Today’s meditation was just under nineteen minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretches (which, yes, are still being a painful pain in the ass).

The focus of today’s meditation was about the reverence we feel for that which is beyond our reach and our ken.  I said something about this earlier today in a chat when speaking about “how tarot works” and where the messages come from.  It’s important to keep in mind that there is far more in this world that we don’t grasp or understand than there is that we do. This doesn’t mean that everything we don’t understand is magic or metaphysical or even spiritual… but it means that we need to respect that the potential for what is out there is vast and appreciate that potential of possibilities.

Today’s draw is the Six of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of letting go and moving on from conflict and rough waters into something calmer and smoother.

It is the hand (big surprise here) that stands out to me in the imagery on this card today and it speaks to me of saying “stop”.  Of having an awareness of yourself and what you are willing to put up with (the eye in the center of the palm) and being able, when things go beyond that point, to put a halt to them and move on to something better.

The message in today’s card is about diligence.  It’s about watching out for yourself and making sure that you remain in a place where you can be yourself and be true to yourself… and stand up for yourself by saying “no” when something doesn’t follow along those lines for you.

Right now, what I want to say no to is the depression that is weighing me down and dragging at my insides like barb-filled black tar.  I want to turn away from it and push it away… but it is not one of those things that I have a choice in.  But what I can do is continue to work at being authentic to myself, true to my values and beliefs, and patient as the world inside my brain begins to shift and right itself again… eventually.

DECK USED:  MOON DUST TAROT

The Radical Love Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Abundance
Question: How can I better recognize and appreciate the abundance in my life?

Reading Summary:  Remember that you are strong and capable and have the ability to take control of a situation, turn it into something you believe in and are willing to fight for, and balance that into your life.

Take Away:  This is about autonomy and the ability to build and manifest what I desire in life without “upsetting the apple cart” of my life balance in the process.  It’s important, especially right now while I’m struggling with my depression, to remember that I am still in control on what I do, where I go, what I stand for, and what I manifest in my life.

DECK USED:  DESTINY DECK

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Question:  What in my life makes me feel the most thankful that’s in need of acknowledgement?

Reading Summary: That I have the ability to be decisive (Seven of Pentacles Rx)) when presented with choices (Seven of Cups) so that I don’t overwhelm myself anymore than necessary (Ten of Wands Rx).

Take Away: No hemming and hawing, no waiting for later. I rarely need to “sit on it” when needing to make a decision.  I know what is right for me and I reach for it, and am able to allow the other choices that are not as fitting to fall away. I see a lot of people that aren’t able to do this and when they are confronted with a  number of choices before them, they stall out with an inability to decide and become overwhelmed by those choices.

This is something that I very rarely have to worry about, as the majority of the time I know what is right for me and am decisive in reaching for it.  The thing is?  I rarely acknowledge this in myself or even think about it… until I see those others out there that struggle under the need to make choices.  I am very grateful I don’t spend a lot of time stewing in my choices.  Very thankful.

DECK USED:  MOON DUST TAROT

I spent time organizing my decks today.  I’ve been feeling frustrated by the lack of space and how I struggle to find the decks I need sometimes. It’s been bugging me a lot lately and eating at me. I can’t really do anything about the lack of shelf space right now, but I was able to get my “floating” decks (decks that don’t currently have a home on a shelf or in a trunk) into a semblance of order that will hopefully make things easier.

Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long and was another of the guided meditations from the Calm app with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The focus of today’s meditation was something that really resonated for me.  What it said was, “It’s easy to get used to things not going our way. When we’re met with challenge after challenge, we may start to believe that life is unfair, or that we’re undeserving, or that our circumstances may never change.  But then, when good things do happen, we may be so conditioned by our pessimistic filter that we won’t even see them.  Through mindfulness we can challenge this condition. When we notice that we are perceiving life through a negative lens we can recognize that this is our habit and we can step back to view things more objectively.  And we can remind ourselves of the universal law of impermanence, that things are always changing. We can embrace this principle, releasing misconceptions that we’re undeserving, and embracing goodness when it arrives.”

Today’s draw is the Ace of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of new emotions, new relationships, and new connections with our creativity and intuition.  It’s all about that seed of newness and the watery element of the emotional realm.

What really catches my attention in this card’s imagery today is the choppiness of the water below.

Sometimes, newness inherently involves a bit of a rocky start.  That turbulence comes from the aspect of change and the time it takes us to grow and adapt to that change.

Today’s card is a reminder that even when something new feels like a rocky start, it can evolve into something as dazzling and spectacular as shooting stars in a night sky.

DECK USED:  AD ORBITA TAROT

LionHart’s Mercury Retrograde Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question:  How can I best work with the energy of Mercury Rx this month?

Patriarch atop Five of Cups Rx – Learn to practice self forgiveness.  Not everything has to be perfect all the time.  Sometimes learning is messy… sometimes life is messy.  And remember that the path to self forgiveness and a healthier relationship with occasional setbacks may boil down to long known tried and true methods.  We’re not talking about new concepts or methods here… and it’s not rocket science.

Count of Swords atop Death Rx – Don’t allow yourself to stall out or stagnate.  Self discipline is important, especially in times when you’re stuck in that “don’t feel like it right now” mindset.  Lean into what you know is going to work.  Keep moving.  Now is not the time to dig in your heels.

Four of Swords – Get some rest, but make sure it’s of the healthy variety.  No burrowing under the covers to hide, but you need to make sure you’re getting the rest you need.

DECK USED:  BYZANTINE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Do the Imbolc Spread

What seeds need planted in my life right now?

The High Priestess – It’s time to start getting in touch with your feelings, intuition, and inner knowing. Sometimes during a depression this can be difficult to tap into as cleanly and clearly as you’d like, but the depression won’t last forever and if you foster the seeds of beginning in that connection now, the strength of it and future growth will recover and continue far more smoothly than letting things sit and stagnate.

What preparations do I need to begin making to prepare for this growth?

Knight of Pentacles Rx – Let go of your issues concerning feeling restless with slow going progress. Beware that if you go too fast or let these feelings take control, you’re going to spill everything on the floor and make a damned mess.  There’s a fine line between slow but steady growth, and not moving at all.  It’s a fine line with a very big difference.

What in my life is beginning a phase of reawakening and renewal?

King of Wands Rx – A time of releasing responsibilities.  Set down the big plate full of crap that you need to do and pick up a smaller plate that will leave room for more extraneous, pleasurable things.  You can be responsible and still support and foster the growth of your business and goals, while carrying a bit less on your shoulders.

How can I best foster that awakening?

Two of Cups – Allow others to support me in my journey.  Delegate and work together with these others so that what was once a solitary endeavor becomes a balance of like minds that care about the same things, the same results, as well as each other.

DECK USED:  AD ORBITA TAROT

I took a few breaks today during the process of getting my orders ready to go.  I can’t say that I didn’t feel restless and a bit guilty during these breaks… but I did take them anyway.