Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Morning Bonus Read – Self Care vs Slacking Off

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This last week, several people had a conversation in general-chat about how to tell if an action is self care or laziness/avoidance. Time to take that question to our divination tools!”

Colliding Crowns Fantasy Playing Cards

What self care is needed in my life?

Some focus on miserly behavior and building up my foundation (Four of Diamonds) financially when it comes to new money coming in (Ace of Diamonds). This is based in your need for stability, which requires a steady foundation beneath your feet.  Do not allow self destructive urges and bad habits to steer you from this need hat is a basic part of your make up.

What difficult actions am I avoiding or procrastinating on?

See above in the self care that is needed. When your foundation is unsteady, your anxiety is given free reign (Nine of Spades) which creates an instability that quickly leads down the road to chaos (Joker).  All those little flutterings of anxiety you’ve felt over the past week or so?  This is the root of that rise within you.  Stop procrastinating and deal with it before it blows up in your face.

What action do I think is self care but is actually avoidance?

Not using your time wisely by spending it in unproductive ways with others (Three of Hearts).  You can’t create a stable home that way, no matter how much you enjoy relaxing in their company (Four of Clubs). Using them to ignore your problems fixes nothing and only allows these issues to grow in the background while you are distracting yourself.

What action do I think is avoidance but is actually self care?

Getting entangled within creative endeavors to the point that your focus and drive glimmer like a flame in the center of the creative process (Queen of Clubs) allows you a healthy way to avoid useless conflict (Five of Clubs) you don’t need to get wrapped up in anyway.  It’s okay to lose yourself in that creative process sometimes.  It’s good for you.

DECK USED: COLLIDING CROWNS FANTASY PLAYING CARDS

Weekly Creativity Prompt – My Summer

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Pull (at least) three cards use them as the foundation to convey your ‘summer experience’ thus far for this year.

Tarot manouche Universel du XXIe SiecleThe Devil – I’ve played it a bit fast and loose as I expanded my deck collection this spring and summer, especially in the area of my playing card decks. It’s not as if I didn’t have the money to do so, though, and although it’s time to reign myself in now, it was a nice bit of escapism for a while.

Wheel of Fortune – Despite my spending, things haven’t been all -that- bad so far this summer.  There’s been a good bit of ups and downs, and I’ve spent a lot of time working on finding my center and keeping my balance as chaos reins in the world around me, but most of the upheavals (other than the major global one anyway) have been somewhat minor and only created ripples instead of waves on the smooth surface of my life.

The Hierophant – Over the spring and summer, I’ve rediscovered my great joy for teaching others, as well as providing them with guidance and help even beyond the tarot.  I’ve very much enjoyed the opportunity to teach others and learn from them in turn, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so, even if I’ve taken a little break from teaching formal classes over June and July.

DECK USED:  TAROT MANOUCHE UNIVERSEL DU XXIe SIECLE BY SANDRA JAYAT

New Moon in Cancer – July 2020

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New Moon in Cancer Tarot Reading July 2020

Yesterday was the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us.  Today’s spread is brought to you by Ethony‘s Tarot By the Moon series.

1. How can I bring more balance to my home?

Queen of Pentacles – Be a more approachable “authority figure” in my home.  Authority figure isn’t really the right term, but I’m also not really a fan of the term “provider”.  But what it comes down to is being more approachable.  Less stiff and stringent. You can hold things together and keep things on track without holding yourself apart.

2. What old family beliefs need to be healed?

Queen of Wands – You have to be “on” all the time.  Always moving forward, always heading towards goals that are set and just beyond your reach like a carrot that dangles before the jackass.  These goals are passions, but they are always unobtainable other than through hard work and staying on task.  Like a queen on a throne you strive to please but will never truly touch.

3. What old family patterns need examining?

Ten of Swords and Five of Cups – Neglect breeding a feeling of defeat. It’s time to consider you just are not going to get the nurturing you need from those you would expect to get it from.  It’s okay to outsource that nurturing and guidance into other areas of your life and other trusted resources… you do not have to be bereft.

4. How can I be a more impactful community member?

The Hierophant – You’re on that track.  Just keep doing what you love concerning the communities you choose to be a part of.  Guide others to finding the path that is right for them, and learn from them in turn on ways to improve yourself.  You can’t teach without learning along the way, and in this small way you send ripples out into the world that helps make your community and the world a better place… just one tiny bit at a time.

DECK USED:  THE ANIMISM TAROT

#31DaysofWitchcraft Prompt 7 (non)VR to Heather Carter

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Heather Carter on YouTube put together a series of prompts titled #31DaysofWitchcraft that she’s been working her way through since the beginning of May. I really like this idea, but I can’t handle the responsibility of any more daily posts, so I thought that for the next few weeks, I would do one (or a few at a time) for the end of week “My Pagan Perspective” posts and work through them a bit at a time.

Otter

I can’t remember how many of these I’ve done so far, but I have a whole list still to go!  So here’s prompt #7.

Do you work with a specific animal spirit? If so, which animal and why? If not, is there one you would like to work with?

I actually don’t work with animal spirits outside of using animal decks in my divination practice.   I don’t feel comfortable working with them, because it feels like if i were to work with the Fae.  As if I’m using them.

My moral compass says that using them in this way is not okay.  At least, not for me.  Animal spirits, like the Fae, are my friends.  I don’t use my friends… so I wouldn’t use animal spirits.

That said, I might seek advice from them, and there are certain animal spirits / animal energies that I feel a close connection to such as the sea turtles and both river otters and sea otters.  This doesn’t negate the connection that I feel to a lot of other animal energies, but those are the ones I am drawn to the strongest.

I also like bears… although that isn’t really so much something that I connect with personally, as that they just make me happy.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Knights

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Pull the Knights from a deck of your choice. Do you have someone in your life that fits with one of these cards? Do you have people in your life that would fit with each of them? Tell us about the connection you see between each Knight card and the person in your life it represents.

Numinous Tarot

Knight of Wands (Explorer of Candles) – Idealistic and demanding, she visits the protests each night after work. With a mask over her face she holds her sign high, she shouts her passions loud and strong as she joins the mass in the streets again and again. She stands up for her beliefs and for what’s right.  She stands up for what she feels is important, protesting and demanding change as she helps the protestors to drive home what is important and what needs done.

Knight of Swords (Explorer of Bells) – What had once been a spark of an idea has become a burning need to succeed.  She built this business from the ground up and now constantly pushes forward, ever onward, to guide the business towards growth and encourage it to flourish.  Sometimes she takes risks that seem reckless in this need to advance her cause.

Knight of Cups (Explorer of Vials) – Such a charmer, he hits the bars each night with his frat brothers and always comes home with a giggling and happy girl.  He leaves them as happy as he finds them, if not happier, but he does this naturally in pursuit of his own fulfillment.  After all?  How can he wrangle the very best experience out of them without giving them the very best in turn?  Sometimes this means they fall for him, but he’s the love’em and leave’em type.  He does his best to let them down easy, because there’s new depths to explore around the corner with another in the wings.

Knight of Pentacles (Explorer of Tomes) – Five days a week he sits at a desk in a pleated suit and tie.  He meets with clients and guides them forward, showing them how to invest, and what to invest in, sharing strategies for paying off their debts, for financing their mortgage, for creating a fund for their retirement.  His passion in this work, in helping others find their own stability, brings him to work each day and he takes his own advice to build his own future as well.

DECK USED:  THE NUMINOUS TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Responsibilities

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“In these uncertain times, let’s look at a few positives this week with the help of our divination tools. What good thing has not changed in the world this year? What do you have to look forward to? What can you do right now to move yourself toward a good future? And what can you do right now to move the world toward a better future?”

Permaculture Playing Cards

What good thing has not changed in the world this year?

Five of Spades – We have not been beaten into submission.  Instead society continues to fight.  Perhaps sometimes their fight is misdirected, but that spark is still there and burning bright. We continue to stand tall, even as 2020 tries to break us all.

What do I have to look forward to?

Six of Clubs – Vitality within my ambitions and drive. My endeavors will continue to thrive and go well, as long as I am willing to put my interest into them and apply my creative drive to keeping them going.

What can I do right now to move myself toward a good future?

Jack of Spades – Apply yourself to finding better ways to communicate with others and express yourself and your ideas clearly. Make a list of your interests and ideas so that you can explore them at your leisure instead of either rushing through with the concern you will forget about them before you learn what you want to learn.

What can I do right now to move the world toward a better future?

Two of Spades – Make good choices. Every positive thing you do and good choice you make trickles outward into the world much in the same way your creations bring positivity to others and that positivity spreads out from them.  Sometimes more can be accomplished through a million small good choices than one grand gesture.

DECK USED: PERMACULTURE PLAYING CARDS