Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Death Card

Prompt: Pull the Death card from your deck(s). Compare the imagery between the Death card in the Tarot of the Hidden Realm and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why? Share your card(s) and your interpretation differences between the imagery on them.

The Death Card from the Tarot of the Hidden RealmTarot of the Hidden Realm – This imagery always makes me think of cancer.  The kind that is terminal, but takes its time.

In the image, the winds of change keep the raven aloft, and lift the woman’s hair skyward in wild disarray that reflects the disarray that change can create in one’s life. She is gaunt, speaking of a long period of change, not something sudden.  This isn’t a fall from grace, but something that eats away at the insides, ushering her forward into a new existence with the raven there to escort her on her way.

The Natural World Tarot, Anima: Gate of Memories Tarot, and Tierney's Delight Tarot

The Natural World Tarot – Swirling snowflakes and flowers surround a bird with open chest.  It perches, still and watchful in the image, its heart open to the dance of changing seasons surrounding it.  This card speaks to me of the necessity to stay open to, and aware of, changes as they happen over time. The importance of not closing oneself off to their influence and the constant shifts and adjustments necessary.

Anima: Gate of Memories Tarot – Change isn’t always easy, even when it’s the slow moving and organic kind of change.  Sometimes we fight against it even when life would be so much easier if we didn’t. Here in this imagery I see that fight depicted.  A struggle and the anger that change can stir up when it’s not the kind of change we necessarily want or volunteer for. This card says that change may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.

Tierney’s Delight Tarot – Sometimes when we’re dealing with changes in our lives, we get stuck in the mourning aspect of what we’re losing and are unable to look past that loss to the potential in our lives that it opens up.  Here in this card, I see that mourning expressed.  The card indicates that we are holding on too tight to what is on the way out… and not allowing ourselves to move on to the new possibilities that change is offering us.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, THE NATURAL WORLD TAROT, ANIMA GATE OF MEMORIES TAROT, TIERNEY’S DELIGHT TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Monthly Key Spread

Monthly Key Lenormand Reading - House of Shadows Lenoracle

Key to Your Heart: What will Guide you to make decisions that are aligned with your heart and your truths this month?

Coffin – The acknowledgement that nothing lasts forever. Things ebb and flow, and are ever changing. Some things end so that others can begin, and it is through the cycles endings and beginnings that we are able to explore the myriad of different experiences that life has to offer.

Anchor: What will ground you in the face of anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and existential dread in general?

Broom – Knowing that it’s only through work and preparation that I can be ready for what’s coming. It is through this knowledge that strength is threaded like steel through the spine and things get done… even if sometimes that means we sacrifice ourselves to get them done.

Star Wand: What accelerates your magic, creativity, and manifestation powers?

Ring – Knowing that there are others depending on me to hold up my end of things. This knowledge lights a fire under my ass and gets me going even when I’m just not otherwise feeling motivated.

Blessings from the Stars: The Universe has got your back – how will you be supported this month?

Fish – The energy around me is finally free flowing and no longer stagnant. All I need to do is ride the currents.

One Trick Up Your Sleeve: A life saving idea or inspiration for any unexpected challenge or difficult moments?

Mountain – You are a force to be reckoned with. You’ve climbed this particular mountain again and again, gaining more experience with each year that passes.

Emergence Pt 1: What is emerging within you / within your reality right now?

Book – The need to prep, prepare, get ready… that feeling that it’s time to get my ducks in a row for the tests and trials to come.

Emergence Pt 2: What are you expanding towards?

Harvest – The holiday season is the biggest (monetary) harvest of the year for me. Now that it is time to prepare, I am expanding towards that harvest, and working to get the most abundant harvest that I can out of the experience.

DECK USED: HOUSE OF SHADOWS LENORACLE

New Moon in Libra- October 2021

The day after 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 about  unraveling balance, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

New Moon in Libra Tarot Reading - Ariadne's Thread Tarot

1. What aspect of my life is tipping the scales out of balance?

Eight of Wands – Impatience. Your desire for immediate gratification. This is something that we are all guilty of in one way or another, and you are no exception. These cards indicate that when you lean into your impatience, that in turn upsets the scales of balance in your life. 

2. How can I correct that imbalance?

Four of Pentacles – Work on being happier with what you already have. Sink into the present and be mindful of where you are instead of allowing yourself to constantly push forward or seek more.

3a. What unhealthy habits do I need to liberate myself from in order to find my equilibrium?

Temperance – Less impatience, more moderation. Focus on the spiritual connection you have with the earth and the world around you instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by a myriad of curiosities and interests.

3b. What unhealthy relationships do I need t liberate myself from in order to find my equilibrium?

Ten of Cups – You need to reevaluate your relationship with pleasure and what makes you feel complete. What are you searching for that you’re self-medicating to ignore or to only “sorta satisfy”, in the same way that a couple might have a baby in order to try and “fix” their relationship?

4. How can I create space for harmony to thrive and flourish in my mind?

Six of Swords – Start making healthy changes. Although baby steps definitely count, sometimes more than baby steps are needed.

5. Message from the Ancestors.

Knight of Pentacles – It’s okay to take things slow, as long as you keep moving.

DECK USED: ARIADNE’S THREAD TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Paying Attention

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
Sometimes we become so busy that we may miss something, and that’s okay. It happens to us all. To help ourselves out, we could always use a moment to double check or give attention to detail.

Voodoo Playing CardsWhat is something that has been on my mind lately that I have not given enough attention to?

King of Spades atop Queen of Clubs – The constantly cycling thoughts of needing to buckle down with my business and push forward for more growth.

This isn’t about considering doing what these thoughts are nagging me about, but the thoughts themselves and how they effect my outlook and life. By allowing them to constantly cycle through my mind as an inner narrative, they are not inspiring me, but rather they are raising my stress levels and causing anxiety.

Is this something I should tackle now?

Four of Diamonds – Hell yes. You need stability in your life right now, and these thoughts are highly destabilizing.

How could I tackle this now, if I need to?

Nine of Clubs atop Queen of Hearts – Set boundaries for yourself that address these thoughts, and ensure self kindness is being protected and prioritized.

How can I accommodate paying more attention to detail into my day today?

Ten of Hearts – Look at all you have and connect with what (and who) makes you happy. Practice gratitude for all of the love you have in your life.

Bonus: What is your favorite warm drink that brings comfort?

Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. Not the kind made with water, but warm milk heated in a pan with Nesquik powder.

DECK USED: VOODOO PLAYING CARDS

Transitioning from September to October

Tyldwick Tarot 2nd Edition and Brian Froud's Faeries' Oracle

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

Page of Cups, Solus atop O! That Gnome – These cards encourage faith in your emotional growth. You have worked hard to get where you are on this path, but with every shift towards the busy season, there is moments of nagging doubts and worries. Believe in this new perspective to strengthen you and help you in doing things in a better and healthier way.

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

Two of Cups, The Singer if Initiation atop Honesty – Your time to explore shadow work and look within yourself for what needs to be exposed to the world (and especially those that love you) is coming to an end. Although self-development may percolate internally over the months ahead, the time of focus and pursuit of this endeavor is drawing to a close for the year.

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

Seven of Coins, The Fairy Who Was Kissed by the Pixies atop The Oak Men – Open your heart, but do so slowly. Haste is not your friend. Remember that friendships and relationships happen slowly over time. There’s no rush. Keep your eyes open. It’s prudent to take some caution.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Wheel of Fortune atop The Empress, The Laume – Take pause and caution when faced with unexpected kindnesses. Not everything is as altruistic as it may at first appear.

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

Five of Staves and The Fee Lion – Your passions and principles aren’t a bad thing, even when they put others up in arms. Make sure that you are aligned with your moral compass, and that you have your ducks in a row… then? Don’t worry about what others think. Make sure you are listening to that “need to do” whisper on your shoulder, even if it means making a list to work on -after- you take that needed nap.

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

The Magician atop Four of Swords, She of the Cruach – Don’t look for that nurturing energy you long for from your mother. There are people in your life willing to give that energy to you, but she’s not one of them.

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

Two of Swords and Iris of the Rainbows – Make sure you are looking back on the times when you’ve leaned into optimism and hope instead of allowing yourself to indulge in your natural pessimism. Take a look at how these times have influenced you and your growth, and the lessons that having used this type of positive thinking in the past have taught you.

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

Five of Swords, Gloominous Doom atop The Guardian at the Gate – If you allow a negative thoughts and negative emotions to take over this month, it’s going to cause conflict and barriers in your way that don’t need to be there. Don’t let the pessimism you’re used to sink in and hold you back from the potential that the next few months have to offer.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Two of Staves and The Singer of the Chalice – Stop trying to force it. Pushing isn’t the answer. If you treat yourself with more kindness as you move along your path and make plans for the future, you will still get where you want to go, but will be much happier and healthier along the way.

Message from the Spirit World – There is a huge amount of warning here about the unpleasant effects on your path forward if you lean into pessimism and negativity in the month ahead.  The cost will be significant, causing many setbacks and conflicts. Better to make sure you are focusing on the positive, and leaning into hope and optimism.

Message from the Mind’s World – You may feel like you are moving far too slow this month to get everything done, but remember that this is an emotional perception and not reality. Hold back from scrambling and racing against the clock, and work to keep your emotions and inner narrative kind and seek an honest perspective instead of leaning into how much more you “should be” doing.

Message from the Physical World – Be kind and nurturing to your body.  It needs a bit of care to recover from the battle it just fought (and won) against the cold that tried to sneak in, not to mention the ankle needs more time healing.  Give yourself, and your body especially, what it needs. Make healthy choices that foster a healthier outcome.

DECKS USED: TYLDWICK TAROT 2ND EDITION AND FROUD’S FAERIES’ ORACLE

Weekly Creativity Prompt – A Walk in the Woods

Prompt: Imagine a walk (or remember your last walk). Draw between 3 – 5 cards from your deck. Then for each card, associate the card to something you saw on your walk. Share your card(s), and your reasoning behind the associations that you made with each card you pulled.

Tarot Manouche Universel du XXIè Siècle

Acorn – La Protectrice (The Empress) – She holds within her the burgeoning promise of new life. Fallen and upon the earthen floor, she bathes in the dappled light cast between softly rustling leaves and whispers of the secrets that grow within her belly that will soon take root… and grow.

SquirrelLe Fou (The Fool) – He bounds from branch to branch with curiosity and enthusiasm, chittering in the trees with a merry voice that celebrates his eager task. There is quickness and cheer in every movement, even in the moments he moves with purpose.

Douglas Fir ConeLa Force (Strength) – There is an old legend in the Pacific Northwest (believed to be of indigenous origins) about the Douglass Fir that speaks of a large fire in the forests of the west. Many animals ran around frantically trying to escape the flames. Tiny mice, not fast enough to outrun the fire, sought shelter from various trees. The mice approached many trees asking for help and were turned away again and again. When they eventually approached a mighty Douglas Fir tree and asked if they could take shelter among its branches, the Douglas fir agreed to help the mice, and allowed them to hide within its cones. As a result, the mice survived the fire, and to this day, if you examine a Douglas Fir cone, you can see the tails of the mice sticking out between the scales of a cone.

StreamLa Sagesse (The High Priestess) – Water flows and explores. It seeps into crevices and slips into cracks, soaks and saturates even as it flows ever onward. It spreads beneath the soil, showing only a small bit of what truly runs ever onward, while so much is hidden beneath the earth where none can see.  Water holds many secrets, and flows ever onward.

Fallen LogLa Mort (Death) – Decay is the birth of new life as a fallen log lies within shaded forest floor and begins to break down. This tree that dies, fallen and lies, now offers itself up to the forest and the promise of new life. A nurse log. And as structure breaks down it provides shelter and nutrients, seeds take root, while mushrooms and moss grow from slowly forming crevices and holes. As life fades… so too does it flourish once more. One form transforming to make another.

DECK USED: TAROT MANOUCHE UNIVERSEL DU XXIè SIÈCLE