Month: July 2024

🎨 Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Door

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Pull (at least) three cards and use them to respond to this prompt: You’re walking through the forest and you come across a door. It doesn’t look like it goes anywhere, but the key is in the lock. What do you do? And what do you find?

White Sage Tarot - Six of Cups, Death, Page of Swords, Queen of Swords, Knight of Wands

I amble among the towering trees of craggy bark and drooping fronds blended with the drape of lace like moss, the scent of evergreen and wet in the air as soft moss and pine needles act as a spongy carpet beneath my feet.  Each step is a childhood memory as scents of fern and cedar mix with fir and pine, the air holding a cool dampness that soothes the sinuses and fills the senses with breath after breath of fresh air. (Six of Cups)

In this place of memories I seek to find grace in the face of change, and it is as I wander that I come upon a door nestled among the trees. It stands straight and tall, and when I circle around behind the trees it seems there is nothing on the other side, and yet energy in the air says different and speaks of mysteries and secrets.  Drawn in, I reach for the knob and turn it, opening the door with a sense of inevitability and curiosity, as if every step I have ever taken has lead me here.  Here to this door and this moment… and I step through. (Death)

On the other side, the world appears the same as before, and yet it is I that have changed, not the world around me.  In crossing the threshold I acknowledge it is time to begin again… to begin anew.  It is time to take all that I have learned and be reborn on a new quest to learn more and continue to grow. (Page of Swords)

Within myself the spark of eager anticipation bursts into action.  I hear laughter on the breeze and rustling among the trees, and I am inspired to dart forward into this new world that is me.  Dart forward and dash among the ferns and the fronds, chase that soft tinkle of laughter among the leaves and the tree trunks, and become lost, once more, in the wonder of life around me. (Knight of Wands)

Now lost among the trees in a forest both familiar and also brand new, I wander, experience, and explore. There is so much to see and experience, and I’m prepared for the journey and to guide others that I meet along the path the way forward into the forest as well. (Queen of Swords)

DECK USED:  WHITE SAGE TAROT

Finding the Positive for July 7 – 9

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Moravia Tarot, Tarot Épineux, Live a Colorful Life Zentangle Oracle, Forest Friends Cards, and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate Allan

July 7 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s cards are the Wheel of Fortune card with the Sage Frog affirmation card, which says “Your life needs balance. Sometimes you’ve caught enough flies and it’s time to kick back.”

There are times when I think of the wheel of fortune, that I envision the merry-go-round spinners they used to have on playgrounds.  When the ride is spinning, if you stand at the edge of the ride, then as it spins you feel the centrifugal force so strongly that it is hard to hold on, let alone do anything other than hold on while physics try to throw you off.  But, by the same turn, as you move closer to the center of the ride, the pull to the outer edges is decreased and you can stand up straight and not hold on so tightly, etc. There is less pulling against you… and less chaos as a result.

The cards for today are a reminder to step toward the center.  Being stubborn and staying at the edge where the chaos and outside forces have sway is sometimes just you being stubborn instead of allowing yourself to make things easier on you. Don’t push yourself so hard you end up in a set back, instead allow yourself a bit of rest to balance out just how hard you are on yourself and how hard you work.

DECK USED: MORAVIA TAROT AND FOREST FRIENDS CARDS

July 8 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Five of Coins combined with the affirmation “It’s okay to change. Your life is for you!”

Adaptation is a necessary part of survival, and above all else?  You are a survivor.  This means that sometimes, in order to survive and thrive, you have to change and grow.  And sometimes?  Others aren’t going to like that.  They might make you feel ostracized or rejected because of it.

As the basis for the meditation on July 6th said, “Anything you lose by speaking your truth isn’t a loss: it’s an alignment.”  Your life is for you, not anyone else.  Sometimes, that means you have to shed the old in order to align yourself with what’s right for you, whether that’s jobs or people, hobbies or ideals.

The cards for today are a reminder that you are living your life for you, and sometimes that means making adjustments and adaptations in order to stay on that path that’s so very uniquely yours. Don’t let those things left behind make you feel like a failure or something to feel bad or guilty over.  The butterfly does not feel like a failure in leaving the cocoon behind… and neither should you.

DECK USED: TAROT EPINEUX AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

July 9 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the Calm app. The session for today was called “The Indicator Light” and spoke about how when a car needs a little love and attention, the indicator light comes on.   And how our bodies do much the same when we feel sore or sick or run down in some way.  It’s an indicator that our bodies (or minds) need a little extra love and attention.   The session encouraged seeing it in this way and not just “plowing on” and ignoring those pleas.  That instead, by tending to them when they arise, we give ourselves the encouragement to be healthier and happier inside and out.

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Today’s card is the Orange card combined with the affirmation “It’s okay to be whatever weirdo you are today.”

The color orange, as described by the guide that accompanies this deck, is a color of high energy and creativity filled with passion and new ideas.  And, I can’t help but notice that the colors of orange in the card correspond to the shades of orange in the axolotl’s head and the root section of its’ external gills.

These correspondences in the card speak to me of a need to make sure that you speak your mind when ideas arise. Remember that not everyone thinks the same, and your ideas and thoughts are often going to be innovative and completely different than how other people might see something or sort out a resolution to a problem.  In sharing those ideas, you expand their minds and allow your own creativity to shine.

DECK USED: LIVE A COLORFUL LIFE ZENTANGLE ORACLE AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

Finding the Positive for July 4 – 6

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Dragons and Other Beverage Beasts Oracle, Mari Mali Oracle, L'Oracle des Esprits Guides, and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate Allan

July 4 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Milkshake Monster combined with the affirmation “Even while you feel rotten to the core, your light shines bright.”

I wouldn’t consider the Milkshake Monster to be rotten to the core, but he’s definitely messy. Like all milkshakes?  He also probably tastes pretty delicious.   There’s lots of foods like that, yeah?  Barbecue wings, melty ice cream cones, juicy Hawaiian chicken burgers… all messy.  All delightful.

So are you.  Even when you’re a mess.  Even if you’re tired or struggling, snotty or overwhelmed by chaos.  Even when the chaos of what’s going on around you splatters all over you.  You’re still someone’s shining light.

DECK USED: DRAGONS AND OTHER RARE BEVERAGE BEASTS AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

July 5 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Jasmine card combined with the affirmation “You have conquered every single bad day of your entire life. Today will be no different.”

Jasmine is well known as an aromatic plant, and is used in aromatherapy to reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce food cravings. In fact, in my home, I use a slight hint of jasmine oil inside the front door to help ease people’s stress when they step over the threshold.

That said, though, this plant has a lot more to offer that people don’t often realize. It has medicinal properties that lend it to use as a topical agent for helping to reduce breast milk production, ease some skin disease symptoms, and speed up wound healing. It can also be used to flavor beverages, candy, baked goods, puddings, and frozen dairy desserts, for one. (If you haven’t had frozen jasmine custard? Oh my god, you’re missing out.)

The one property that this plant has in common throughout all of it’s different uses? Is its gentleness. It is light and delicate on the senses, and in all the ways that it can be incorporated into use in our lives.

The message here between the Jasmine card and today’s affirmation is a reminder to be kind with yourself.  Be gentle with yourself when things go awry.  You’re a survivor and you’re going to make it through.  There’s no need to make the experience worse than it already is by being rough with yourself or cruel in your thoughts to yourself.  Be gentle instead, and you’ll make it through those difficult days just a little bit easier.

DECK USED: MARI MALI ORACLE AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

July 6 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes long (or possibly a few minutes shorter than that, since I dozed off at the end before the chime brought me back).  It was a self-directed meditation that focused upon the graphic included with today’s cards that states “Anything you lose by speaking your truth isn’t a loss: it’s an alignment.”

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Today’s card is the Peacock card titled “Beauty” combined with the affirmation “It’s completely okay if you cry today.”

In the book for this deck, the passage for this card is all about the beauty and peace all around you, it talks about harmonious energies and how the beauty of the world around us can lift our spirits.  When this is combined with the affirmation for today, what I am drawn to is that feeling of peaceful ache that comes after you cry.

I mean, at least that’s what happens when I cry, usually.   There’s the big emotion and the clashing chaos of tears and hiccuped breaths and snuffles.  Like a pressure cooker letting out its steam, the cry pushes the emotions up and out, spilling them everywhere and making a mess.

And, after all that?  There’s a moment of silence.  A moment of peace and tranquility.

The cards for the day are a reminder of that moment of tranquility, and that even if you don’t -want- to cry?  Sometimes that moment of peace that comes afterward makes it all worth it.

DECK USED: L’ORACLE DES ESPRITS GUIDES AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

🌑 New Moon in Cancer – July 2024

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Today is the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is courtesy of @MoonandCactus on Instagram.

Cancer New Moon Oracle Reading with the Divine Guidance Oracle

Listen to your intuition.

Surprise – Due to the nature of intuition, is not always going to take a logical path, and sometimes it’s going to go in unexpected directions. You need to be aware of this tendency so that you don’t balk at it when it happens.

Have faith in the cosmic timing of things.

Freedom – Taking things at their own pace instead of at the speed of your unreasonable expectations does not take away from your independence.  You don’t have to worry about losing your autonomy just because things are moving slower than you’d like.

Provide a safe space for others to express their needs.

Patience – Just as you need to learn to take things at their own speed, you need to remember that sometimes you have to allow other people to take things a little slower than you would without showing your impatience.  Take a mindful breath and practice some patience with them.

Take accountability for emotions and work through them.

Chaos – The chaotic uncertainty present when your emotions are high stirs up your tendency to want to bury your emotions and hide them away. You need to remember that there is no way to work through emotions when they are buried. They need to be open and breathing, and you need to have faith that you will withstand the chaos and come out the other side.

I am connected with my deepest emotions.

Conflict – When disagreements arise, you need to take a pause and look at why you are reacting as you are in the moment. It’s in this moments that your deepest emotions are stirred up and available to you to examine.

I trust that I am protected.

Love – It is through understanding that you are not alone, and that there are people who love you, that you can feel more protected in life. That is where safety and security truly reside.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Joy – Don’t hold back. Instead, let yourself enjoy those things that you really find joy in.

DECK USED: DIVINE GUIDANCE ORACLE

The Best Thing – A “sort of” Gideon’s Challenge Post

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SunsetInspired by a prompt in one of the servers I visit on Discord…
What’s the Best Thing?

A lazy day sprawl on the bed while listening to the rain.
That first breath of crisp air after crossing the treeline on a hike.
Watching pine boughs sway while lying on a bed of moss in the shade.
The ball shriveling gut clench of diving into a glacier fed lake.
Pausing, face up to the sky, for Autumn’s first raindrops.
Racing headlong through the forest chasing laughter.
Miss Luna snugging in close to purr against my ear.
Burrowing my face in Gideon’s chest and just breathing him in.
Actually? Any time when with Gideon and we don’t feel desperate. (Comes from so much of the last year apart and a need to cling too tightly whenever there’s even a smidge of time together.)
Oh…. and towel hugs after a nice long soak in the bath.

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Finding the Positive for July 1 – 3

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Fairy Herbal Deck, Puppy Garden Tarot, Botanical Blessings Oracle, and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate Allan

July 1 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the Calm app.

The session’s topic for the day was about interconectedness, and used the example of a blueberry where when you hold the berry in your hand you look back on how it came to be there from the growers to the planters, the cows that provided manure, the plants that the cows ate, etc.  The purpose of the session was to bring to light how looking at the complexities of intercontectedness of just a single blueberry, we see just how interconnected we are with the world around us.

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Today’s card is the Dandelion card combined with the affirmation “There’s no need to be so hard on yourself; you’re managing as best as you can.”

Dandelions are, in my opinion, one of the most under appreciated plants in the world. People by the droves seek to kill them, banishing them from their lawns, driveways, and roadsides.  And yet, they are safely edible, an antioxidant, and an immune booster.  They are also used to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, as well as assist kidney function.

These flowers are chock full of vitamins A, B, C, and D as well as iron, potassium, and zinc. All parts of the plants have uses from the leaves being added to salads and sandwiches, the roots used as coffee substitutes and for tea, and even the flowers, which are used in making wine.

Combined with the affirmation for the day, this card is a reminder that there are helpers even in the most surprising of places. Who would think that a weed in the grass could do so much, after all.  Joined together, today’s affirmation and card are a reminder that you don’t have to do everything all on your own.  You don’t have to carry all the responsibility yourself.  Look to those in the wings for help instead of pushing yourself ever harder with unreasonable expectations.

DECK USED: FAIRY HERBAL DECK AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

July 2 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Two of Wands combined with the affirmation “It’s neat how you showing up makes everything better.”

I used to know a guy in school back when I was… well, from the time my parents moved out west when I was 10 until I graduated, so for quite a few years.  He used to get picked on a -lot- in school, and I could never figure out why. (It turns out it was because his sister was a couple grades above him and extremely popular, and she had all her friends picking on him… but I didn’t realize that until recently.)

Anyway, I used to let him hang around with me at school and sometimes after school when I’d play in the woods or whatever (my family’s home wasn’t conducive to visitors).  I didn’t really think much of it, or of them, at the time.  They were just always around, asking questions and tagging along. After I left? I didn’t really think about them much either, other than to wonder occasionally how they were doing.

And then, they contacted me the other day on social media.  In a DM, they asked if I was “real name” from “where I grew up”.  If they hadn’t identified themselves as well? I would have freaked out.  (I’ve had a few stalker issues over the years.) Instead, I knew who they were and said hi.  We’ve been talking a bit off and on since.

Apparently, in their words, I have been an inspiration to them throughout their entire life (the past 20 years), and they have always wanted to get back in contact so that he could show me all he’s accomplished and be proud of him.  It’s something he’s said multiple times, and it took me by surprise.   I have -no- idea  how I inspired him so much.  I have -no- idea why he feels that me being proud of him is the gold tier achievement of his life (which I am, incidentally, proud of him for all he’s accomplished.)

I had… no idea that I was so liked and admired by… well, anyone at all.

Today’s cards remind me of this.  They speak of making an impression on others that we ourselves are not aware of.  They speak of inspiring others through out presence alone.   They say…. never forget that there are people out there that admire you that you don’t even know about, and that see you as a guiding light in their own lives.  You are always wanted…. even on the days or weeks or years that it doesn’t feel like it.

DECK USED: PUPPY GARDEN MINI TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

July 3 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the Calm app.   The session today was about transforming anger into something softer and gentler.

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Today’s card is the Dill card combined with the affirmation “Tomorrow hasn’t come, yesterday is done, just get yourself through today.”

Dill (aka. dill weed) is an herb that is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and iron, and it’s packed with flavonoids that have been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It has also been observed to have properties that help in the prevention and control of type2 diabetes and help control high cholesterol.

What I personally know dill best for, though, is it’s ability to help ease colic in infants, digestive issues, and bad breath. These are the uses that I grew up associating with dill, and they speak of a calming quality.  A quality that lends to easing one’s anger, calming down, and cooling off.  It’s interesting that this was the card pulled today, considering today’s meditation was about this same topic.

Combined with the affirmation for today, the Dill card is a reminder that sometimes we need to focus just on the here and now. It can’t always be about what comes next, preparing for the future, and looking ahead.  It can’t all be about what we’ve done or not done, either.  Sometimes, especially during times of recovery?  Being in the present needs to be enough.

DECK USED: BOTANICAL BLESSINGS ORACLE AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN