Author: Twist the Leaf

Sins, Not Tragedies

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-guided session based on an affirmation card that says, “You are important. You matter.”

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The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Bless Prompt for October 11th : Gratitude
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Agatha All Along Tarot's Tower card and a card from Twist's Halloween Affirmations Deck

Today’s draw is The Tower card, which is traditionally a representation of sudden change, chaotic transformation, destruction, and the tearing down of something within one’s life or beliefs that leaves room for something new to take its place.

When you think back on your life and those catastrophic “shit happens” moments, do you look back with unhappiness and resentment for what you lost? Or with gratitude for the change in direction these moments caused that have lead you to the good stuff in your life now?

We all have regrets. We all make mistakes. We all have things happen in our lives that are out of our control.

The message on today’s Tower card and Gratitude prompt is a reminder that how we look at these instances and situations influence our perspectives on the present and where we are now. Today’s message encourages us to seek out the positives in these situations so that they can lift us up, instead of focusing on the negatives that will drag us down.

DECK USED:  AGATHA ALL ALONG TAROT AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATIONS DECK

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2026 Challenge
Prompt for October 11th : Do Spread 2
Question for October 10th : Buried Alive – What in your past needs dug up and dealt with?

Tarot Reading with the All Hallow's Tarot and Halloween Postcards Set

Reading Summary: With the Nine of Discs reversed, the color connection between its title bar and the anchor card stands out and speaks of a cruel individual (anchor card) stealing one’s joy (Nine of Discs Rx).

There is also a color correlation between the wands in the Nine of Wands card and the skin tone in the Hanged Man that connects up to the anchor card’s orange hues. This communicates a need to stay on the defensive (Nine of Wands) and wait (Hanged Man) when cruelty is present (anchor card). The matching backgrounds in these two tarot cards reinforces the need for healthy boundaries while you watch and wait.

The halo of bones in the anchor card then connects in form to the hanging branches of the tree in the Hanged Man card, indicating that the waiting and watching aspect is extremely revealing, but may require more patience than you’re capable of managing in order to get the full picture.

Take Away: “I wish we could just keep Gid and get rid of that f’ing piss-ant Twist.” (Paraphrased… can’t remember the exact wording.)

It still hurts. At least fifteen years later, and the ache from those wounds still lingers. It isn’t the blow it once was, as I’m no longer the innocent I was back then. I’m not as trusting, and not as free with my friendships or my loyalties. And yet… for some reason, those words still sting.

This is the experience that taught me how important it is to look below the surface of other’s behaviors and pay attention to niggling warning signs instead of writing them off as idiosyncrasies. This experience mad a mess of me, reinforcing unhealthy assumptions and shattering a precious innocence and naivety that I’d previously viewed the world through. And sometimes, not always but sometimes, it still hurts.

Other elements included in this reading:
Green Jasper and Caribbean Calcite Turtle for Calm within Progress
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  ALL HALLOW TAROT AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN POSTCARDS ORACLE

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 2 | Entry 12 – Love and Relationships
Affirmation : “I am an attractive person who magnetizes love.”
Prompt : What is a self limiting thought or belief you have about yourself? Use the cards more challenging qualities to help answer this question. How can you release that thought/belief in order to attract love and tenderness? Use the cards more positive qualities to help reframe this thought or belief.

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - Poison Apple Tarot - The Tower

Self-Limiting Thought – “I’m not enough.”

What feelings came up when I pulled this card?

Do I really care about this? Or is this something I only think that I need?

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

Challenging Aspects – I am self destructive. This may not be a part of my nature, but it’s a behavior that the depression I’ve been experiencing since childhood has ingrained within the crevices of my soul.

Positive Aspects – I am aware. I’m aware of my self-destructive tendencies, and I’m aware of my addictive inclinations. I am self aware enough to catch myself and pull myself back from the edge of doing irreparable harm to myself and my life.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

The scissors about to cut off the top of the dolly’s head. Ruining the toys you cherish, and regretting it later. The imagery speaks to me of the temptation to mar what gives joy so that it resonates with how you feel on the inside.

My prompt response and reflections.

In order to release “I’m not enough” thinking in order to attract love and tenderness, it’s important to lean into the self awareness of my self-destructive tendencies. It’s only in fighting back against them and resisting their allure that I can connect with others and receive their love and acceptance, as well as give myself the love and acceptance I need from myself as well. Closing myself off to this self awareness creates a spiral of destruction that ends in being utterly alone and without the love, acceptance and help I need when I need it most.

Other elements included in this reading:
Amber Resin D20 and Agate D6 Dice

DECK USED: POISON APPLE TAROT

@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October 11th

Tarot Reading with the Agatha All Along Tarot

Ask – Three of Pentacles – Ask for help. You don’t have to do this alone. There are others eager to be there by your side and lend their skills and expertise, their shoulders and their hands, to your cause.

Answer – Five of Swords – Allow yourself to be wrong. Sometimes when you ask for help, it opens you up to having to confront some of your least likeable qualities. That includes allowing yourself to be wrong about the things you -think- you know.

It means letting others show you there’s another way, another perspective, and that they might have an answer that works far better than your own. Don’t let pride get in the way of hearing what others have to say and the suggestions they may bring to the table.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
River Rock for Resilience within Life’s Flow
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Green Aventurine for Harmony and Balance of the Heart

DECK USED:  AGATHA ALL ALONG TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

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

Gideon’s Challenge – Peaceful

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Cloudy Skies

Peaceful

a comfortable seat
and a bottle of water
are all I need
to sit here quietly
all day long
and watch
the clouds
as they transform
again and again
as they float by
on to see
new places

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Opening to Wonder

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-guided session based on an affirmation card that says, “You are worth taking care of.”

•    •    •    ◈    •    🎃    •    ◈    •    •    •

The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Bless Prompt for October 12th : Wonder
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Bizarre Tarot Maze Edition's King of Pentacles and a card from Twist's Halloween Affirmations Deck

Today’s draw is the King of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s financial security, resources, health, home, labors, manifestations, and other elements of the physical realm. This often translates into leadership that creates a grounded sense of stability for others.

It can be difficult, when you have gone through all of the struggles and hurdles needed to get to the place of stability you crave, to still see things through a child’s eye. You get to where you feel worn and jaded, and this becomes an obstacle to connecting with wonder and joyous innocence.

That makes these perspectives all that much more important, though, for what is the use of having the stability and having gone through all these trials, if not to fight for a place where you feel safe experiencing the world from a more vulnerable viewpoint where it can affect you in new and unfamiliar ways?

The message in today’s King of Pentacles and Wonder prompt is a reminder that all work and no play makes for a dull and unenjoyable life, no matter how much security you earn with all that work and effort.

These cards encourage us not just to appreciate the stability that we have created in our lives to this point, but to use that stability in ways that allow us to make the choice to approach life with a sense of wonder and joy rather than the jaded viewpoint of someone that’s made their way through hell and survived to tell the tale.

DECK USED:  BIZARRE TAROT MAZE EDITION AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATIONS DECK

October Spooky Season Challenge by @MercuryTarot
Prompt for October 11th through 13th

Oracle Reading with the All Hallow's Eve Oracle

How did I experience Halloween as a child?

Cat – As a child, although I was taught that Halloween was a sacred holiday, but for me it often felt more about luck and fun. It was about trusting that the dark is a safe place to wander and play, instead of a place filled with unseen dangers.

How do I experience Halloween now?

Milky Way – Halloween takes on a far more sacred theme in my life now than it did when I was a child. It holds connotations of life, death, and rebirth that I am far more likely to celebrate now that I’m older and understand these concepts more clearly.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy the aesthetic that comes with Halloween, but it’s no longer just about gallivanting around in the dark without fear.

Similarities – Although there is a marked difference between how I saw Halloween as a child and how I treat it now as an adult, there is also a similarity in these two cards both being guidance cards. This speaks to Halloween being a “pivot point” in the year.

Although I don’t treat Halloween like the new year that pagans and witches often mark it as, I do see it as a pivot point from one season to the next. More so than the summer solstice which marks the beginning of darker days, Halloween marks the a slide into darkness for me where the cycle of each year is concerned.

What role would I have in a horror movie?

Crystals – Solid and sure, you know what is needed to get through the situation with the least losses possible. Unfortunately, some may see and hear your wisdom easily, but many will not. You are okay or even cold concerning the losses of those unwilling to listen, and will unerringly guide those that choose to follow your lead and listen to your guidance.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Gray Agate Druzy Slab for Stabilizing Energies and Expectations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  ALL HALLOW’S EVE ORACLE

October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 11th and 12th : swallowed by a void / how long can I hold my breath?

Creative Writing Activity with the Creepy Party Playing Cards

darkness creeps in, sneaky and sly
so quietly I don’t see it coming
(Jack of Spades)

as it winds through tall grasses
to whisper in my ear
while lie in the grass, cloud watching
(Five of Hearts atop Ace of Spades)

and joy leeches away a little at a time
the world slowly turning grey
the light dimming one increment at a time
(Seven of Spades atop Ten of Hearts)

until months later I come to discover
I’ve lost far more than I realize
and I’m left at the bottom of a deep deep pit
as rain water begins to rise
(Five of Spades)

can I float to the surface?
or must I hold my breath til the end?
I’ve been stuck in denial so long
but there’s no longer any way to pretend
(Two of Clubs atop Ten of Spades)

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Black Spruce Needles for Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  CREEPY PARTY PLAYING CARDS

@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October 12th

Tarot Reading with the Bizarre Tarot Maze Edition

Rest – Ten of Swords – Stop pushing yourself so hard for things you have no interest in completing.

Give it a rest and let go of them before you allow them to drive you into the ground. There’s no need to pressure yourself to do these things, complete these goals, or pursue these topics if you aren’t actually interested in them anymore.

Move – Page of Cups atop The World – Remember that as you learn more about yourself and what makes you happy, your life goals are going to change.

It’s perfectly natural to shift your trajectory to follow these new discoveries, rather than doggedly trudging down a path that no longer fits or works for you.

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Norway Maple Key for Fostering Strength and Resilience
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  BIZARRE TAROT MAZE EDITION
Daily Self Kindness

I spent some time trying to sort out the ‘today view’ screen on my phone to put what will make my life easier there.

❤️ 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 Oracle Reading with the Haunted Cottage Oracle and The Dreary Lenormand

Earth – Pumpkin Pie – Focus on connecting with abundance and gratitude this week. Be grateful for those things that make you feel a sense of fulfillment and connect with your authentic sense of joy. Remember that even small rewards are worth celebrating.

Air – Bridge – Communication is the key to connecting with others. Work at expressing yourself clearly this week, regardless of the brain fog you may find yourself slipping in and out of.

Water – Spider – Your emotions may feel overly sensitive this week. When this feeling comes upon you, make sure that you are stepping back with patience rather than leaning forward into impulsivity.

Fire – Chasm – Your depression is making it hard for you to experience things fully and connect on more than a surface level. Make sure that you are not allowing yourself to just slip deeper into it, but instead doing your best to fight against its pull.

Waning – Key and Stars – Don’t trust in false hope. It’s okay to not have all the answers. Just as you don’t need to fill silences with words, neither do you need to fill every unknown with an answer or a ray of hope.

Waxing – Owls and Moon – These cards are reiteration of the theme of holding back and observing when things are feeling uncertain or unstable. Pause, and possibly communicate your confusion with others in a private setting.

Take Away – Lots of vulnerability and emotional discomfort this week. Make sure that you are leaning on others rather than trying to handle it all on your own, and keep up repeated reminders to dampen your reactivity at the moment.

DECKS USED: HAUNTED COTTAGE ORACLE AND THE DREARY LENORMAND

Gideon’s Challenge – The Gray

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Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)

The Gray

I ache to feel
the spark
of desire
the tingle
of interest as
curiosity
catches fire
and yet
from within
there’s only
quiet
and a stillness
of exhausting
silence

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Honoring Yourself with Boundaries

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-guided session based on an affirmation card that says, “You can always afford to be a bit kinder to yourself.”

•    •    •    ◈    •    🎃    •    ◈    •    •    •

The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Bless Prompt for October 10th : Honour
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Halloween Tarot's Six of Pentacles and a card from Twist's Halloween Affirmations Deck

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of charity, generosity, sharing the wealth, asking for or accepting help, and balancing the scales between the “haves” and the “have nots” in life.

Consider this…

One woman works all day as a nurse, cleaning bedpans and comforting patients. She wakes up early and leaves work late, only to race to the store for supplies, come home and make dinner for her family, cater to her husband’s wishes and listen to his complaints, read a bedtime story to her kid, and then drop into bed exhausted after a lightning quick shower just to get up and do it all again the next day.

vs.

One woman works all day as a nurse, cleaning bedpans and comforting patients. She wakes up early and leaves work on time. She stops at the coffee shop for her favorite latte and pauses in her park on the way home for a few quiet minutes alone. When she arrives home, dinner has been made for her by her husband, the kids are bathed and ready for bed. She reads them bedtime story, takes a leisurely shower, and settles in for a bit of together time with her husband before they go to sleep. Rinse and repeat.

There is a difference between acting selflessly as a doormat, or acting selfishly with honor. Both can appear like generosity, but one leaves you open to abuse and lack of appreciation by those that don’t have your best interest at heart, and the other allows you to pursue what you want out of life while still caring for others along the way.

Boundaries are the difference between these two scenarios mentioned above. One prioritizes pleasing everybody else, and taking all responsibility on their own shoulders… the other prioritizes the boundaries that allow her to have a healthier dynamic with those around her.

The message in today’s Six of Pentacles and Honour prompt is a reminder that boundaries create cooperation and respect. When you honor yourself and your own time, other people do as well. It’s important to not just be generous to others, but also to yourself. Make sure that your boundaries are ensuring that this is happening.

DECK USED:  HALLOWEEN TAROT AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATIONS DECK

October Spooky Season Challenge by @MercuryTarot
Prompt for October 6th through 10th : Pumpkin Spice Latte Spread

Oracle Reading with the Thorngale Oracle

What in my life is sweet?

The Mother – Your unrealistic expectation on what a mother should be, as opposed to its reality. You delude yourself into thinking you’re getting more out of this relationship than you really are, because it’s what you want to see and experience.

What in my life is spicy?

The Devil – After your discussion with your therapist, you now understand where your current struggle with your addictions and self-destructive tendencies are coming from. They will continue to rise up and try to make things more difficult. Resist their temptation.

Caffeine – How are my energy levels?

Spern – Your energy levels are currently at low to nil. At the moment you are spending too much time trying to protect yourself in a defense against worries over predation because you are feeling especially vulnerable. This hypervigilance is wearing you out.

Temperature Check – Do l appear warm or cold?

The Grub – You don’t really come off as warm, nor cold. You come off as stable and grounded… and occasionally as a stick in the mud.

Cream On Top – How do I surprise and delight?

The Bath – You allow them in and allow them to help. You present yourself to others as extremely independent and solitary, never in need of outside support. Yet, you allow those who want to support you and be close to you close enough to do so, letting them see your more vulnerable side and give you the comfort and support that you need when you need it.

Although this refers to a number of people in your life, this is especially true when it comes to your partner.

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THORNGALE ORACLE

October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 10th : grief wanders the room

Creative Writing Exercise with the GoodPals Halloween Tales Playing Cards

a shadow unseen
slips between the cracks of plaster
to enter the room
(Three of Clubs atop King of Hearts)

and begin plucking at heart strings
to play a song so soft
none can hear it with their ears
as it slips beneath flesh
and sinks deep
(Ace of Clubs atop Queen of Spades)

until the world bleeds of color
one shade at a time
(Seven of Spades atop Nine of Hearts)

and existence becomes flat and gray
(Three of Spades atop Ace of Hearts)

Other elements included in this reading:
Mandala on Cedar for Anchoring to the Present
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Garnierite for help in Releasing Anger, Anxiety, and Guilt
Calcite for Gently Calming the Mind and Stimulating Insights

DECK USED:  GOOD PALS HALLOWEEN TALES PLAYING CARDS v1

@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October 10th

Tarot Reading with The Halloween Tarot

Protect – Ten of Cups – Protect your interests. Make sure those things and people that make you happy and keep you engaged in the world are cared for and protected.

Don’t forget that you, yourself, are a part of this picture.

Expose – The Fool – Don’t allow dumbass bullshit to be their downfall. Speak up when you see something is wrong.

There’s a place for fun and games and frivolity, and then there’s times when you need to make sure that things are grounded and going according to plan.

Don’t hold your own council, you never know when you might be the only one that’s spotting the problem. By opening up and pointing it out to others, solutions can be found and awareness triggered so that these destructive influences can be curbed before they become something irreversible.

Other elements included in this reading:
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  HALLOWEEN TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I picked up my new prescription today and have started on the new dose.