Distraction Techniques

Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Gipsy Tarot Tsigane Zigeuner Tarot - Nine of SwordsToday’s draw is the Nine of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of themes surrounding worry, anxiety, nightmares, and insomnia.

Don’t let your worries get the best of you, or distract you from the real threat.  Look at all the little swords, and then see the one in the center that’s long and far larger.  The smaller swords conceal it, making its size and danger less noticeable, just how small worries can actually sometimes conceal larger problems.

Today’s message is a reminder not to let the little worries blind you to the bigger problems at hand.

DECK USED:  ZIGEUNER TAROT (1990 REPRINT)

The #MysticStarChallenge for May Prompt
Questions for May 3rd thru 8th

Tarot of the Secret Forest (trimmed naked)What challenges should I be aware of for the month of May?

Calla Lily, Lily Magnolia, Faery Dance – Make sure that you are standing back and listening closely to get the full picture before jumping into the fray, and it will help in making interactions with others smoother, easier, and far more enjoyable.

What aspects are going to start to emerge for me this month?

Thorny Bramble and Porcupine’s Treasure – Protecting the things and people that are important to you and that you value can be very prickly business. Make sure your thorns are not so sharpened that you draw blood too soon.

How will these emerging aspects bring forward for me?

Surprise Visitor and Prideful Prince – Abruptly and abrasively. This is why you need to hold back and take time to get the full picture. Don’t forget that first impressions are not always all there is to see, and that you need to dig beneath the surface.

What should I release to support my emerging aspects to come forth more fully?

The Worm Between Us and Centipede’s Prize – Pride. Pride and hubris make communication more difficult. In order for better aspects of yourself to come forward and shine, pride and hubris must be set aside.

How can I nurture these aspects so that I can gain the most from them?

Scorpio’s Stinger and Bee Battles – Pay attention and be aware. Don’t get so wrapped up in the emotions and the hubris of the moment (yours and others) that you aren’t speaking from a place of calm and looking for the entire picture (including what’s being intentionally hidden).

How can I cultivate more emerging aspects to support my journey throughout the upcoming year?

Quiet Queen – As mentioned previously, make sure that you’re standing back and listening. Paying attention, and being supportive once you have the full picture instead of going on the attack.

Personal Garden – Remember that your own personal responsibilities are more important than anything going on outside of those responsibilities, and that each responsibility has to be prioritized from most to least important.

Meditative Solitude – Make sure that you are taking time for yourself and doing your meditation practice regularly. Get out in nature and connect there with the energies of the earth and trees. Doing these things makes you more grounded, and that allows you to see and deal with things more clearly from a more stable foundation.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE SECRET FOREST (TRIMMED NAKED)

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2022 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for May 4th
: Is mankind going in the right or wrong direction?

Gipsy Tarot Tsigane Zigeuner TarotReading Summary: When we charge ahead without restraint or forethought (Knight of Wands) we do not learn from the lessons of the past (The Hierophant Rx), and we must then pay the price in the end (Judgement).

Take Away: These cards indicate that humanity is on the wrong path. These cards are a warning about enthusiasm and ambition overtaking those things that truly matter, and sacrificing them on the altar of progress.

This is a theme that we see again and again these days in nearly every aspect of life from the environment to the economy and everything in between.

DECK USED: ZIGEUNER TAROT (1990 REPRINT)

Daily Self Kindness

After the talk on the server earlier, instead of jumping immediately into play, I took a little extra time with Gid outside of play to talk things out and sort out my thoughts, feelings, and observations.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Temperance

Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck(s) that matches the card posted below. Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?”

Tarot of the Hidden Realm - TemperanceTarot of the Hidden Realm – For me this card’s imagery is all about gentle energy and a great deal of focus. She pours carefully, after all, in order to not spill a drop.  The dragonfly in the lower left corner speaks of change. I would read this card as a need to instill more patience and focus into one’s life, redirecting impatience and chaos into healthier and more peaceful alternatives.

Oriental Fantasy Tarot, Gold Moon Major Arcana, Il Meneghello's Tarocco Musica

Oriental Fantasy Tarot – The imagery in this card is closest to that of a standard RWS deck.  There is a balance between earth and water that speaks of connecting emotions to a grounded energy, creating a stability to the unpredictability of one’s emotions. The star in the sky offers guidance, while the budding tree behind the standing figure speaks of the sweet burst of new life beginning to awaken. The imagery here speaks to me about time, and how growth is not immediate but takes time to accomplish as well as a combination of different factors coming together to create the right environment for things to flourish.

Gold Moon Major Arcana – Here I do not see the “connection” aspect that I see in the Oriental Fantasy Tarot’s imagery. Nor the gentle touch that is seen in the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. Instead what I see is that the figure in the card seeks to connect to the viewer.

In the traditional tarot, as well as in the Hidden Realms deck, the figure connects to both earth and water through their feet, signifying a connection between two realms of experience. Here in this card’s imagery it is purely about moderation, steadiness, and balance as the figure pours water from one urn to another without looking… and, the glance towards the viewer seems to hold expectation, as if to say that the viewer also has the ability to use these traits when necessary.

Il Meneghello’s Tarocco Musica – This card is designed to be a of Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, where a knight battles a mysterious foe that he thinks is a known enemy, but who refuses to reveal their identity behind their armor until that foe is defeated and the knight then realizes he’s slain the woman he loves. In this operatic story, the woman is then baptized by her love just before her final breath. Knowing the source of the card and what it represents brings special meaning to this card for me and I would read this card as being a word of caution against assumptions and rash action.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, ORIENTAL FANTASY TAROT, GOLD MOON MAJOR ARCANA, IL MENEGHELLO’S TAROCCO MUSICA