The Departure
Where
are you going
in such a hurry
that you leave
a trail
of dust
in your wake
as others
left behind
settle in
to watch
the show
without you
Month: June 2025
Gideon’s Challenge – Hidden Sweetness
Hidden Sweetness
Sweet like honey
just a little taste
as tiny flowers
are pulled
from flower heads
for one bit
of sweetness
at a time
as we lie
in the grass
daydreaming
together
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Nothing But Footprints
Today’s meditation was skipped.
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The @GlitterbyInk #JuneSun25 Challenge
Summer Sunlight Prompt for June 15 : Nature
Today’s draw is the Eight of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of withdrawal, abandonment, or letting go of things, situations, or people in your life that are just not working out for you emotionally.
This card and prompt combination reminds me of a quote by the famous conservationist John Muir that says, “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.”
It feels like a reminder that just because we may feel like we are walking away with nothing doesn’t mean that’s necessarily the case. Sometimes our perspectives are colored by whatever it is that we are leaving behind, and at other times colored by where we are heading next.
These perspectives can make leaving where we are a bittersweet and even at times painful experience.
The message for today encourages us to consider what we truly take away from the experiences we’ve had, instead of relying entirely on our emotional perspectives (and emotional baggage) to write the narrative for us.
DECK USED: TERRA BOTANICAL TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsJun2025 Challenge
Prompt for June 15th : Do Spread 3
What does uncertainty feel like to you?
Four of Spades – Uncertainty causes you to want to retreat from the world and hide away. You seek stability in these times because it feels like the world becomes unstable beneath your feet. As you consider other people to be quite unpredictable, they cannot usually provide that sense of stability for you, and thus you retreat from them in these moments of uncertainty. The exception to this is that you do find stability in your partner, but old habits have a tendency to die hard.
How do times of uncertainty impact your physical body?
Five of Clubs – Physically, uncertainty creates a lot of conflict for you internally, which then transforms into anxiety. You then find yourself flinching more readily and hesitating more often, instead of moving forward with confidence.
How do times of uncertainty impact your physical reality?
Ace of Clubs – Times of uncertainty often create the opportunity to discover something new and exciting. Unfortunately, the anxiety you experience during these times makes those opportunities hard to spot, dive into, or enjoy. You’re just too busy trying to hide.
What do you need to say to yourself to help you in acknowledging and alleviating your feelings of uncertainty?
Five of Hearts – You need to hear (especially from yourself) that you’re doing a good job. It may not feel like it at the time, but you’re doing a good job and you’re going to get through this just fine.
What do you need to accept about others to help you in acknowledging and alleviating your feelings of uncertainty?
Seven of Diamonds – They’ll come around eventually. You just have to have the patience to wait for them to catch up.
Focus on your feelings of uncertainty. Pick a color that stands out strongest in the card you’ve pulled. How does this color (and how it’s used in the card) make you feel?
Red in the Jack of Diamonds – Defensive. It looks like the little chick is trying to defend itself from outside forces… and the only outside forces in this card are the red ones. This rings true to how you try to retreat during uncertainty, because a lot of that retreat has to do with trying to protect yourself from the sharp edges of the outside world during a time when you are feeling vulnerable.
Other elements included in this reading:
Lemon Quartz Bowl for Filtering Out Distractions
Fuchsia Flowers for Stability in the Face of External Disruption
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Clear Quartz for a boost of Intentional Energies
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: QUACK DECK
I took it easy today and worked at doing just little things around the house today instead of anything pressing or major.
Gideon’s Challenge – Lost and Found
Lost and Found
Moving
through the fog
the world
feels gray
and you ask
“how are you feeling?”
but there’s
no answer
only empty gray
until above
the slightest
glimpse of blue
reminds me
that everything
will be okay
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)
These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.
The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?
Earth – Queen of Wands atop Four of Stones – Explore the idea of building stability by nurturing the passions of others. This week doesn’t have to be about the things you need to do, task lists, or even diving into those things that you enjoy. Instead, train your focus on helping others connect with their creativity. You have so much of that to share, and in doing so can inspire others to enjoy creative projects and practices as well.
Air – Fortune – Try to work on not being so rigid in you’re thinking. There’s always going to be things that step in and change the plan. Sometimes these changes will be for the better, sometimes they will be for the worst. The one constant in life is change, after all, and lack of predictability walks hand-in-hand with change.
Water – Five of Stones – Allow life to have a little fun at your expense without overreacting with feelings of scarcity. Just because you can’t win them all doesn’t mean you’re losing. Will you find these experiences fun or funny? No. They hold value, though, in giving you a chance to explore your emotions from a different perspective. Especially if you can avoid the “scarcity trap” that your fears and inner narratives always try to trip you into.
Fire – Six of Stones atop Six of Blades – It’s okay to walk away if things don’t feel fair and balanced. That moral compass of yours is always going to need to have the last word in any situation, so make sure that you’re listening and step off if things don’t feel right.
Waning – Goddess and Paravents – Chaos and chatter from the peanut gallery has a tendency to make your stomach hurt, and you don’t need the extra stress this week. Don’t let gossip and other such bullshit ruin what could otherwise be a nice and relaxing week off.
Waxing – Pompeii and Spring – Get your ass outside, and make sure you wear sun protection while you’re at it.
Take Away – This week is all about taking care of yourself and making sure that you are stepping away from your responsibilities and “should do” tasks. No need to drop the ball, just set it down so you can come back to it later after this week is over. Instead, spend some time outside and make sure you try to keep things light and easy. Walk away from the heavy stuff instead of bracing for impact.
DECKS USED: WESTERN WAY TAROT ANIETH EDITION AND OUISI CARDS GETTY MUSEUM EDITION
Celebratory Treats
Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app.
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The @GlitterbyInk #JuneSun25 Challenge
Summer Sunlight Prompt for June 14 : Heat
Today’s draw is the Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of public accolades, societal expectations, people pleasing, and peer pressure.
Your successes don’t need public acclaim or peer approval. You don’t need others to validate your abilities or accomplishments. They still need to be celebrated, though, even if it’s a quiet meal of your favorite treat or having a good time doing something you love.
Temari Sushi? Is gorgeous and delicious, and an absolutely huge pain in the ass to make. It’s a celebratory treat, not everyday fare. It’s served during times of celebration because sometimes something special is just what hits the spot when it comes to celebrating whatever it is you are celebrating. That time spent? That is the gift. It makes the Temari that much more special.
The message in today’s card is that sometimes it’s not enough to acknowledge your accomplishments. Instead, try celebrating them, no matter whether it’s with others or on your own.
As for the heat prompt? Well, I don’t know about you, but I felt like I was being roasted by this one. Maybe you did too.
DECK USED: ANIME FOOD TAROT
@LightningWildflower‘s June Tarot Challenge
Gratitude Prompts for June 13th thru 15th
What simple blessings do I often overlook?
Butterfly – You are often so focused on what needs to be done in the future, struggling with change, or what has to be done to reach your goals, that you forget there are a myriad of fleeting moments to enjoy in the present.
It’s important to remember that things happen when they happen for a reason, and often that reason is to slow you down and bring into focus what you can enjoy and appreciate in the present.
How can I honor the gifts I’ve been given?
Turtle – Again we are brought to focus on the rhythms and cycles of life, and how slowing down helps us to appreciate what’s going on around us in the present. Don’t be in such a hurry to move forward. Instead, work on savoring where you are now.
What daily experiences bring me joy?
Hawk – You enjoy being able to step back and see things from different perspectives instead of depending on just your own. This allows you a broader picture and helps you to better understand not just yourself, but also others and the world around you.
You also enjoy the empowering aspect of being decisive in a crisis.
Other elements included in this reading:
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration and Clarity
Orange Aventurine Leaves for Pause and Reflection
DECK USED: EXPANSIVE ANIMAL ORACLE ICONICS DECK
I used this evening to work on catching up on back-logged blog posts. I was falling behind, which is a bit silly since everything was already written up and just needed proofreading in order to be posted.
Twisting the Leaf 