Today’s meditation was skipped.

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@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Wisdom Prompt for October 18th : Magick

Today’s draw is the Five of Cups combined with the affirmation “You are not Failing. Depression lies. Keep going.”

When I started doing this exercise a couple of years ago, I was extremely skeptical as to their efficacy. I have been a life-long pessimist, and my brain’s litany of negative input and abuse is pretty impressive and extensive.

The psychologist proposed using an “affirmation a day” app and meditating on each affirmation that came up, but I didn’t relate to the affirmations, and meditating on them felt stupid as hell.  So I adjusted the practice to (at first) make it a card of the day practice with tarot, the goal being to find a positive message to carry with me each day through whatever card came up that day.

Over time, I’ve done different things with the practice.  I’ve made myself a few affirmation decks that I connect with more strongly than the affirmation apps I’d tried.  I’ve picked up a few affirmation decks with the same themes so that I can connect to them easier as well.   I’ve also begun sometimes combining affirmation decks and tarot cards or oracle cards.

And the thing is?  It works.  I was shocked.   Does it take the negativity away?  Does it make me -not- a pessimist?  No.  No it doesn’t. What it does, though, is create a ray of light in the darkness.  It’s like a little extra air in a partially inflated life raft.  On its own, that air doesn’t really account for much, but when added to what’s in the raft? It helps keep me that much more afloat so that I don’t sink into the depths quite so easily.

DECKS USED:  THE TARNISHED TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Question for October 18th : The weird ones chant beneath the stars, what strength lies underneath my scars?

Reading Summary: There is strength in the stillness needed (Seven of Swords Rx) to sort out what is real and what is not (Eight of Swords). This allows you to be judicious in where you direct your energy (The Empress) and what projects you choose to support (Queen of Wands).

Take Away: One of the things you have learned through painful experiences in your past is to pause and pay attention rather than just reacting.  By listening and watching first,  you see more and that gives you a greater understanding of what’s going on and those involved.  This knowledge is helpful in making good choices not just for yourself, but sometimes for others as well.

DECK USED: TAROT OBSCURO

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2024 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for October 18th : Is there an afterlife?

Reading Summary: It’s not about others experiences or pleasing others in life (Six of Wands Rx), but instead is all about you and learning to know thyself  (The Hermit), as well as the choices you’ve made and motivations behind those choices (The Lovers).

Take Away: The answer here is that the afterlife is an individual thing.  Some people experience an afterlife, and others don’t, won’t… or even, can’t.

Whether someone experience an afterlife or not, as well as what that experience may entail, is dependent upon what choices they’ve made along the way and how they’ve lived their life.

These cards indicate that whether or not there’s an afterlife is about who you are deep within yourself, how you’ve grown, and who you have become through the journey of your life and your spirit.

DECK USED: THE TARNISHED TAROT

@HealingThruTarot’s #httOctoberTarotChallenge2024 Prompt
Prompt for October 18th : Limiting thoughts that need banishing.

Fae Dance – The limiting thought that others opinions and wants should outweigh your own. As independent as you are, you still fall into people pleasing habits. In doing so, you put your welfare in the hands of others and allow them the ability to rip you asunder. It is a no win situation.

Blood Drop – You’ve heard all your life that it’s not a good job until you bleed on it. Who says that everything has to be -that- perfect that a blood sacrifice is required?  This limiting thought holds you back from trying things, and pushes you to overextend yourself when you do.

Conquering Crow – Vengeance and ensuring people you’ve defeated are securely put in their place is unnecessary and limits you from moving on from conflict and adversity once the dust has settled. Contrary to what you’ve been taught, it does not always keep the troublemakers from coming back to try again.

DECK USED: NORWEGIAN WOODS THE SOUL ORACLE

This post is a catch-up post, and I’m not entirely sure what my self kindness was for the day.