Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

First Harvest 2023 – Lammas/Lugh

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Tomorrow is Lammas, which is known as the First Harvest of the year. This day marks the transition into the harvest season of August, September, and October (of which there is a Second Harvest and Last Harvest that correspond to these months).

First Harvest Moon

This holiday is often referred to as Lammas, Lughnasadh, or Lugh, although I usually just refer to it as the First Harvest. On my path, it celebrates the beginning of Summer’s decline and ramping up of the busy season where we begin to reap in the abundance that the bounty of summer’s energies has encouraged to grow and flourish. It is a time filled with a combination of abundance, hard work, and gratitude.

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. Unfortunately, I was unable to do my normal Sabbat reading this month, so I picked one off the internet that fit the theme of the holiday to do instead.

Lughnasadh Tarot Reading with the White Neuman Tarot

What skill have you grown that will best serve you?

The Devil Rx – Resisting temptation and being more discerning in indulging in your addictions.

What is still ripening and needs time to further mature?

Nine of Pentacles – Learning to appreciate your accomplishments and those things in life that make you feel fortunate, rather than ignoring them for the negative viewpoint or your ambitions.

What needs to be sacrificed/released for you to prosper?

Ten of Wands – Stop trying to do everything. It’s too much. If you don’t want to drop it all and screw it all up, you need to start selectively lightening your burden where you can.

Will your current path serve you well as we prepare for the darker months?

Page of Wands Rx – Not really… No. You need to be open to learning a different way to getting to what you really want.

What do you need to focus on between now and the autumnal equinox to prepare?

Eight of Wands Rx – Make sure you are taking things slow. You still have plenty of time to prepare for the holiday rush, and there’s no need to push yourself right now.

DECK USED: WHITE NEUMAN TAROT

🌕 Full Moon in Aquarius – August 2023

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Tonight is the full 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 EmeraldLotusMystic.

Aquarius Full Moon Tarot Reading with the Word Cloud Tarot HappyToast Deck

What is awakening in my life at this time?

Nine of Pentacles – Gratitude and a greater appreciation for your accomplishments. A greater awareness of how far you’ve come and sense of enjoyment for all that you’ve earned.

What is something I need to sit with to explore?

Nine of Swords – Your fears and anxieties. You’ve been triggered a few times of late, and instead of pushing those things away it would be better to sit with and explore them.

How can I be vulnerable with others to improve relationships?

Seven of Wands Rx – You need to work on being less defensive.

What type of accelerated growth will I experience over the next few months?

King of Wands – Don’t pass up the opportunity to connect to your passions and to use them to connect with others.

Full Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

The Tower Rx – Don’t inflate setbacks into end-of-the-world scenarios. Catastrophizing evens will only make it harder to move forward, and get you stuck in an anxiety loop.

DECK USED: WORD CLOUD TAROT HAPPYTOAST DECK

📆 Transitioning from July to August

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Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with the MIMIT Tarot

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

The Emperor – Large and in charge, you are making responsible decisions about what is best for everyone but yourself.

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

The Sun Rx atop Ten of Swords – Don’t let the misfortunes, tests, and trials that feel like they’re beating you down actually drown you in the pit of depression. You may not be able to drown without the drop, but you can make sure you don’t allow it to drag you into the dark by letting go of self defeating thought patterns.

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

Seven of Cups – The echoes of who you were are still there. Just make sure you are only resurrecting the good stuff.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Ten of Wands – Take care you aren’t flirting with overwhelm and burnout.

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

Six of Cups – Your ancestors and guides are clamoring to become more involved.

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

Nine of Pentacles – It can often be difficult for you to sit in your moments of accomplishment, as you’ve been conditioned to always push for more.

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

Ace of Wands – Stir up in your memory the experience of your inspiration and creative spark flaring to life. Don’t forget how good it feels to be seized by inspiration.

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

The Last – Pay close attention to what is dying out. If it’s important to you, you will be given the opportunity to breathe new life into these things.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Cards – Don’t pass up the opportunity to give comfort to those who need it, and accept comfort from those offering it to you. Everyone needs others to apply a bit of balm to their soul now and then.

Message from the Spirit World – If you ignore the lessons from your past you will be doomed to repeat them.

Message from the Mind’s World – Spending too much time with your fingers in other peoples business will steal away your joy. Pick and choose instead of being involved in everything.

Message from the Physical World – Instead of focusing on ministry success, which will only continue a cycle of overwhelm, spend your time focusing on the whispering spark of your inspiration.

DECKS USED: MIMIT TAROT

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Death

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Prompt: “Pull the Death card from your deck(s). Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?”

Death Card from the Modern Love TarotModern Love Tarot – When I look at the imagery in this card, I see vanity, and how very fleeting beauty can be. That, in turn, speaks to me of the need to cherish the beauty in our lives while it is there, for it will not last forever… just as everything is temporary, so too is that.  The advice I see in this card is about cherishing the good so that you can hold onto  memories of these good things once things change.

Death Card in the Healing Waves Tarot, Dive To You Tarot, and Seasonal Fox Tarot Day Edition

Healing Waves Tarot – A brand new eco-system using the skull of the dead as its foundations is what I see in this card, and it speaks to me about what comes after loss. Change and loss create a void, and in time that void is filled with something new.  We cannot have that something new that is to come until we have gone through the loss that precedes it.  I would read this card as a reminder of what to look forward to, and a reassurance that something more is to come to fill the void left by what has been lost.

Dive To You Tarot – With change comes loss, and with loss often comes the painful feelings of grief. This card focuses on one’s grief, and encourages us to not shut it out but to experience it and process it. It’s okay to cry, or even rail at the universe for those things we have lost.  It’s a part of letting go and processing what has been taken away and/or left behind by change that is upon us . It speaks of healthy processing rather than burying one’s feelings in the face of change.

Seasonal Fox Tarot Day Deck –  A fox looks back and considers the shadows of the past and what is lost. In lingering too long, the fox is also then cast in shadow.  Although, after change has happened, it is okay to look back now and then, make sure you do not linger in the past.  Doing so keeps us from embracing the future and making the most of what is to come.  When you consider living in the past instead of seeking the future, a part of  your future dies along with what you’re already leaving behind.

DECKS USED: MODERN LOVE TAROT, HEALING WAVES TAROT, DIVE TO YOU TAROT, SEASONAL FOX TAROT DAY EDITION

🌑 New Moon in Cancer – July 2023

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Today is 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 Leo at Apollo.Tarot.

New Moon in Cancer Tarot Reading with the Healing Waves Tarot

How can I best nurture the feminine and masculine energies that make me who I am?

Feminine – Four of Earth – When you foster a stronger sense of stability, it allows these more feminine energies within you a chance to surface and breathe.

Masculine – The Letter atop Nine of Air Rx – Don’t allow rocky seas and unexpected surprises to send you down into a downward spiral of negative inner talk and anxiety. Doing so diminishes the masculine energy within you.

How can I best support my family and those dear to me?

Five of Water Rx – Stay positive, and make sure that you are pushing a positive perspective on them as well, so that they too are unable to completely wallow in a pessimistic viewpoint.

Where in my life should I apply love unconditionally?

Page of Water – Everywhere. Be open to sharing your love with everyone and everything. You are in a learning phase when it comes to your emotional intelligence and your own emotions, and you cannot learn if you are closing yourself off.

What unresolved matters from the past need to resurface?

Seven of Fire – Take a look at the things that have made you feel defensive lately. Bring them back up and into the light. Look at them again, and work through them instead of pushing them aside.

What areas of my life do I need to go with the flow?

Three of Water – Don’t forget that getting together with friends and having a good time is a good thing, and good for you and your emotional well-being. You can’t be staid and steady all of the time. Sometimes cutting loose with others is needed.

How can I improve my emotional intelligence?

Eight of Air – Keep in mind that you cannot see everything others are going through and experiencing in life. You don’t know what troubles and trials are causing them to act the way they are. Foster understanding through the fact that you can’t see everything and know everything all of the time.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Nine of Earth – It’s important to recognize all that you have accomplished and encourage a mentality of gratitude and a perspective that allows you to see clearly all you have done, and all you have garnered as a result of your hard work. Don’t allow negativity to overshadow these positive perspectives.

DECK USED: HEALING WAVES TAROT

🌕 Full Moon in Capricorn – July 2023

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Today is the full 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 SeedsofShakti.

Capricorn Full Moon Tarot Reading with the Decolonized Tarot

What groundwork do I need to lay for my vision to flourish and succeed?

Knight of Wands – Reconnect with your enthusiasm and allow yourself to get carried away now and then. Immersive creativity is where you truly shine.

What actions do I need to take in order to feel confident about my short-term and long-term goals?

Two of Cups atop Two of Coins – Work at seeking out help from those closest to you to help balance your responsibilities and expectations. Reaching out to them is not a burden on them, and a boon to you.

What boundaries do I need to assert, so that I can restore my personal power and accomplish what I initially set out to do?

Ace of Wands Rx – Remember that you can’t do everything. Just like anything else in life, you have to pick and choose what passions you decide to explore.

What recent success do I need to recognize that I’m oblivious to?

Four of Swords – You are doing better at carving out time to rest. It may not feel like it, but you are.

Full Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Ten of Pentacles – Look at how far you have come and who you have brought along with you. You are so fortunate, not just in the security and stability you’ve created, but also in those people you have surrounded yourself with.

DECK USED: THE DECOLONIZED TAROT