Author: Twist the Leaf

The Give and Take of Comfort

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped, Although not for lack of trying. Leg cramps made it impossible to stay still.

Disney Villains Tarot - The EmpressToday’s draw is the Empress card, which is traditionally a representation of the divine feminine, mother earth, the strength that resides within feminine energy, nurturing energies, beauty, and abundance.

The imagery on this card reminds me of interactions I’ve seen between a friend of mine and her mother. This friend keeps her hair very long, even though it often frustrates her. I always wondered why until I began seeing her and her mother together more often.

Whenever they are together the mother is drawn to playing with her daughter’s hair, running her fingers through it and caressing it. My friend’s mother finds her hair beautiful and irresistible. It has become a comforting and bonding experience between them that the daughter fosters by keeping her hair long even though it’s not her preferred style.

This card begs the question… What creates a comforting atmosphere in your life? What bonds and rituals with others nurture your soul? What little things that nurture and connect us do we overlook that, with a little attention paid, we can preserve and foster in our lives and the lives of others?

DECK USED:  DISNEY VILLAINS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2022 Challenge Prompt
Topic for October 2nd: Do Spread 1

The Halloween Tarot in a TinBat – What is ending at this time that needs my awareness and focus?

Nine of Ghosts – The time for comfortable satisfaction and chilling in your accomplishments his coming to an end for the year. The next three months, you won’t have much time for reflection on all the good stuff or a sense of satisfaction. You’re going to be too busy.

Calendula – Who is a loving constant in my life that needs a bit more recognition?

Knight of Pumpkins – Those in your life that are trying to help you meet your goals, but do so at a slower pace. You don’t need people to push you, just to help you stay on track and move at a slow and steady pace instead of a frantic one driven by your emotions and anxieties.

Owl – What do I need to know right now to trust that I’m on the right path?

The Hermit – As long as you keep your alone time healthy, you’re good. Don’t fall into unhealthy habits of retreating into yourself and cutting other people out.

Rosemary – What memory from my past needs revisited to guide in my future safety?

Page of Bats – You need to look back at the things that you learned this year that are practical and help guide you towards your goals. Revisit things like QuickBooks, Vela, and other tools that can help you automate parts of your business as they can help ensure that you are not overwhelming yourself with a crapload of stuff that could be done automatically instead of manually. This then helps in mitigating the approach of burnout that is so prevalent for you through the holiday rush.

Black Cat – Where is conformity more of a risk than independent thought?

Knight of Imps – Fads fade. Don’t jump on the bandwagon because whatever it is seems popular and different than what you’re now doing. If you’re bored with what you’re doing, find something new and unique to chase after instead of following the crowd.

Wormwood – During this time when the veil is thin, what in my life needs protecting?

Ten of Imps – Do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed and overburdened at this time. The more overwhelmed you feel now, the worse it will get later on through the season ahead.

Raven – Where can sating my curiosity lead to the resurrection of something I’ve lost?

Five of Imps – If you seek out others perspectives on the things that they are passionate about, you can stir up your own passions as a response. Their enthusiasm and conviction can in turn feed yours.

DECK USED: THE HALLOWEEN TATOT

HealingThruTarot’s October Shadow Work Challenge Prompt
Question for October 1st and 3rd

Disney Villains TarotWhat situations leave me stressed?

The Emperor and Ten of Wands – The necessity of taking charge and taking on responsibility when secretly you are already overwhelmed and far beyond your limit.

You take these things on naturally with barely a glance at the damage it will do to you by doing so. This added pressure and overwhelm then build into something detrimental in the background while you try to pretend it’s not happening.

How can I handle these triggering situations better?

Death and The Lovers – Instead of letting things come to a head and become unhealthy, start working on small processes along the way to delegate and otherwise turn situations around so that they can be more healthy for you when crunch time comes.

DECK USED: DISNEY VILLAINS TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I worked on getting my rosary orders done during play today instead of putting it off til tomorrow and letting it overwhelm me on orders day.

Gideon’s Challenge

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_0663The Healing

Minutes
turn to hours
with your time
and attention
focused
here with me
and as time
unfolds
dark clouds
begin to lighten
and the world
takes on
vibrancy and color
once more

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

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?

Murder of Crows Tarot Limited Edition and Red Hand Lenormand

Earth – Nine of Pentacles – Take stock of what you have and find contentment in how far you’ve come. No need to push and shove ever forward, instead still yourself this week to better appreciate all you have accomplished.

Air – The High Priestess – Less logic, more intuition. This week is not the time to bury yourself in practicality and let logic lead your decisions. Allow your intuition’s voice hold sway over practical matters, and weigh what it says more heavily than logic in the coming week.

Water – King of Cups – More time with Gideon. You both need it, and it will help ground both of you emotionally. He is starving for more of your attention and time, and this week is a good time to get in a little extra time with him.

Fire – Queen of Pentacles – Only in this area (business matters, your drive for success) should practicality hold weight this week. Do what needs done to nurture your business to flourish. This does not mean to over do it, but begin putting in a little more here and there to get you where you need to be.

Waning – Fish and Moth – Do not “go with the flow” right into temptation and the flame. Instead, take pause and be conscious and conscientious in your actions.

Waxing – Scythe and Bouquet – Focus on resolving problems this week rather than letting things slide. It’s a good week for positive outcomes to troubling situations.

Take Away – Small progress and troubleshooting for the business are all you should be pouring practicality and logic into this week. Otherwise, let your intuition steer the boat, and make more time to spend with Gideon while you still have the chance.

DECKS USED: MURDER OF CROWS TAROT LIMITED EDITION AND RED HAND LENORMAND (LENORACLE)

Mysteries Abound

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped.

The Macabre Tarot - The Divine - The High PriestessToday’s draw is The Divine (the High Priestess) card, which is traditionally a representation of intuition, secret knowledge, the subconscious, and is often connected to lunar cycles.

The eye in this card holds a lot of my focus today, as does the fact that it is cast up towards the arc of moon phases above.  It brings to mind thoughts about how there is far more to life than meets the eye. Whether your beliefs include God, or a Pantheon, or ancestral spirits, or guides.. or none of these at all. There is no denying that the world is filled with mystery.

Today’s card is a reminder that these mysteries are all around us, free for us to explore if we wish, or just sit in wonder and admire. No faith necessary, no religion required.

DECK USED:  THE MACABRE TAROT

Mr Lionhart’s Seasons of the Witch Challenge Prompt
Questions for October 1st thru 3rd – The Omens

The Horror Tarot and Seasons of the Witch Samhain OraclePrediction, path, or prophecy, what will October bring for me?

Death and Third Harvest – A lot of small changes will happen over the month of October, culminating in the completion of a larger transition into something new by Samhain. Take your time in gearing up for the holiday season. Do a little a day, and by the time the holiday rush begins you will be ready.

As above, so below, show me where I need to go.

Ace of Swords and Intuition – Listen to that intuitive voice within you when communicating with others this month. Logic isn’t enough. You will need to delve deeper and seek guidance from within, as well as those that communicate with you through the language of your intuition.

From today until Samhain, how or where should I begin?

Judgment Rx and Grief – Don’t allow negativity and self judgment, or the mourning of the idleness of summer passing, to drag you down and cut you off from your path forward. Keep negativity in check, so that it doesn’t sink in and cause you emotional turmoil.

DECK USED: HORROR TAROT AND SEASONS OF THE WITCH SAMHAIN ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2022 Challenge Prompt
Question for October 1st: Jack o’Lantern – What makes you smile or lifts your spirits?

The Macabre TarotReading Summary: When you and/or others are able to take disappointments (Three of Daggers) and piecemeal the experience gained from them into  progress toward your goals (Two of Bones) instead of letting it be something that weighs you down or holds you back (Ten of Bones).

Take Away: Turning a negative experiences around into a positive ones is uplifting for you. Finding the boon in negative experiences lifts your spirits, whether it’s you, something you’re involved in directly, or just witnessing someone else do it.

DECK USED: THE MACABRE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

Lots of play time with Gideon today.  I had to skip my nap, but I don’t regret it at all and didn’t need one all that bad today anyway.  I needed the time with him much more.

Gideon’s Challenge

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_0628The Easing

Tension rides
muscled ridges
as inner chords
draw tight
like violin strings
ready to snap
until long arms
curl strong around
from behind
and a breath
is taken
as in your company
tangled knots
unfurl

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

📆 Transitioning from September to October

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with the Cats Rule the Earth Tarot and the Glowwood Oracle

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

The Magician and The Beech – Your energies and those around you are on the ascent, and you have all the tools at your disposal that you need to make sure that everything goes just the way you want it to. Have confidence in your tools and your ability to use them to achieve your goals as things begin to speed up and the holiday rush begins to crowd out everything else.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Judgement and The Stag Beetle – Make sure that you are not judging yourself harshly for the transition period that is coming. Change is hard, and of course there’s going to be a little bit of struggle involved as you move from a time when you can focus on yourself to a time when every shred of your focus needs to be towards your business and it’s growth.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

King of Wands and The Mistletoe – Lead those with you through the long haul forward with strength, and make your passions their passions. Inspire them to transition with you into this new, temporary reality that the approaching holiday rush presents.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

The Devil and The Fumewort – Fairweather friends have no place in your life right now. They will become a hindrance that weighs you down and chokes out your enthusiasm. Don’t let your self-destructive tendencies convince you to try to hold onto these people right now. You can revisit these friendships in January if they’re still around at that time.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Three of Swords and The Aphid – Focus on the little things right now. There’s lots of little things you can do to prepare for what is to come. When working on these little things you can advance far quicker and far more than you expect you could because all these little things pile up if you let them. If you are looking for things to make you feel good about yourself during this time (connection between the Aphid and the Stag Beetle) make sure you are doing these little things, and writing them down so you can see the progress you’re making.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

The Moon and The Firemoss – You need to take time to confront the feelings that stemmed from your time of homelessness and abject poverty. Although it is a long time in the past, there are still issues that linger in your mind and your heart from this time.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Ten of Cups and and The Glowworm – This refers not to one specific positive past experience, but rather on remembering the good times as a whole and releasing the bad. It’s okay to keep the lesson and let go of the rest, in order to encourage focusing more on the positive than the negative.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Five of Wands and The Lambsquarters – An effort from outside sources to come in and try and take over is coming. Make sure that you are aware of what’s going on around you and prepared. They could be useful and even beneficial, but not if they’re given free reign.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

The Hierophant and The Oak – Put on a display the strength, structure, and stability that your presence provides for those around you. You will be given the opportunity to further your influence towards stability in future weeks, and provide guidance to those that are in need of that stability.

Notation:  Skipping the “Three Realms” section of this reading today as a part of my self-kindness.  I’m just too tired, and I don’t want to hold back posting this post, for I know it’ll just sit there in my “almost ready” list of posts and make me feel guilty.

DECKS USED: CATS RULE THE WORLD TAROT AND THE GLOWWOOD ORACLE