Daily Meditation

Side Quests and the Long Game

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute EFT tapping session using The Tapping Solution Daily Guidance card pictured with my tarot card of the day, and the tapping guidance/affirmations provided on the back of the card.

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The Ultimate RPG Tarot's Knight of Pentacles and The Tapping Solution's Daily Guidance Cards@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 31st : A Good Habit | #FMS_GOODHABIT25

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

Today’s draw is the Knight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of an active, projective beta energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, home, labors, and manifestations. This often translates into a slow moving but determinedly forward moving energy, personality, or person that has their eye on the prize regardless of the slow and steady speed they may be moving at.

Although side quests happen, you always return to the primary path, acknowledging it as the true goal worth focusing on.

We all get distracted from time to time; that’s a part of why the “big goals” in life take so long to achieve. Life throws things in our path, and sometimes detours are necessary. Other times? Detours are what make the journey more interesting.

Remember, there are 60-year-olds travelling the world. There are 70-year-olds going to college. There are 80-year-olds earning their diplomas. A goal that really matters to you doesn’t have to be a sprint, but instead can become a lifelong journey, side quests and all.

Today’s message is a reminder that just because it’s taking time to reach your goals doesn’t mean that you’re failing at them. It just means that you’re collecting extra knowledge and experience points along the way. As long as you remember where the goal post are, you’re going to get there eventually. Just keep going.

DECK USED:  THE ULTIMATE RPG TAROT AND THE TAPPING SOLUTION’S DAILY GUIDANCE CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2025 Challenge
Prompt for July 31 : Grab a spread of your choice you’re curious about… and give it a go!
@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
Bonus Spread for August : The Sun Tarot Spread

The Sun Tarot Reading with The Eldritch Quest Tarot and The Witchcraft Therapy Oracle

What light {within me} is ready to rise and brighten my path today?

Eight of Cups and Balance – You can’t always say “fuck it” and walk away, but sometimes it’s necessary. If something in your life is creating a lot of imbalance, now is the time to take a look at that and decide if it’s really worth all that you’re putting into it.

In what area of my life am I guided to embrace curiosity or an open mind?

The Fool and Check In – Are you having any fun? If not, why not? Don’t forget that having some fun as an important part of life, and if you’re not having enough of it, it can make it life feel as if it’s dragging you down and trying to crush your spirit. Make sure you’re checking in on your level of fun in life. If it feels like you’re not having enough? Then you’re not having enough.

Where can I welcome a moment of wonder to uplift or inspire me?

The Empress and Intimacy – Your time with Gideon is important. Hugs and touches are important. Kisses and quiet intimate moments are important. Don’t disregard their importance just because you aren’t healed enough to feel their benefits every single time. They are good for you even then.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Green Aventurine for Harmony and Balance of the Heart
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE ELDRITCH QUEST TAROT AND THE WITCHCRAFT THERAPY ORACLE

@empressofthenightslight Roll the Tarot August Challenge
Roll :  17  Prompt : How can I best celebrate my journey today?

The Red Threads Tarot ReadingReading Summary: Release your fears (Nine of Blades and Goddess of Disks). You need to let them go and step away from them (Eight of Cups), as their influence and weight is not beneficial to you and your stability at this time.

The Goddess of Disks (aka King of Pentacles) in this deck is about a pair of Minoan Snake Goddess figures, and incorporates themes that have to do with fertility, birth, death, transformation, healing, and sexuality. The myth speaks with great importance of snakes shedding their skin, which correlates with the Eight of Cups’ theme of letting go.

“The power of life causes the snake to shed his skin, just as the moon sheds its shadow.” – Joseph Campbell

Take Away: Right now, your anxiety is high and you’re on edge due to the amount of worry and stress going on in your life concerning your livelihood and business.  You need to step away from these fears rather than letting them overtake you, for it’s in letting them go that you can keep them from dragging you down into a detrimental head space.

Take control of your inner narratives and shed from that mental space what isn’t serving you instead of letting it get you worked up and compounding your anxiety.

Other elements included in this reading:
Copper Die for Energy Flow and Optimism in the Roll
Dried Rhododendron Leaves for Fostering Confidence
Banded Carnelian for Inner Drive and Focus On Aspirations
Labradorite for a Focus on Mental and Emotional Healing
Rainbow Moonstone for Emotional Balance and Intuition
Kyanite for Clear Communication and Self-Expression
Clear Quartz Man in the Moon for Amplification of Lunar Energies
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE RED THREADS TAROT – ARIADNE & DIONYSUS –

Daily Self Kindness

I worked really hard at not allowing my negative inner narratives to have a voice louder than a whisper today.

Try, Try Again

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-directed session based upon the affirmation “Fail Abundantly.”

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Meryl Tarot's Knight of Wands and Love Who You Are Oracle card@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 30th : Favourite Thing Today | #FMS_FAVETHING25

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

Today’s draw is the Knight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of a projective beta energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s drive, passions, willpower, principles, inspiration, or enthusiasm. This often translates into themes that have to do with rash behavior and a go-get’em attitude toward the things that matter to that person.

And here we are.  On a stressful and chaotic day, with the cards saying… “Try, Try Again”.
[ref: William Edward Hickson 1803-1870]

It’s a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again.

If at first you don’t succeed,
Try, try again.

William Edward Hickson - Try Try AgainThen your courage should appear,
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try, try again.

Once or twice, though you should fail,
Try, try again.

If you would at last prevail,
Try, try again.

If we strive, ’tis no disgrace,
Though we do not win the race;
What should you do in that case?
Try, try again.

If you find your task is hard,
Try, try again.

Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try again.

All that other folk can do,
Why, with patience, should not you?
Only keep this rule in view,
Try, try again.

Today’s message is that failing doesn’t matter. It’s about getting back up and trying again. It will -always- be about trying and the learning that you gain through your experiences along the way. We sometimes wish life could be easier, but the fact of the matter is? It isn’t, and maybe? It shouldn’t be. If life was easier, we wouldn’t learn anything, we’d just float along… stupid and empty.  It’s our tests and trials that give us depth.  So… try, try again.

DECK USED:  MERYL TAROT AND LOVE WHO YOU ARE ORACLE

@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
King of Wands – Leadership Bonus Prompts for August

Creative Consciousness Healing Oracle ReadingWhat vision am I ready to lead into reality?

Receiving – You don’t need to push and force everything that you want in life. Sometimes, the things that are meant to be will come to you on their own, if you just let them do so at their own pace. Wouldn’t life be just that much better and less tense if you didn’t have to fight for every step and every little thing along the way?

Maybe it could be, but in order to get there you have to stop pushing and open yourself to receiving instead. Believe that you truly are worthy of not having to struggle so hard for everything you have.

How can I take charge of my path with self-trust?

Grounding – Chaos is not your friend and it’s through grounding yourself that you find your center, understand your needs and strengths better, and connect in trust with yourself. The more rooted in your power you are, the better you connect with that trust.

Where am I being asked to rise as a leader?

Ice Boundary – You are very good at keeping your head on straight when things go awry.  When chaos reigns, others look to you for that level head and grounded energy that they are used to receiving from you.  In these moments, you are asked to rise and lead.  Just make sure that it’s an instance where your leadership is truly needed before you step forward to take up the mantel.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Lavender Bundle for Calming and Comfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: CREATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS HEALING ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I didn’t allow the emotional (and expected financial) upheaval of today’s chaos drag me into an ugly mental spiral.

No Comparisons

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app.

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Absurdo Tarot - Two of Pentacles@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 29th : A Lucky Find | #FMS_LUCKYFIND25

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

Today’s draw is the Two of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of juggling responsibilities, work/life balance, and prioritization.

Your balance is not their balance, and their balance isn’t yours.

This falls back on that we can’t know what trials and tribulations others are going through. Their lives are different than ours, their experiences, lessons, and challenges are not ours. And, that’s all before taking into consideration that they are a completely different person than us with different emotions and reactions. (Not to mention they might be faking that they have things together far more than they really do.)

You can’t find your own balance when your eye isn’t even on the ball.  If you’re too busy looking at how others are doing, you aren’t minding your own closely enough. Comparing your “balancing act” to another’s just doesn’t work, and when you try, you lose sight of your own balance and risk causing an even greater imbalance to occur.

Today’s card is a reminder to tend to your own balance in life, and stop comparing yourself and your abilities to everyone else’s. You’ll discover that balance is far easier to find and sustain if you focus on yourself and what you’re doing.

DECK USED:  ABSURDO TAROT

@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
Ten of Wands – Responsibility Prompts for August 29th thru 31st

Tarot Reading with the Earth Magick Tarot Colored Edition and Folklore OracleWhat weight can I release to focus my energy on what truly matters for my current journey?

Four of Wands and Salt – Remember that as long as your mortgage is being paid, everything else is going to work itself out. Make sure that you are prioritizing what is of greatest importance and will provide you the stability you need to confront each challenge that’s coming your way.

Where am I carrying more than I need to in my pursuit of growth?

Two of Wands and Cailleach – Your action plan is too convoluted and needs to be pared down. Consider something like collapsible lists so that you don’t have to see all the minute details when what you really need is a quick glance for reassurance. This way, you can make sure you don’t make it so complicated that it becomes its own stress instead of a stress reliever.

How can I move forward with clarity, purpose, and renewed strength?

King of Coins and Mourning – Being a leader and fostering stability for yourself and others requires adaptability. Adaptability requires letting things go that are aren’t serving you, so that you can bend instead of break when needed. Clinging onto the outdated and no longer useful causes these things to just get in your way so that you trip over them later.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Red Oak Leaf for Fostering Unconditional Love
Deodar Cedar Impression for Clarity and Spiritual Connection
Ammonite for a Sense of Stability During Times of Change
Rainforest Rhyolite for Facilitating Calm Transitions
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: EARTH MAGICK TAROT COLOR EDITION AND FOLKLORE ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I told J off for being a dick about the flat tire, because he was taking his frustration out on others.

Preparedness Is Important

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute long self-directed session that was based on a video I watched last night on YouTube about Critical Thinking vs Collective Stupidity.

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Quiet Rebel Tarot - Nine of Wands@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 28th : A Sign of Newness | #FMS_NEWNESS25
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 Wands, which is traditionally a representation of boundaries, defensive maneuvers, and protection of what you hold dear.

If you don’t wear the battle scars, how do you know you were part of the battle?

At times of conflict and violence, we have a tendency to rally around our young and protect them from harm. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves “the last man standing” as someone without the scars of battle and experience needed to defend and protect what’s left.

Isn’t it perhaps better to prepare them for that role? They aren’t too young or inexperienced to learn… Isn’t it more accurate to say that we just don’t want them to learn these horrible truths that they need to know?  When it comes to survival, though, shouldn’t they know? Knowledge is power after all, so by having these difficult discussions and involving them in preparation and defence from the start, You empower them for when said knowledge and experience is needed instead of leaving them to fumble around in the dark.

This isn’t just true about violence and conflict either. It’s about discussions on death, divorce, and sex; it’s about teaching them how to cook and work and use critical thinking. We won’t be there to shield them forever, so don’t you think we should be teaching them?

Today’s message is a reminder that the best defence is a good offence. Get out ahead of upcoming trouble by empowering those that will come after us in the ways that truly matter. Leaving them in the dark helps no one.

DECK USED:  QUIET REBEL TAROT

@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
Nine of Wands – Resilience Prompts for August 26th thru 28th

Tarot Reading with The Garden of Enchanted Creatures Tarot and The Seashell OracleWhat inner strength have I cultivated through consistent effort?

Ace of Swords and Foam – You have managed to take ideas and strategy that was ephemeral, insubstantial, and still under development in your mind, and by writing it down and then working with it on paper, you’ve turned it into the first steps of an action plan.

Where am I being asked to  hold steady and keep showing up?

Page of Pentacles and Seaweed – It’s hard to trust that you’re going to get anywhere in your endeavors when it feels like you’re being put on hold. Remember that it’s not stagnancy that you’re experiencing, just a much slower pace than you’re used to. Continue to take your time and surrender to the slower pace, for at this time that’s the key to your future success.

How can I move forward now with trust in the strength I have earned throughout my challenges?

Four of Swords and Sailor – Remember that even if things weren’t up in the air at the moment, it would still be a time of rest for you. That’s what this part of the year is about for your business. In this time of rest, you are preparing for a more strenuous time ahead. Don’t lose sight of that in the chaos of this current challenge.

Other elements included in this reading:
Bind Rune on Cedar for a Protected Home
Dried Lavender Bundle for Calming and Comfort
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Aragonite for Truth and Understanding
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE GARDEN OF ENCHANTED CREATURES TAROT AND THE SEASHELL ORACLE

@empressofthenightslight Roll the Tarot August Challenge
Roll :  2  Prompt : What do I need to know today?

Wild Chorus Oracle ReadingReading Summary: You’re worried about the fate of your business (Begin Again). These worries are neither surprising or an over reaction to what’s going on right now (Blessed Unrest).

It’s in this worry you will find the path forward, as it will keep you on your toes so that you can adapt and change course quickly instead of being one step behind (Safe Passage).

Take Away: Keep moving. Even as the going is slow, and your anxieties are trying to push you into reacting by taking action.

Instead, focus on the things you already have to do instead of making more work for yourself. Use the energy generated by your anxiety to your advantage instead of allowing it to freeze you up in fear.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Black Spruce Needles to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Petrified Wood D20 Die for Making Solid Choices
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: WILD CHORUS ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I went to authorities for assistance instead of dealing with things on my own.

Finding the Positive for August 25 – 27

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Tarot de Jacques Vieville Editions SIVILIXI, A Grieving Tarot, and Tarot of the Hidden Realm

August 25 – Mental Health Card of the Day 

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app.

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@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 25th : Something Starting With 8 | #FMS_825
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Two of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of juggling responsibilities, work/life balance, and prioritization.

[Note: The Eight of Cups was not a draw, but rather it was the first “8” card come to in the deck for the “Something Starting with 8” prompt.]

OK, let’s be clear. Nothing starts with eight. Even the Eight of Cups (or any 8 in the tarot); far more went on well before we ever get to the eight. This is true in just about anything (with the possible exception of the birth of octuplets).

Beginnings are births, and what comes after are lessons, trials, obstacles, imbalances, and experience; which eventually leads you to Eight.

You can’t get there without experience, and a massive part of that experience is all about balance. After all, you don’t just decide to walk away from something you’re invested in (which is what the Eight of Cups is all about) without having gone through some sort of imbalance that has built up to the point where the endeavor is no longer worth your while.

Today’s message asks us to examine those imbalances; before walking away if you can… or after if you need that distance to see things more clearly. In examining what has caused our reaction to bail on something that at one time was important to us, we can learn more about ourselves and how to possibly foster a better balance in future endeavors.

DECK USED: TAROT DE JACQUES VIEVILLE EDITIONS SIVILIXI FRANCE

August 26 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-directed session based upon the affirmation “You deserve the best. The foggiest of cemetery strolls. The silkiest coffin lining. The most haunted of castles. The fiercest of hellhounds. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re just a recluse the townsfolk tell stories about – you are an immortal countess with a horrifying secret.”

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@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 26th : The Last Photo I Took | #FMS_LASTPHOTO25
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Justice card, which is traditionally a representation of balance, cause and effect, repercussions and consequences, give and take, and can often indicate the law or legal system.

If you don’t use it, you lose it. That’s what happens when you stop doing the things that you love. You lose them.  (This includes riding a bike by the way. That skill is not universally, retained, regardless of the saying to the contrary. Take it from someone who had to do the relearning.)

Sometimes, I’ve let go of hobbies and the skills associated with them with the knowledge and acceptance that if I pick them back up later, I’ll have to relearn them. It happens. I do a lot of creative exploration and you just can’t keep up on all of them all the time.

One in particular that this is not the case for, though, is photography. My treasured SLR camera gathers dust more often than not these days; not out of a lack of interest or an intent to let it go… but due to the lure of convenience. My cellphone, after all, is already on my person and has a very good camera. As good as my SLR with a macro or telephoto lens? No. But a hell of a lot lighter and more convenient.

And… as this convenience, seduces, I fumble a bit more with the SLR; my skills with it becoming less adept as I sacrifice quality again and again for the convenience that the camera on my cellphone provides.

I’m not sure I’m happy with the trade-off.

Today’s message is a reminder that you get what you give. If you’re not willing to put in the extra work and put up with a little inconvenience, don’t be surprised when your skills grow rusty and quality starts to decline.

DECK USED: A GRIEVING TAROT AND SINISTER AFFIRMATIONS CARDS

August 27 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app.

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@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 27th : A Colour That Calms Me | #FMS_CALMCOLOUR25
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home. This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.

No. It’s not yellow! (ref: today’s “color that calms me” prompt).  A “color” that calms me is home. Not just the home that provides a roof over my head, though, but the people that color my life with moments of joy. The trees that stand tall and the fallen nurse logs that I am welcomed by each time I step out into nature.

Speaking of…. when I travelled across the US back in my trusty (now gone) Jeep, there was one thing that stood out to me the most in every place I visited as determining how comfortable and “at  home” I felt in each location.

It was how much wild green the locations had. Not the manicured lawns and landscaped gardens, but the wild green of forests and ferns and towering trees. I found that in the places without these wild green spaces, I never truly felt comfortable… comforted… or at home.

Today’s message (and the wild mental ride that got us here) is a reminder that “home” is not your house (although it could be).  It’s a feeling of comfort, safety, and belonging. It’s those places and people for which you are the missing piece of the puzzle, and when you slip into place it’s a perfect fit worth celebrating.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM

The Seeds We Plant

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute EFT tapping session using The Tapping Solution Daily Guidance card pictured with my tarot card of the day, and the tapping guidance/affirmations provided on the back of the card.

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Trash Panda & Tarot's Ace of Swords and The Tapping Solution's Daily Guidance CardsDaily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ace of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, education, logic and reason, ambition, or communication.

The self talk in your head is important. It is the seed in your mind that influences how you see the world and everything in it, also affecting your interactions with these things. It influences your perspectives on yourself as well as affecting your performance in everything from every day tasks to important endeavors.

Seeds, when planted, grow. That means if the self talk in your head is negative, it encourages growth in negative perceptions and experiences. If the self talk is positive, it then encourages positive growth and experiences.

Today’s message is a reminder to be aware of your inner narratives. Don’t just agree with the self talk out of hand, especially when it’s negative. Instead, when negative self talk arrives, argue with it. Advocate for a softer judgment and more positive viewpoint, and in doing so you also advocate for yourself. Plant new, healthier seeds, and encourage them to grow so that they can start to crowd out the unhealthy ones that try to find a foothold in your life.

DECK USED:  TRASH PANDA & TAROT AND THE TAPPING SOLUTION’S DAILY GUIDANCE CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2025 Challenge
Prompt for August 24th : Do Spread 4 – Spiritual Aspects

Tarot Reading with The Elemental Tarot and Arcane Bullshit Deck

Seeds Sown – What seeds for my spiritual health & growth planted in the Spring have flourished and grown strong?

Father of Earth and Double Caveman – You have managed to ground yourself spiritually, even against the odds that were against you. No matter that influences are trying to tug you in different directions, these tugs do not shift your foundation, which remains solid and strong.

The Chaff – What seeds have not flourished and need to be let go to encourage healthy growth in other areas?

Daughter of Earth and Big Sexy Satan – There are a few addictive behaviors that you are trying to cling to, continuing to flirt with even though they aren’t serving you. Don’t let them linger or they will poison the soil.

The Harvest – How can I best prepare now to reap the benefits of a positive and healthy harvest in the Fall?

Four of Air and Future Grandma – You are going to need all of the energy you can muster once things get moving again further into the harvest season. Work on shoring up your energy now in order to have energy to spare for later.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Labradorite Sun and Moon for Mental and Emotional Healing
Banded Carnelian for Inner Drive and Focus On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: ELEMENTAL TAROT AND ARCANE BULLSHIT CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I claimed top space.