Month: January 2026

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Gentle Universe Tarot and Mumu Neko Oracle

Earth – Nine of Wands – take care that you don’t go on the defensive this week. Stay soft instead of trying to brace and retaliate.

Air – Three of Swords – Make sure that you are being open and honest in expressing your disappointments and vulnerabilities this week. Nothing can be fixed or changed if you don’t open up and let people know what’s going on with you.

Water – The Star – Positivity and optimism exercises are an important part of your well-being and emotional self-care. Make sure you aren’t neglecting (or avoiding) these practices over the week ahead. After all, you can’t catch what you’re not reaching for.

Fire – The Magician – You are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. Don’t allow others to dampen your shine or get in your way.

Waning – Think and Salty – Those negative inner narratives going on in your head are not going to help you in having a more positive outlook in life. Stop listening to them. Turn away instead of lending them your ear.

Waxing – Hand and Pretty – You won’t be sorry if you decide to pull in some more shifts at the salon this week. Not only is it close to home (which ties into a few readings in the last couple of days that are telling you to stick close to home), but there’s also the bonus of potential tips.

Take Away – Self care this week needs to focus on making sure that you are staying on top of the positivity and optimism practices that help you to stay at a distance from your pessimism, and expressing to others what you are feeling instead of trying to write it off as “nothing” or hide it away. Don’t allow others to put you on the defensive.  Instead, stay soft and show that there is strength even amid moments of vulnerability.

Accept any extra shifts that may be offered at the salon this week.

Other elements included in this reading:
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others

DECKS USED: GENTLE UNIVERSE TAROT AND MUMU NEKO ORACLE

The Burden of Success

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute self guided session wherein I visualized my lower body tangled in the roots of a tree as my upper body floated beneath the surface of a lake. The meditation followed the changes of the season from late fall through winter to early spring from that under water perspective.

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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Arrival Prompt for January 17th : Discovery
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Pino Zac Tarot de l'an 2000 - Ten of DiamondsToday’s draw is the Ten of Pentacles (Diamonds), which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction and stability in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that have to do with hard earned success, accomplishments, abundance created through patience and hard work.

You know that saying that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? This is true of our ambitions and goals as well.

Take my obsession with stability and security, for example. I grasp, claw, and crawl my way to as much stability as I can possibly manage. But, when you get too much of a good thing? It’s still too much of a good thing. Stability becomes a burden when we get too much of it, and so do so many other things that we want so very badly.

The problem is? We don’t discover what a burden these things are until we’ve managed to obtain them.

The message in today’s “Discovery” prompt and the Ten of Diamonds is a reminder to always consider the pitfalls of the successes that you seek. There is good and bad in every failure and every success. It’s important to look closely at these successes we are aiming for, and make sure that the bad doesn’t outweigh the good at the end of the day.

DECK USED:  PINO ZAC TAROT DE L’AN 2000

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 3 | Entry 7 – Family and Friends
Affirmation : “No matter what family I was worn into, I can create my own.”
Prompt : Think about what the “perfect” family means to you. Create your own definition, without self editing or judgment. Using the tarot card you draw, from the artwork or symbolism to the numerology, imagine what having a perfect family would look and feel like to you.

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - Adventure Arcana Tarot - The FoolWhat feelings came up when I pulled this card?

Yearning. I don’t get a lot of time in life to be carefree and irresponsible, and that includes when I was a kid. As a result, sometimes when I see The Fool card, especially if the character in the card is looking like they’re having a good time, I feel a subtle sense of longing.

What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?

The theme of The Fool card is often about carefree moments and lack of responsibility, as well as new beginnings. This is something I’ve longed for, even as a child. Unfortunately, I learned early that carefree moments have a steep price that I’m often to not willing to pay.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

This little vampire girl is having a grand old time playing as the sun comes up, her version of Jiminy Cricket asleep on a rock instead of paying attention. She’s about to step into the sunlight, and yet doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.

My prompt response and reflections.

I feel like the perfect family would allow me to enjoy life more and be a bit less responsible all the time. Supportive enough in the ways that matter to allow me to stumble and fall more often without worrying so much about the repercussions that doing so might create.

I also feel that there is no such thing as perfection without a touch of imperfection. Perhaps that imperfection could be some idiot that messes up now and then instead of the selfish, self-serving, and often malicious intent that’s experienced in my own family from time to time.

Other elements included in this reading:
Lace Agate D6 and D20 Gemstone Dice

DECK USED: ADVENTURE ARCANA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2026 Challenge
Prompt for January 17th : What do you need to focus on for self-care for this month’s new moon?

Tarot Reading with the Pino Zac Tarot de l'an 2000Reading Summary: Less consumerism and more time at home (cars eating cars eating drivers in The Lovers card) will keep you out of harms way (Nine of Hearts/Worried Angels) in more ways than one (lots of bumper-to-bumper traffic in the Six of Hearts, and visiting the mechanic that doesn’t know what he’s doing in The Chariot card).

Take Away: Cut back on your spending, and make sure that you are not falling victim to “spring fever”. Just because the sun is shining for a couple of days doesn’t mean it’s time to get out there and do stuff.

You can’t afford the extra trouble and extra expense that will come from spending additional time out and about this week.

There is a high chance of car trouble that will be beyond your means to fix if you ignore the advice given to you in these cards. Do what you have to do, and no more than that. You don’t want to meet the witch doctor mechanic.

Other elements included in this reading:
Deodar Cedar Ceramic Impression for Clarity and Spiritual Connection
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration and Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  PINO ZAC TAROT DE L’AN 2000

Daily Self Kindness

I didn’t get as much done today at Ms B’s as I had initially planned to do, and left about a half hour early. I have chosen to not feel guilty about either of these things.

Gideon’s Challenge – More, Please

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Rain Clouds AboveMore, Please

Eagerness
for more rain
even now
floods my soul
even as fields
flood
and rivers
swell
and roads are
overrun
with water
so that detours
are necessary

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

🌑 New Moon in Capricorn – January 2026

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Tomorrow 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 @onyerbroom

New Moon in Capricorn Tarot Reading with the Merry Tarot

Structure needed?

The Magician – Take some time to get together what it is you want to happen moving forward. Goals and aspirations need to be defined first in order to succeed. You’re more than capable of taking on whatever goals you want to achieve, but the first step will always be figuring out what it is that you want.

Focused support?

Six of Cups atop Eight of Cups Rx – If you don’t have help, leave it be and go get help. Don’t be stubborn and say “fine, I’ll just do it by myself” like you have in the past. Instead, delay gratification to go enlist the help you need.

Progress towards?

Four of Pentacles atop King of Cups Rx – You can’t find emotional stability while holding yourself apart from others. A little bit of solitude is good for you from time to time, but you have a tendency to take it too far. Make sure that you are leaning into those that help you create a better emotional balance and sense of well-being, instead of shutting them out.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

The Fool – Try to have a little fun along the way. It may not be your go-to consideration, but it’s an important part of keeping life interesting.

Other elements included in this reading:
Goat Figurine as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Baby’s Breath Bundle for Connecting to Purity of Heart
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Cedar Heart for Protection and Understanding
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: MERRY TAROT

First Impressions

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Arrival Prompt for January 16th : Vision
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Witchy Tarot - Ace of CupsToday’s draw is the Ace of Cups (Cauldrons), which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.

Sometimes, first impressions are fucked. Just because you meet someone and you don’t jive with them right away, or you think they’re ugly, or some other impediment is in place to you getting to know them, doesn’t mean that they’re not worth getting to know.

I mean, yes, there are boundaries and limits as to what we find acceptable and what we don’t (although, in my opinion, appearance should not be one of those factors). At the same time, though, some people just are unable to make a good first impression and need time to grow on you. That doesn’t make them bad, or not a good match for you for a relationship or friendship or whatever. It just means that it takes them a bit of tripping over their own feet before they can actually show you who they truly are.

The message in today’s “vision” prompt and the Ace of Cups is a reminder not to “judge a book by its cover” when meeting new people.

As I said, there are boundaries and lines. If someone’s abusive, and you see that from the start, no amount of getting to know them is going to make that better. But, don’t let physical appearance or “”weirdness” or an odd presentation/social performance keep you from getting to know someone better. You never know, they may grow on you and turn out to be one of your most valued allies, if you give them a chance.

DECK USED:  WITCHY TAROT

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 1 | Entry 7 – Self Care and Personal Development
Affirmation : “I enjoy my daydreams, as they are a safe and fun space for me to be myself.”
Prompt : Daydreaming and free association can help unpack hidden desires or motivations in your subconscious. Draw a card to help guide you during your next daydream, mindful meditation, or free association writing exercise. What does this card say about what you might want more of from your daily life or what you feel may be missing?

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - Don't Starve Tarot - Wheel of FortuneWhat feelings came up when I pulled this card?

I felt a moment of repulsion. (See the next answer for clarity.) This was then followed by my gaze latching onto the imagery to take a closer look.

What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?

Although the Wheel of Fortune often represents luck (good and bad) and the cycles of life, this card can have a tendency to feel like it is indicating or announcing a lack of stability when I am reading for myself.

I am not a fan of lack of stability.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

The depiction of the seasons of the year (or at least three of them) feels like a reminder that not all change creates imbalance. Sometimes, like with the seasons, it is in the change that takes place from one phase to the next where we find an overall balance of the whole.

Just as nature does not fight the seasons and the changes that take place from one season to the next, this artwork with its arrows pointing off in each direction speak of needing to allow life’s transitions to happen rather than fighting them.

My prompt response and reflections.

My absolute favorite daydream that I visit often is of a little house in an evergreen forest at the base of a mountain beside a flowing river. Inaccessible by vehicle, with a town just within a days reach if needed. There are gardens for food, herbs, and flowers. There is a greenhouse, a large tree in the front yard with a swing, a fireplace, and a well stocked pantry with kitchen that includes the amenities to make life easy and cooking interesting.

What the Wheel of Fortune card tells me about this daydream, is that there is too much stagnancy here to be healthy for me in real life. As much as I like to daydream about that stillness and quiet and solitude, I need more ups and downs and transitions than this daydream life could provide me in order to be happy and healthy.

Doesn’t mean it’s not a nice daydream, though.

Other elements included in this reading:
Resin Detailed D20 Metal Die
Banded Agate D6 Gemstone Die

DECK USED: DON’T STARVE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2026 Challenge
Prompts for January 16th

Tarot Reading with the Witchy TarotWhat luck is coming your way?

Four of Broomsticks Rx – A decrease in dissatisfaction and less moments of failure.  There’s been a great deal of that over the past year, especially through the fall and winter. Turning around these emotions to allow for a brighter outlook is an opportunity on the horizon worth exploring.

How can you foster it into fruition?

Six of Cauldrons atop Ten of Cauldrons Rx – You can’t be both constantly searching for more as well as feel centered, satisfied, and content.

If you let go of your need to wallow in what feels good but is not good for you, more good things are going to come your way. Stop savoring what’s unhealthy and allow healthy things to step in and take their place.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Acorns for Protection during New Beginnings
Foraged Purple Heather Sprigs for Independence and Luck
Bird Figurine for Fostering Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: WITCHY TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I finally gave in and bit the bullet on the cost and bought a bag of apples today.

Gideon’s Challenge – Too Soon

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Raindrops on PetalsToo Soon

Moments
caught
in a whisper
of stillness
as raindrops
soak through
clothing
and early petals
catch
droplets
in the hope
of an early spring
that’s not
to be

Photo © ZenStatePhotography