Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

📆 Transitioning from July to August

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Month End Tarot Reading with the Folkloric Forest Tarot

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

Knight of Earth atop Eight of Earth – You are in the process of moving slowly towards flawed perfection. Your sights are trained forward as you seek to improve that which is already long earned excellence. It’s slow going, but you’ll get there if you can keep yourself on task.

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

King of Air Rx – You are not in control. It’s time to look to adaptation for answers, rather than trying to constantly tighten your grip and force things to go how you want them to. Sometimes you have to accept it’s out of your hands, and all you can do is wait, watch, and adapt when given the opportunity to do so.

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

The Magician – You seek the strength and capability needed to weather the storm of obstacles that life throws at you with composure and skill. You want to make it look easy… or at least easier than it actually is.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

The Wheel Rx – The unexpected sucks, but it will suck even more if you let it have free rein over your life. Only adaptation will allow you to stay on top of things when the unexpected happens. If you aren’t willing to bend, you will break… and so will those things you have worked so hard for.

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

Ace of Cups – Don’t allow yourself to close yourself off to your emotions, even when they feel uncertain or brand new. Yes, emotions are unpredictable, but they allow you to get through difficult times and can bolster you when needed.

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

Four of Earth – Don’t get too comfortable or you will be taken by surprise when changes come. Remember that stability doesn’t involve stagnancy. Stagnancy causes rot and decay.

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

Ace of Earth atop Nine of Water – New opportunities come from indulging in those things that you enjoy. You can begin again if you need to. You’ve done it before.

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

Two of Water atop Seven of Water Rx – When you feel like you’re out of options, it’s time to think outside the box and start seeking the opinions and ideas of others close to you. Share with them how you feel and let them help you navigate these moments.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Ace of Fire – Start doing the stuff needed to support your passions. Do it now. It’ll be worth it in the end.

Message from the Spirit World – You can follow your emotions or your passions, but you can’t choose both. Make sure you weigh the options carefully because they will determine your future path.

Message from the Mind’s World – Less thinking and more doing is needed right now. You have the tools to make it happen, so make it happen. Focus on those things that -are- under your control, instead of those that aren’t.

Message from the Physical World – When stability is disrupted by uncertainty, stay grounded in what you know through experience is going to make you happy. Keep in mind that you may need to start over in some areas to accomplish this.

Take Away – Something disruptive is coming. Instead of bracing for impact, start moving on preparations now, with your eye on new beginnings involving a blend of what you are passionate about combined with what makes you happy. They aren’t always the same thing, but they can be if you combine them together.

DECK USED: FOLKLORIC FOREST TAROT

🌑 New Moon in Leo – July 2025

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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 courtesy of @onyerbroom.

Oracle Reading with Die Geheimnisvolle Sprache der Blumen

Where am I being called to shine?

Hyacinth – Although you might feel like you are constantly in a time of flux and chaos has a stranglehold on you, others find you to be a sense of stability and constancy in their lives. This new moon, dedicate yourself to trying to touch upon that stability yourself that you lend so effortlessly to others.

What strength is rising within me?

Crocus – Rising within you is a greater ease in finding enjoyment in play. Sometimes it’s extremely difficult for you to connect with your inner child and the playfulness that resides within that inner spirit. Those blockages are thin right now, and as a result you are being given the opportunity to allow this playfulness rise up and make life a bit more colorful and fun.

What wild desire needs space to grow?

Apple Blossom – Step out of your comfort zone and confront your fears. The only way to get past the blockages that are holding you back is to take them head on. Skirting around them will get you nowhere.

Observation: Although this deck is filled with cards from throughout the seasons of spring through autumn, all of the cards in this reading thus far have been spring flowers. This indicates something new awakening during this time and, with it, a great potential for growth.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Geranium – Remember that you aren’t on your won, and you do, in fact, have true friends you can trust that are willing and eager to come with you at your side through every step along your journey. Take care not to give the impression that you’ve forgotten about them or make them feel like they’ve been left behind.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Goat Figurine as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On One’s Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: DIE GEHEIMNISVOLLE DER BLUMEN

🌕 Full Moon in Capricorn – July 2025

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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 courtesy of “The Full Buck Moon Focal Points” graphic by @thewitchsfix

Full Moon in Capricorn / Buck Moon Oracle Reading with the Plant Spirit Wisdom Oracle

Growth isn’t always loud; sometimes it’s the small shifts that change everything. How have you stretched lately – emotionally or spiritually?

Mycelium – It’s all about what’s going on out of sight and away from observation. Even when you’re generous to others and help to support them, it’s often done privately or even secretly. You just want a strong foundation and are willing to do what it takes to get it there… no praise necessary. In the past, you’ve often needed acknowledgment or validation from others for this to feel “worth it”. But recently, you’ve been finding just as much satisfaction in when no one knows.

This moon highlights the strength you’ve earned through effort, boundaries, and persistence. What can you do to honor your resilience?

Mold – Pause to acknowledge what you’ve earned and how far you’ve come. Even if you simply do this in the back of your mind, once you’ve acknowledged your accomplishments, they continue to grow in the dark where you put them and build your confidence as a result.

You’re not who you were – and that’s the point. This moon supports you in shedding what no longer fits. At this time, how can you move with intention toward who you’re meant to be?

Reishi atop Lemongrass – Start cleansing and purging, but start small and take your time. No rushing, no pushing. To move with intention toward who you’re meant to be means leaving some things behind. Take the time to consider each act before you do it.

Full Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Witch hazel – Only once you start the cleansing mentioned above will you start to feel better. This is a potential healing process if it’s begun at this time.

Other elements included in this reading:
Black Spruce Tips to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Yellow Aventurine Dragonfly for Confidence During Change
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: PLANT SPIRIT WISDOM ORACLE

📆 Transitioning from June to July

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Month End Tarot Reading with the Twice Told Tarot

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

Six of Cups atop The Hanged Man – What are you really getting hung up on? You’re currently in a holding pattern. Stuck and trying to determine which lessons from the past ring true, and which can be set aside. This means there’s a lot of time spent reflecting upon the past and how you feel about the things that went on back then. There is advice here to let those thoughts and emotions come and observe them, rather than trying to hide from them or ignore their existence.

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

The Empress – Stop trying so hard to give everybody else what they need and to be what they need you to be. Wearing yourself down for the needs of others leaves no room for you to give yourself what you need to be fulfilled as well.

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

Temperance – You would like to find a happy medium between taking time to slow down and breathe, and staying on top of your responsibilities.  This balance requires careful moderation.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Seven of Wands – Everybody wants a bit of your time and a piece of you, but there’s only so much to go around. Make sure that you’re standing your ground when others try to test your limits and boundaries. There’s a lot of that going on right now, even if you’re not really noticing it yet.

And for fucksake, stop allowing Ms B to pull you into talk on politics. It gets you nowhere, it’s aggravating as hell, and it has the potential to cause a rift.

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

The Sun – Your work on leaning into positivity and optimism is having a good influence. You really are succeeding in this area, even if you don’t notice it all the time. Keep it up.

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

The Star Rx – That sense of hopelessness that comes with depression is something you fear, but also something that sometimes feels a bit… tempting. Welcoming, even. This is due to your self-destructive tendencies, and you need to make sure that you’re watching yourself so that you don’t end up inviting in the depression you’re trying to avoid.

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

Two of Pentacles Rx – Remember that when shit falls apart, sometimes it makes things better in the long run. Go ahead and drop some of those balls you’re juggling when you need to. Past experience has proven that it’ll be okay even if you do.

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

Ten of Swords atop Death – Changes don’t have to hurt. If you invite it in instead of struggling against it, you can avoid injury and things will go more smoothly.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Six of Swords Rx – If you like where you are, sometimes it’s okay to stay and try to change things instead of moving on. Just make sure if you are staying put, that it’s done in a healthy way and provides an opportunity for growth.

Message from the Spirit World – Sometimes riding through change means you just stay put and let things move around you. When you are the stationary piece of the puzzle, you can watch the show without participating.

Message from the Mind’s World – Take care with how much of the past you lead into your present. Exploring the past a little bit can be beneficial, but when you go overboard, it causes you to get hung up and your moment of pause become stagnancy.

Message from the Physical World – All is not lost, so don’t give up the good fight. It might feel like you’re at the end of your rope, but in truth, this is only temporary just like everything else.

Take Away – This reading indicates that maybe it’s time to look at change differently.  Maybe, instead of looking at it as a “change of scenery”, what’s needed is a change of shoes.  Shift your perspective and look again.

Make sure you are prioritizing your own needs above that of others. Although this isn’t -always- possible, there’s a lot more opportunity for doing this than you’re allowing yourself to do. That includes doing what you need to do to back away from the edge of depression’s pit instead of flirting with it.

DECK USED: TWICE TOLD TAROT

🌑 New Moon in Cancer – June 2025

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Tomorrow 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 courtesy of @lightningwildflower

New Moon in Cancer Oracle Reading with the Oracle of Water

Reflect : How am I changing or healing?

Clownfish Draco – It’s getting easier for you to look at the things that take you by surprise (including unpleasant surprises) as amusing rather than ire inducing. This doesn’t mean that you don’t sometimes still react emotionally before you process, but that you’re a bit less likely to react in anger and instead with amusement during these times.

Attend : What feelings am I being asked to pay attention to?

Deep Sea Kraken – Stop skimming the surface, and look deeper. It isn’t so much that there’s one particular feeling you need to examine more closely or pay more attention to, but rather your tendency to bury the important stuff deep and try to ignore it, and instead only deal with or acknowledge whatever is on the surface.

Connect : How can I improve my connections with the ones I love?

Underwater Ruins – Don’t allow others to rewrite history for you. Not all trips down memory lane are pleasant, but sharing history that includes an element of truth is essential to bonding with those important to you. Just because they don’t want to acknowledge what happened doesn’t mean it’s not there. Don’t participate in the rewriting of history, and show your preference for the truth instead.

Align : What area of my life needs attention or alignment?

Cacaelia – It’s time to examine what you’re holding onto so tightly that it’s beginning to hold you back in your journey. You may need to sit with this and consider it, even do a few readings on it to find what this is. Don’t allow it to slip away, but see, out what has your knuckles white in that too tight grip.

Allow : What is ready to come forward in my life?

Reef Wyvern – You don’t have to be numb, nor ignore your emotions, in order to let things roll off your back like rainwater on a slicker. Remember that you can be vulnerable on the inside with that thin layer of protection still in place.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Frilled Sea Serpent – “Don’t hold back or make yourself smaller just to stay safe… Step into the light, even if the first few steps are shaky.” – Guidebook

As another reading earlier in the day previously mentioned, fear is holding you back. You need to step forward into your fears, rather than allowing them to keep you in a place of stagnancy. Stretch your wings (or fins, as the case may be).

Other elements included in this reading:
Aquamarine for fostering Wisdom and Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: ORACLE OF WATER