On Hold
sunbathing
seashells
full of life
linger
in cool tide pools
clustered together
among pebbles
and tiny
hidden crabs
as the wait
through the day
for the
rocking caress
of tide’s return
Gideon’s Challenge – On Hold
Month: September 2026
The Purpose You Serve
Today’s meditation was skipped.
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Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Nine of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of solitary satisfaction, a job well done, self-sufficiency, abundance, financial independence, and luxury earned through hard work
The Nine of Pentacles has then been combined with a card from the Crone Power Oracle and Affirmation Cards, which says, “I am serving. My being supports myself and others.”
In the grip of my depression, it can be hard to see that my presence in others lives serves a purpose. At these times I feel like a burden weighing others down, or even that I’m harming them.
It’s these thoughts more than any others that used to (prior to finally getting on a medication that works) pave the way to suicidal ideation. The idea that I am worthless, that I serve no purpose, that I’m hurting the ones I care about; these thoughts and feelings made it feel impossible that I should go on living and breathing.
Here’s the thing, though. If any of that was actually true? These people wouldn’t be a part of my life to begin with. They would have moved on instead of sticking around.
Now, when these thoughts crop up (which they still do during deep depression, even without the suicidal thoughts attached) I remind myself that the people that love and care about me are a curated collection of those that feel I matter. They don’t want or need free of my sphere of influence, but instead desire more time with me. Not less.
The message in today’s Nine of Pentacles and affirmation card is a reminder that those who love you do not see you as you see yourself… especially during times of depression. They don’t see someone who is a burden or that they don’t want to be around. These perceptions are the lies depression whispers in your ear; not fact.
DECKS USED: LIZ DEAN’S THE GOLDEN TAROT (heavily trimmed) AND CRONE POWER ORACLE AND AFFIRMATION CARDS
September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 16th : smudged watercolours
you reach for me
(King of Hearts atop Three of Diamonds)
in a moment of passion
(Two of Hearts)
and intensity
sparks a fire within us both
(Ace of Clubs)
and as laughter fills the room
you crowd in close
(Three of Hearts)
while brushes scatter
and rinse water spills,
work falling to the wayside
smudged and forgotten
(Five of Diamonds)
as pleasure steals the day away
(Ten of Hearts)
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: FUNGI, MUSHROOM & LICHENS PLAYING CARDS
@jourie.co‘s An Imaginative Life Journal Prompts
Prompt for September 16th and 17th
Reassessment – What is an assumption I’ve made that I need to reassess?
Queen of Cups Rx and Ace of Swords
Not everyone you get into conflict with necessarily wants to work things out. Sometimes it’s better to just let it be. By seeking closure and opening up communication, you just open yourself up to more abuse, as there’s no true opportunity here for reconciliation or closure.
Strength – How have I demonstrated my inner strength recently?
Queen of Pentacles and King of Cups Rx
You haven’t allowed emotional instability to create instability in other parts of your life of late. Often, when you emotions feel like they are in upheaval, you try to self medicate with destructive tendencies. Lately though, you’ve been able to keep that part of the cycle at bay.
Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Encouraging Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
River Rock for Resilience within Life’s Flow
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: LIZ DEAN’S THE GOLDEN TAROT (heavily trimmed)
I’m so tired, and I’m going to bed early tonight.
🎨 Weekly Creativity Prompt – Different Scenarios
Prompt : “The purpose of this activity is to practice interpreting small spreads by combining card meanings, symbols and intuition. We will all interpret the same cards based on a few different (imaginary) situations. A 3 card spread will be posted together with 2 more specific scenarios. It’s your choice which scenario you’d prefer to use, or if you’d rather do a general reading of these cards as for an imaginary querent.”
Scenario 1 – Tyler is looking to deepen his spiritual practice and asks how he could go about it.
When you are being confronted with disappointments, or trying to work through hard truths, make sure that you are counterbalancing these influences through doing the things you love with others who love you. Finding balance in one’s life between negative influences and positive ones is an important step in finding balance in other areas of your life (including your spirituality). Consider where things are moving slow or are not fitting their best, then use your connection with others to put these obstacles into perspective so you don’t blow them up into something they’re not.
Scenario 2 – Juno just got broken up with by their partner of 3 years. Their emotions are all over the place and they’re coming for advice on how to find their footing again.
Talk to someone who cares about how you’re feeling. Share your pain. They may give you some good advice, or they may just help you lift your mood for a time. Either way, keeping all of this inside and to yourself is harmful. Let it out. Spill out your thoughts and your emotions. Those that love you are ready to help you mop up the mess.
DECK USED: SPACIOUS TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge – Flinching
Flinching
closed off and
turned away
walls go up
with whatever
defenses
can be found
to create a
patchwork wall
of boundaries
that are unlikely
to stand up
to the test
of time
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Perfectionism and Martyrdom
Today’s meditation was an eight minute #DailyTrip session from the @Calm app.
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Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Three of Coins (Julius Sneezer), which is traditionally a representation of teamwork, collaboration, working together, and themes to do with bringing in help and/or outside expertise in order to get something done.
From the Guide: Friends, rascals, ruffians – lend me your tissues! Asking for help from others is the best way to get what you want now. No one can do everything by themselves 100% at the time. Sometimes, collaboration is necessary. Embrace the advice and expertise of others.
The Three of Coins has then been combined with the Unravel card from the Create Brave Cards, which says, “I choose to take things apart to create something better.”
Work on picking apart the mentality that if you want something to be done right you have to do it yourself. Ease up on perfectionism and martyrdom, and embrace the assistance of others. Even if they do things differently than you, or it takes them twice as long, it’s still work that you aren’t doing! That right there is a win all on its own.
The message in today’s Three of Coins and affirmation is encouragement to ease up on the reigns and delegate more freely. In the end, it will connect you more closely with others and give you more freedom to do the things you really want to be doing.
DECKS USED: GARBAGE PAIL KIDS TAROT AND CREATE BRAVE CARDS
September Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for September 15th : let the grass grow wild
let the grass grow wild
with wood sorrel and chickweed
clover and plantain
dandelion, violets, and purslane
(Ace of Diamonds atop Seven of Hearts)
Let them all flourish,
wild and free
and not only will your yard
grow healthy and green
(Queen of Clubs)
but you shall never
go hungry again
(Queen of Diamonds)
Other elements included in this reading:
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity
Labradorite for a Focus on Mental and Emotional Healing
Gray Agate for Instilling Gentleness, Calm, and Stability
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: MAD BUNNY PLAYING CARDS
@lightningwildflower‘s September Self-Talk Challenge
Venus square Pluto, Neptune sextile Pluto
Prompt for September 15th : What relationship pattern needs to be challenged?
Reading Summary: You have others that want to step in and help you (Three of Coins). Don’t shut them out in order to pursue things on your own (The Hermit atop Page of Swords).
Take Away: Just because you -can- do it on your own doesn’t mean you should.
This is an echo of the message in the Card of the Day for today. Stop leaning into solitary work and believing that your way is the only way. Who cares if it’s not absolutely perfectly the way -you- would do it. The fact that it’s delegated to someone else means that you get a little free time as a result. It’s a fair trade!
As a bonus, the more you allow others to help you? The more skilled they will be come. Soon enough, they may not meet the exacting and unreasonable standards you put upon yourself, but they’ll absolutely improve and become better with time and practice.
Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Encouraging Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: GARBAGE PAIL KIDS TAROT
I used voltaren on my shin-splints. I really hadn’t thought of it and had been dealing with them all day, then Ms B mentioned it on the phone. So I dug out the tube I have of the stuff and put some on.
Gideon’s Challenge – First Fallen
First Fallen
the first leaves
begin to fall
before equinox
or cold
but when weather
shifts from
summer heat
to comfortable
once more
and below
the branches
we all wait
for the cascade
to come
Twisting the Leaf 