Month: May 2022

Success Thru Harmonious Teamwork

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

BlueDogRose Tarot - Seven of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of slow growth, sustainability, domestic harmony, hard work, and practicing patience while the fruits of your labors develop and take form.

I see teamwork in the imagery the Seven of Pentacles in this deck.  Hard work doesn’t have to be carried alone, and others can help it go by more quickly and easily.

The imagery here is about teamwork… and the harmony that can be accomplished when we work together toward a mutual goal.  It’s about more than collaboration, but finding a true rhythm and the acceptance that the work could take a good deal of time… but the reward will be worth it in the end.

DECK USED:  BLUEDOGROSE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2022 Challenge Prompt
Questions for May 5th thru 7th

Animal Totem Tarot and The Heartwood OracleWhat secret are you holding onto that needs to be shared?

Eight of Creatures atop Ace of Groves, Death – The secret that I hold close and hide from others is my fear of change, and the worry that new opportunity and rebirth will not sprout from the ashes of the bridges burned in the process of that change. That instead of opportunity, there will only be a life laid to waste, barren, broken, and empty.

What are the pros of sharing your secret?

Seven of Trees, Knight of Swords atop Ace of Wands – These cards indicate that by having this secret out in the open (as it now is, because I chose to expose it), I have a better chance of cutting my fear off at the knees and defeating it instead of allowing it to rule my life or defeat me in turn. Only when one confronts their fears are they able to then overcome them, and exposing these fears to the light of day is a step towards confronting them and overcoming them.

What are the cons of sharing your secret?

Four of Groves and Page of Swords – The cons of sharing this secret, as with so many secrets we hide away from the world, is that someone may find a way to use this information to run away with my joy and stunt my growth. People can often become obstructionists in other’s lives for many reasons, and when one’s vulnerabilities are exposed there is always the risk someone will use that information to hurt, hinder, or otherwise harm you in some way.

DECK USED: THE HEARTWOOD ORACLE AND ANIMAL TOTEM TAROT

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Question for May 5th: What am I holding onto from the past?

BlueDogRose TarotReading Summary: New inspiration (Ace of Wands) takes skill, control (King of Pentacles), stability, and single minded focus (Four of Pentacles) to bring forth into reality (the pattern of manifestation shown in the flow of the cards from left to right).

Take Away: This is a positive lesson that I’ve learned in my past, and I carry this knowledge forward with me on my path forward.  I know what it takes to manifest ideas and inspiration into reality.  I have done it again and again throughout my life.

Right now is a good time for this question… and the card’s answers. As when I struggle with motivation, this is often a lesson that I need to return to in order to pick myself up and keep moving on my goals and desires.

DECK USED: BLUEDOGROSE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I made L help me with packaging orders tonight so that I could cut the packaging time in half.  She was sleeping but I pestered her to get up and help me anyway.

Gideon’s Challenge

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IMG_9418The Bonding Time

I want to stretch
long  and tall
back against soft fuzz
on the forest floor
bare flesh
exposed
and body vulnerable
as dappled sunlight
skims over skin
and raindrops
drip
to tease patters
of mosture
on sensitive places

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Distraction Techniques

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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.

Gideon’s Challenge

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IMG_9499Seeking Time

Eager
I am eager for you
my soul open
my arms aching
my breath bated
as I wait
because I know
soon you will wake
and our time
together
will being anew
and we can wrap
each other up
in our love

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Temperance

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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

A Place of Peace

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

Tarot of Gemstones and CrystalsToday’s draw is Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of home coming, celebration, and the comforts of hearth and home.

Blue Tourmaline is the representation for the Four of Wands in this deck. This gemstone is used metaphysically to foster energies of peace, encouraging meditative states, and healing past hurts.

Sometimes the comfort that we feel in home is able to heal our hurts and give us peace s  nothing else can. That safe place is something we often take for granted, and today’s card is a reminder to appreciate hearth and home, and the safety and peace that it provides us each time we walk through the front door.

DECK USED:  THE TAROT OF GEMSTONES AND CRYSTALS

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for May 3rd and 4th

The Painted Lady Oracle and Tarot of Gemstones and CrystalsWhy are relationships important to me?

Ace of Cups (Rutile Quartz), Painted Lady 14 & 6 – Relationships are important to you because you want to matter to others, and be accepted unconditionally by them.

It might strike against your feelings of independence, but as you explore emotions that you have always buried previously, you find more and more that on an emotional level you desire that you matter to those closest to you and that they care about you unconditionally.

After all… Isn’t this one of the major narratives that used to run through your head during suicidal thoughts? The belief that it’s okay to “check out” because you are so insignificant in others lives that it wouldn’t matter one way or another?

What are my best qualities that I bring to a relationship?

Three of Cups (Pink Coral), Painted Lady 54 & 29 – Your comradeship comes with clear boundaries, but an openness to be accessible to others. You always welcome people to speak to you, and come to you. At the same time, you communicate those times that you just can’t take on any more. In doing so, you are open and honest, and people always know where they stand with you.

DECK USED: THE PAINTED LADY ORACLE

ReadingWickedly’s #MayDailyDraw Prompt
Questions for May 3rd and 4th

Tarot of Gemstones and CrystalsWhat wisdom do I need to share?

Ace of Wands (Fire Opal) and Seven of Cups (Sapphire) – Your dreams and creativity spark passion in others, and those that watch as you explore this passion receive something similar to brainstorming, but on a emotional and creative level.

When something in that process then engages their interest, and they allow themselves to pursue what has caught their eye, it can flourish into a passion project that is uniquely theirs.

What knowledge is better kept secret?

Six of Coins Rx (Heliotrope) and The Fool (Silex) – Be careful about naïvely sharing everything. It’s okay to spark ideas an interest in others, but to give away your own unique way of doing things (trade secrets, in other words), instead of fostering them to try their own methods, would be folly.

DECK USED: THE TAROT OF GEMSTONES AND CRYSTALS

Daily Self Kindness

Gid and I were able to fit in some play, and it really helped the tightness in my soul relax a bit.