Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

New Moon in Aries – April 2021

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Queer Witch Tarot - Aries New Moon

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 about  medicine of the cosmic wheel, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

1. Aries signals the start of the cosmic wheel in astrology. What medicine is the wheel birthing for the next 12 months?

Ten of Pentacles – All the seeds you’ve taken time to plant will grow and flourish with attention and care.  Pay attention to what you are putting your energy into, where you place your focus, and what you prioritize.  Only those things you are willing to put care into will grow.  The medicine birthed over the next twelve months is in the awareness of your actions, and in making sure you are directing them to what you want to grow instead of in more unhealthy and destructive directions.

2. As spring returns, what dormant energy is awakening within me?

King of Swords – Dominance.  Strategy.  Having the ability to put mind above matter to accomplish what is needed or wanted done.  This is not so much about taking charge, but about putting yourself first and feeling empowered to reach for accomplishment rather than stagnancy.  This accomplishment can be in anything deemed of value, as long as it involves putting yourself first in the process.

3. As a fire sign, how is Aries kindling my inner spark?

The Hierophant – There is a great deal of joy in helping others find their way.  You have a lot of knowledge to share and the combined energies of Aries’ fire and the spark of spring are stirring up those interests and a longing to return to helping others again.  Keep in mind the King of Swords above, and make sure you are not self-sacrificing in the process.

4. How can I break through fears that have held me back?

Four of Wands – Lean into your support system and those that you’ve chosen to surround yourself in.  Your security and stability is threaded through with the presence of these people in your life. Allow them to help you in feeling safe when things feel out of balance.

5. What seedlings of inspiration will the New Moon bless and germinate?

Page of Cups – Creativity and curiosity abounds with this new moon. So too does your intuition. Over the next couple of weeks, make sure that you are tapping into these qualities. They thrive in the fresh and clean energy that the new moon fosters, and now is the time to explore.

6. Message from the Ancestors and Guides.

The Magician – You’ve got this.  You have what you need to embrace the energy this new moon holds.  You have what is needed to move forward into the future and turn it into what you want it to be rather than following old patterns and methods.  The Magician card comes up a lot in the “messages from ancestors and guides” readings.  They are your cheerleaders, and they’re here to cheer you on as long as you’re willing to do the work.

DECK USED:  QUEER WITCH TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Life Tests

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“Standardized testing season starts this week in our local schools. This week, do a reading about the tests in your life.”

Adorable White Rabbits Playing CardsWhat tests are you facing right now?
Six of Spades

Finding  a healthy harmony between my ambition and my need for self care. My efforts to move on from the slave driver mentality of how I’ve treated myself in the past includes many opportunities to backslide into bad habits.  Keep moving forward.

What steps in your past have prepared you for these tests?
Nine of Hearts

I have been learning over the past few years how to be more grateful… more conscious, aware, and mindfully grateful of those things and people that make my life pleasurable and happy.

What steps can you take in the present to help you navigate your present tests?
King of Spades

Own my shit.  Be self aware and pragmatic instead of caving to the unreasonable inner pressures of my history and my habits. Own my ambitions, but come at them from a grounded and responsible way.

What tests await you in the near future?
Jack of Hearts

A continuation of my emotional growth is what lies in my near future.  This is not surprising, but rather planned for.  I want to continue the growth of my emotional intelligence, and learning about my emotions and how best identify and handle them in a healthy way.   I know this is a long journey, perhaps a lifelong one, but I am anticipating (and hopeful for) another “growth spurt like the one I worked through last spring/summer.

What steps can you take in the present to help prepare yourself for these future tests?
Queen of Spades

Deal with your “mommy issues”. [This was recently brought up in a previous reading and is an echo of that previous reading’s advice.]

DECK USED: ADORABLE WHITE RABBIT PLAYING CARDS

Morning Bonus Read – Sacral Connections

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Future Ancestor Tarot

My sacral center energy right now.

Two of Needles – A bit conflicted.  This isn’t really surprising considering that it’s now Wednesday and you’re currently creeping towards the time when you’ll need to go back to work. It’s funny in a way, because when you started doing these vacations last year, you couldn’t wait to leap back in to work. This time though? You’re feeling a bit of conflict and resistance.

Tension I’m currently holding in this area.

Five of Cups – Too much time spent focusing on what’s not working, and not enough effort spent focusing on what is. There’s lots of positive things to focus on.  You need to start turning your attention in that direction instead of allowing those things that didn’t work to continue to bug you.

How can I release this tension?

Eight of Cups – Move on.  Focus on what you can do different and where you can go from here. You learn from your mistakes and what doesn’t work.  These moments of failure are guideposts for adapting and moving forward.  Don’t look at them as anything else.

Emotions I repress that I need to allow myself to feel.

Listener of Needles – Emotions related to my mother.  This is not something I’m entirely comfortable with delving into. The whole dealing with my mother or my emotions concerning her is a bit of a sensitive subject. The shift in our relationship that happened when my father passed and I realized just what kind of person she is beneath the facade she prefers to present to both her children and the world… It has become awkward.  And these negative emotions that the shift has inspired don’t have anywhere to really go.

The outcome of allowing myself to feel.

Explorer of Needles – Movement instead of stagnancy. New perspectives, and perhaps a new way to look at my mother and our relationship. Essentially it would allow me to move forward emotionally in this area of things instead of stewing in the discomfort of where we currently stand.

How can I become better connected to my emotions?

The Lovers – Continue focusing on making good decisions that foster that connection.  Over the past year you have been working on connecting more to your emotions and finding a better balance. You need to continue to take each choice and change of direction you come upon, and weigh it carefully against what you want to accomplish with your emotional growth before coming to a decision.

DECK USED:  FUTURE ANCESTOR TAROT

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Fool

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck that matches [The Fool from Tarot of the Hidden Realm]. Compare the imagery between the card provided and the card from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?”

The Fool - Tarot of the Hidden RealmTarot of the Hidden Realm – The Fool in the Tarot of the Hidden Realm is filled with joy and light that casts a bright golden glow over everything.  The Fae here speaks with a butterfly and the mind can easily imagine him dancing off into the green to follow the butterfly’s flight with laughter on his lips.  The image is filled with carefree joy and a sort of gentle lightheartedness fostered by the flower he holds.  The message here is “Ignorance is Bliss” and the joy that comes from being able to let yourself be consumed by heart filled and innocent pleasures.

The Fool - DNAXCAT Tarot, Kitchen Tarot, Botanical Grace Tarot

DNAXCAT Tarot – Vibrant splashes of color make this card loud in the funnest sense of the word, like a child taken to the playground and set free to have their fun races from the car to their friends and playground games with eager abandon.  Here in this card’s imagery, especially in the colors used, it is all about joyful abandon.  Here we see the classic cliff represented which also gives a word of caution in the card’s meaning, as it is easy to get so carried away with that joyful abandon that we forget to look out for the dangers that may surround us.

Kitchen Tarot – The Colander was a bit of a confusing one as the fool when you first come upon it until you see the words around the colander’s rim. “The colander lets everything wash over it, and remains the same. This is the innocent one, who helps us all to purify.”  Sometimes it is the innocent that remains stubbornly filled with faith that can refresh us all when we encounter them.  We see the potential of a world through their eyes, and with that potential realized, we are cleansed of negativity and given a brighter perspective.

Botanical Grace Tarot – Here we have an illustration of Codonopsis pilosula (Dang Shen), which is often used to treat ailments associated with weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, and anemia.  In this way, this herb connects to the energy of the Fool through embodiment.  it is the light shining forward to uplift and revitalize, and the colorful splash of hues in the background help reinforce the presence of this clean and vibrant energy.

DECK USED: DNAXCAT TAROT, KITCHEN TAROT, BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT, TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALMS

Morning Bonus Read – Monthly Key Spread

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Little Soul's Party Lenormand

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

The House – When making decisions this week, make sure to keep in mind the safety, security, and above all else, stability, of home and how those decisions you make may affect and influence that stability.

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

The Heart – Reach out to those closest to you for support when feelings of anxiety and stress come upon you.  They are there to give you that support, to love you and help you when you need it.  It is something they want to do, so reach out to them and let them.

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

The Fox  – A quick and clever mind will help accelerate your inner spark and those things that grow from it.  Your magic, creativity, and skills at manifestation are all a part of that spark, and that spark feeds off of your clever mind full of ideas, strategy, and cunning.

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

The Key – Opportunities abound if you’re paying attention. This month the universe will be throwing opportunities at you that all have the potential to lead to success.  They key is paying attention and grabbing hold when they manifest in front of you. 

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

The Cavalier – You have the energy and enthusiasm to get things done and when things challenge you or stand in your way you’re more than capable of powering through to get things started.  Don’t allow unexpected challenges or moments of difficulty to stand in your way.

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

The Clouds – Watch out for self doubt encroaching in and confusion.  Sometimes, the ground shifts under your feet unexpectedly and you’re left trying to catch your balance. Keep in mind that if you follow your intuition and inner compass, even those moments in the fog of uncertainty will pass without any real damage done.

Emergence Pt 2: What are you expanding towards?

The Garden – The last factor of life to fall back into balance after the MDE is your social life.  This month you begin to expand in that direction, and in doing so, complete the healing journey out of the dark pit of your depression. 

DECK USED:  LITTLE SOUL’S PARTY LENORMAND

Morning Bonus Read – DeCluttering

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, see where you need to do some Spring cleaning in your mind.”

Sakura Playing CardsWhat is cluttering up my mind and using up my resources unnecessarily?
Three of Hearts atop Six of Hearts blocking Two of Spades

You’re spending too much time begin weighted down by thoughts on how your choices effect others in your life instead of focusing on how the choices will affect your own life.  You need to remember your priorities and their order, and make decisions accordingly instead of letting sentimentality and outside influences sway your thoughts and decision making processes.

What is an area in my life where I could spend more energy in the short term in order to make it take up less energy in the long term??
Five of Spades atop Ace of Spades

If you want to be able to delve into new ideas with abandon, you need to make sure you’re getting the strategy done early.  Write shit down, plan things out, make sure you have a winning plan in place.  Lists are your friend. Use them to your advantage.  They will help you in knowing what you can achieve and what ideas are disposable.

In what areas should I learn to be okay with the mental mess??
Six of Spades and King of Hearts

Sometimes when transitioning from one state of being to another, as you are doing with your emotional growth over the past year or so, the mental chaos can sometimes be pretty intense.  The thing is, though, you’re learning to allow your emotions to rise up instead of denying them that freedom, and that is going to make things a bit chaotic all on it’s own, but it’s healthier than the alternative you’ve been doing in your past.  Better to accept the chaos as a part of change, the change as necessary and what you want, and go with the flow.

DECK USED:  SAKURA PLAYING CARDS