we’ve learned.
The Full Moon is a time of peak energy, bright and vibrant as the moon is in the sky, so too does energy peak before waning. With the harvest season upon us and the full moon having just passed, this is a time when we can use the extra energy and the tapering down of that energy as it wanes over the next couple of weeks to begin to reap our harvests.
Not all magic is flashy and big, and sometimes some of the sweetest and most subtle magic can be the most powerful of all. This is where Sweet Violets (Viola Odorata) lie in the sphere of herbal magic, with their delicate presence and Fae-like energy, the Viola encourages compassion and care, dispelling disruption and fostering a calm and quiet atmosphere while fostering strength to persevere.
When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is to utilize the energy given through this season wisely. Don’t waste it, but don’t take it for granted either. It’s important to use this energy to lean into the transitions going on at this time rather than resisting them.
Earth – Ace of Pentacles – You’ve done well at picking and choosing which new opportunities you’ve decided to pursue and foster into growth. Keeping things small is working for you, and will continue to work for you moving forward into this time of transition.
Air – The Magician atop King of Pentacles – You haven’t felt particularly grounded or in control lately, but just whose onus is that on when you have all the tools you need at your disposal? Step into your power, it is waiting.
Water – Five of Cups – You’ve been flirting with a bit of a pity party for yourself of late. It’s time to work on pulling yourself out of that mindset. It’s not helpful and will only get in your way moving forward.
Fire – The Lovers – Echoing back to the Earth position, you have been doing really well at making healthy choices for yourself and your business. Remember that you are going to have to classify certain things in your life as essential daily tasks instead of “when you feel like it” chores. It will help keep you motivated to make sure they happen and aren’t skipped over.
Waning – Memory – Last year around this time of year, you became bogged down with the past. With your father’s ghost and the echoes of what had come before. This year, make sure you don’t allow yourself to fall into the same trap as the veil between the spirit world and the physical one begins to thin.
Waxing – Seer – More time in nature is needed. More connection with liminal spaces. More attention paid to your intuition and your spirit guides. Make sure that you are not allowing other things to get in the way. You need that connection with the earth and the honed senses, enhanced awareness, and balance that it provides.
Take Away – Transitions and changes are in the air as the harvest season begins, but you still have some time to wallow in the pleasures of the season and the connection with nature and the Fae that this time of year offers you. Don’t squander it.
Twisting the Leaf 