Month: April 2026

Timing and Temptation

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute long #DailyCalm session from the @Calm app.

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The @hippiepixie333 #Escapril2026 Challenge
Prompt for April 9th : omen
Daily Mental Health Prompt : Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Luna's Hello Kitty Tarot - The Devil card

Today’s draw is The Devil card, which is traditionally a representation of temptation, struggles with moderation, harmful excesses, addiction, and self-harm.

There are times when you can reliably predict that your addictions are going to try and step in to rock the boat.

For me, this is often during those times when things are going right or well, and also in the “calm after the storm” or an especially stressful and difficult time. That moment of calm has my addictions chomping at the bit with promise to provide comfort through familiarity.

Knowing when these times are for you can help in ensuring that you don’t fall victim to their temptations. Because you know ahead of time what is going to happen, you can then prepare for it in order to better resist its pull.

The message in today’s Devil card and “omen” prompt is an encouragement to “know thyself”. Look objectively at when your unhealthy habits and addictions rise to the surface, and allow yourself to acknowledge these patterns so that you can work at asserting a little more self-control during these times.

DECK USED:  LUNA’S HELLO KITTY TAROT

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro

Chapter 3 | Entry 10 – Family and Friends

Affirmation : “My friendship’s uplift and inspire me.”

Prompt : Use the themes, symbolism, keywords, and/or artwork of the card you draw to help you describe what being “a good friend” means to you and all the ways your friendships inspire you.

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - Plusheen the Cat Tarot - The Fool

What feelings came up when I pulled this card?

Surprise.

Honestly, I always have a slight moment of surprise when The Fool comes to visit in my personal readings. I think because I spend so much time focused on life’s responsibilities that I sometimes forget that aspect the Fool offers exists (or can, if I let it).

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

Continued from above, I struggle with instilling The Fool’s energy into my life. I plot and plan, I strategize then act. Impulsivity isn’t really a big part of how I run my life.

This is often where my friends fit in, as they often provide for me a spontaneity and pursuit of fun that I have a tendency to tamp down on in myself.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

My cat does this. Not so much while I’m wrapping gifts (at that time she just wants to walk on everything), but when unwrapping them. She loves to get tangled in the ribbons and wallow on the torn wrapping paper and crumpled tissue. It’s amusing to watch her and I even have a few pics of her doing it.

My prompt response and reflections.

There’s a reminder here in this card that it’s not just the humans that provide this spontaneity and pursuit of joy in my life, but that Miss Luna does as well. This is an aspect of having a pet that I hadn’t considered before.

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

DECK USED: PLUSHEEN THE CAT TAROT

@lightningwildflower‘s April Energetic Shifts Challenge

Mars enters Aries Prompt for April 9th : What passion do I need to express?

Tarot Reading with Luna's Hello Kitty Tarot

Reading Summary: Put some more enthusiasm (Knight of Wands) into recovering (Seven of Swords) from the changes that happened last fall (Death).

Take Away: The more enthusiasm you put into trying to drag back numbers into your customer base and rebuild it into something stronger than before, the more success you’ll have in recovering from the decimating blow your business took last fall.

Whether it’s garnering a new following, or stealing the old ones back from your competition… there are shoppers out there for you and your business.

You can’t control every aspect of what’s happening, but there’s plenty that you can do to help things move in the right direction.

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Carved Jade Japanese Kitsune for fostering Wisdom and Cunning
Green Jasper and Tiger Eye Turtle for Confidence within Progress
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  LUNA’S HELLO KITTY TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I used an ice pack today during my meditation in an effort to head off some of the extra pain issues I’ve been having the past week or so.

Gideon’s Challenge – Too Early

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Washington State Ferries

Too Early

Rough waters
make for
a bumpy ride
even in
large boats
that appear
to glide
like ghosts
among misty
morning light
as the need
to nap tugs
but is left
unsated

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

The Second Try

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @hippiepixie333 #Escapril2026 Challenge
Prompt for April 8th : the day after

Daily Mental Health Prompt : Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Classic Mountains and Seas Tarot - Page of Swords

Today’s draw is the Page of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, logic, ambitions, and communication. This often translates into themes that have to do with learning new ways to communicate with others, beginning new educational pursuits, exploring new ideas. and seeking to sate one’s curiosity.

In some ways, the Page of Swords is a card of recovery. The Ten of Swords such a painful an ending that when we reach the Page and pick ourselves up off the ground from the Ten, there is a touch of the phoenix in the progression between these two cards.

In the progression of the Swords suit, on the day after the Ten of Swords, we land upon the Page of Swords realizing that we don’t know everything after all and we have so much more still to learn.

The message in today’s Page of Swords and “the day after” prompt for today is a reminder that the endings we experience aren’t “the end”, no matter how painful they may be. In time, we move past them, and we take with us what we learned from the past to apply to our new efforts and endeavors. That doesn’t mean we know everything, it just means we’re better off this time around than we were on our first try.

DECK USED:  THE CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS TAROT

@lightningwildflower‘s April Energetic Shifts Challenge

Mars sextile Uranus Prompt for April 8th : Where am I ready to take bold, innovative action?

Oracle Reading using the Betrayal Deck of Lost Souls Game Cards

Reading Summary: If you want to “make it rain” (two blood cards and rain) you’re going to need to make bold and innovative action (Action = Athame) that lead you in that direction (Lost Prophet’s Coffer). It’s not going to happen on its own.

Take Away: These cards are essentially saying that age old adage, “you have to spend money to make money”. And, in this case, “spending money” might mean the blood, sweat, and tears of your own effort.

Financially speaking, you can’t just sit back on your laurels and expect your finances to work themselves out on their own. You have to be involved and make good choices that have you actively working toward your goals.

Bring the money in, and be smart with what you do with it. Lack of forethought will only force you to work harder and expend more blood, sweat, and tears to get to where you want to be.

And get your damned taxes done.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Picture Jasper for Sense of Proportion and Grounding
Rainforest Rhyolite for Facilitating Calm Transitions
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: BETRAYAL DECK OF LOST SOULS GAME CARDS

@Lionharts #TheAprilTarot Root & Rise Challenge

The Roots Prompt for April 8th : What becomes clear when I focus fully on what is in front or me?

Tarot Reading with The Classic Mountains and Seas Tarot

Reading Summary: The potential addictions that you choose to indulge in (The Fool actively moving toward The Devil), and thus end up ensnared by (The Devil figure welcoming The Fool), are a choice you make and not something that just happens to you (The Chariot).

Take Away: It’s very easy to pass the blame for any number of sticky situations we get into when it comes to addiction (whether it’s adrenaline, dopamine, sugar, caffeine, or any of the myriad of illicit drugs out there). It’s always easier for it to be somebody else’s fault or due to circumstances, rather than to take onus upon ourselves.

Real responsibility, though, comes in claiming ownership of the choices we’ve made. Including the bad ones.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Carnelian Agate Mushroom for Focusing On Aspirations
Onyx Stone Fox for Identifying and Connecting to Truth
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I tried to keep on top of my pain management today by taking a couple extra ibuprofen interspersed through the day.

Gideon’s Challenge – Peaceful

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Forest Floor Pine Needles

Peaceful

Soft and squishy
a fragrant
carpet of needles
muffles every step
and makes
the world
seem quieter
than it has
any right to be
as the soft patter
of raindrops
sound off
like a very lazy
ticking clock

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Heed the Warning Signs

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute long #DailyTrip session from the @Calm app.

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The @hippiepixie333 #Escapril2026 Challenge

Prompt for April 7th : smoke signals

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Hundred-Acre Arcana - The Devil card

Today’s draw is The Devil card, which is traditionally a representation of temptation, struggles with moderation, harmful excesses, addiction, and self-harm.

Look at that… the card even has a campfire.

The “oh shit” moment of falling into old habits or allowing oneself to fall into the grip of an addiction doesn’t just come upon us all of a sudden. There are warning signs that build up to that “oh shit” moment.

Whether or not we watch for and/or listen to those warning signs directly influences not just whether or not that “oh shit” moment arrives, but in what manner it does if it’s too late to stop it entirely.

The message in today’s Devil card and “smoke signals” prompt as a reminder that warning signs are not there to be ignored. When you ignore them, you give what’s building up permission to do what it will to you and your life. Today’s message encourages us to not ignore these warning signs and smoke signals when they appear, but take them to heart and be proactive in acting on them.

DECK USED:  THE HUNDRED ACRE ARCANA

@Lionharts #TheAprilTarot Root & Rise Challenge

The Roots Prompt for April 7th : In what area of my life does progress unfold without force?

Tarot Reading with the Hundred-Acre Arcana and Cloud Rune Legend Lenormand

Reading Summary: Conversation (Center Card) is often the best form of support (Man) you can give to the grieving (Coffin).

Take Away: Grief moves at its own pace, and no amount of nudging or manipulation can push it to do so any faster. It’s not -meant- to be convenient.

The grieving widow in your life needs you to hold space for her more than anything else you could provide. You don’t even have to take over the conversation for this to happen. Just listen as she tells her stories, even if you’ve heard them a million times before.

These discussions and the walks down memory lane that they often contain are her way of grieving. When you sit with her and listen it gives her an anchor in the storm.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Goat Figure as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE HUNDRED ACRE ARCANA BONUS CARDS AND CLOUD RUNE LEGEND LENORMAND

@lightningwildflower‘s April Energetic Shifts Challenge

Listen Prompt for April 7th : What inner wisdom is emerging?

Tarot Reading with the Hundred-Acre Arcana

Reading Summary: You attract more bees (Four of Pentacles) with honey (Three of Cups) than vinegar (Knight of Wands Rx).

Take Away: You draw more good things into your life by taking life on through a lens of positive perspectives than you will by being negative all the time.

This includes positivity in the form of being considerate of yourself and considerate of others, instead of just trying to plow on through to the point of it being unhealthy.

Honestly, when you started the whole “instill more positivity and optimism into my life” endeavor, you really had no faith in it helping. Not with your outlook, not with your depression, and not with any of the aspects of your life that you felt were important to you.

You’ve come to discover, though, that this is not the case. The effort does make a difference. A difference that you sometimes barely notice, but others notice all the time. They then, in turn, enjoy being around you more often.

Other elements included in this reading:
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Pressed Pansy Flowers for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE HUNDRED ACRE ARCANA
Daily Self Kindness

I started early on orders in order to make sure I got done with them at a decent time.

Gideon’s Challenge – Pre-Dawn

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Perfect Brew Cup of Chamomile Tea

Pre-Dawn

A moment
of quiet peace
sitting still
with steam
slowly rising
to fill the air
with the scent
of chamomile
as the sun
rises
on a new day
that I’m
not at all
ready for

Photo © ZenStatePhotography