Eagerness
as the sun dips
beneath the horizon
casting
golden rays
upwards
toward the clouds
I eagerly await
my return
to the comfort
and familiarity
of home
Gideon’s Challenge – Eagerness
The Power of Indifference
Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-guided session based on an affirmation card that says “No more beating yourself up. It doesn’t help, and you don’t deserve it.”
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The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Burn Prompt for October 3rd : Forgive
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Ace of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of the seed, start, or new beginnings in the area of one’s passion projects, inspiration, drive, willpower, and determination. This often translates into themes that have to do with budding new interests and new passion projects.
You know that saying about anger or lack of forgiveness allowing somebody to occupy your mind rent free? It’s true, but what’s even more important is when you consider what them occupying your mind is taking away from you and your experiences.
By allowing them to linger, their presence gets in the way of the joy you could find, the interests that could spark your inspiration, and the curiosities that could ignite your passion.
It’s important to remember that providing forgiveness for someone doesn’t mean that you are forgetting what they have done, nor does it mean that you have to allow them to do it again. It simply means that you are no longer allowing them to take up space in your mind and emotions, and in return, freeing up that space for something better to come in and take its place.
The message in today’s Ace of Wands and Forgive prompt us a reminder that forgiveness is a strength, not a weakness. The opposite of love is not hate… it’s indifference. When you reach a place of forgiveness where you can show the people that have hurt you that you’re indifferent to them, that means they are no longer occupying space within your mind and emotions. Space that could be filled up with better things.
DECK USED: TAROT OF CROSSED DESTINIES
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2026 Challenge
Prompts for October 2nd and 3rd
Haunted: What is currently hanging over you head that needs attention?
Nancy Blows Bubbles and Planned Wallpaper Detail
You haven’t had any instances of pareidolia lately. Remember that, for you, this means that your creative spark is at a low point.
Don’t spend too much time or energy worrying about this, though. Instead, let it be what it is and preoccupy yourself with other things. Your creative spark’s flame will come back full and healthy again when it’s ready.
Crypt: What secrets are you hiding tucked away in the dark?
Geektown Beauty Queen atop That ship Has Sailed
You’re very good at hiding the fact that you are not as confident in your looks as you appear to be. Your inner confidence, once upon a time, did in fact come from your looks.
These days, though, it goes much deeper. Confidence in your looks in particular has faded away with age and the scars life has left upon you, but your confidence in other areas has taken its place.
Rest assured, nobody sees the difference that you.
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Oregon White Oak Leaf for Strength, Stability, and Longevity
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: CREATURES OUT OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS BLACK AND WHITE EDITION
October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 3rd : follow the laughter
evergreens and fern fronds, salal and sap
the scent of pine needles and cedar bark
greet unshod feet and bare skin
(King of Diamonds)
as I’m welcomed by a mossy bed
and lulled to sleep by forest whispers
while the roots welcome me home
(Jack of Diamonds)
until the dapple of afternoon sun
through leaves kisses my eyelids
and I awake refreshed
(Ace of Clubs)
to an invitation
to race through the woods and frolic
to my heart’s content
(Three of Hearts)
Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Encouraging Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting with Nature and the Wild Within
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: BICYCLE ZENESCOPE PLAYING CARDS DARK EDITION
@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October 3rd
Hold – Seven of Wands – Hold onto your values and let them guide you.
Remember that it doesn’t really matter what others think or feel considering what you prioritize and value. These decisions are made by your inner moral compass, and have nothing to do with them.
Let Go – Justice (tipped) – Let go of your expectation that things are always going to be fair.
It’s okay to feel that that’s how it should be, as long as you’re also willing to understand that sometimes life just doesn’t go that way.
At these times, consider that perhaps there is factors in play that you’re not aware of. The universe seeks balance, thus what appears unfair may actually be a repercussion of some previous experience coming back around again.
Other elements included in this reading:
Turtle Figurine for encouraging Slow and Steady Progress
Foraged Pin Oak Leaf for Strength and Endurance
Botswana Agate for Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: THE TAROT OF CROSSED DESTINIES
I remembered to bring along not just my bone conduction headphones, but also a pair of in-ear buds for when I really need to just tune others out. They came in very handy today.
Gideon’s Challenge – Cramped
Cramped
tension comes
in tight quarters
as wheels hum
on pavement
and the feeling
of being
all elbows
comes to life
as space comes
at a premium
that makes me
long for
freedom
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Shedding Irritations
Today’s meditation was skipped.
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The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Burn Prompt for October 2nd : Shed
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Four of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of taking time to rest, recuperation after a trying time, and stillness for restoration and meditation on the events that have brought you to this place as well as where to go from here.
If it’s not working for you, let it go.
Case in point… Today while doing my reading exercises the exhaust fan for the parking garage across the street turned on. It sounds like a freaking freight train running along the back of the building and is deafening in it’s intensity. Instead of trying to sit here and work with the cards while being irritated by this noise, get up and go close the window so the sound is muffled.
In doing this small task you shed a great deal with the irritation that was riding on you, making life easier for you as a whole and providing rest for your nerves in the process.
The message in today’s Four of Swords and Shed prompt is a reminder that like a snake shedding it’s old skin, we often cannot find the calm and rest we need until we shed what is trapping us in to certain patterns, mindsets, or cycles. Letting go doesn’t always have to mean shedding something big or momentous. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference and can give us the greatest sense of ease.
DECK USED: TAROCCHI DI CONNESSIONE
October Spooky Season Challenge by @MercuryTarot
Prompts for October 1st through 3rd
What energy is available to me this season?
Root Siphon atop Striker – This season encourages you to use your alone time to create beautiful things and expand your mind. Learn a new skill, and take some time to practice trial and error on old ones that have started to feel stale and rote.
Do I overindulge?
Tanthlar – Yes, you absolutely overindulge. You tend and add to the “hoards” that bring you pleasure often, even while holding discernment over what gets added. And when there is nothing to gather and add? You end up creating new additions for yourself.
What tempts me?
Guoldar – Self-destruction and dopamine are your greatest temptations. It’s a dangerous combination that your addictive tendencies, depression, and anxiety use to intertwine together seamlessly into a draw that’s hard to resist. You often catch yourself flirting with these temptations, but it’s only in looking to what lies beneath them that you are able to get them back under control.
Other elements included in this reading:
Beech Pod for Realizations that Foster Personal Growth
Oregon White Oak Leaf for Strength, Stability, and Longevity
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: SHADOWMYTHS NECROMAR MONSTER DECK
October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 2nd : the kettle screamed my name
uninterested
in the care needed
to keep me on my feet
(Five of Hearts atop Queen of Hearts)
brain in a haze
that cannot be escaped
(Eight of Spades)
the sofa cushions welcome me
with open arms
(Ace of Clubs)
and eyes close as I sink
into limbo
with a grateful breath
(Three of Clubs)
until the kettle’s screams
remind me
(Ace of Spades)
that there’s tea to be made
and drank
(Queen of Diamonds)
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: MAIDENS PLAYING CARDS
@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October 2nd
Invite – The Devil Rx – Self restraint. It’s not easy holding back from indulging in one’s addictions, especially when they seem to be intent on drawing you in and catching your attention.
Self restraint takes practice and self awareness, but it’s a necessary tool to keep yourself on track and avoid in self destructive behaviors through overindulgence.
Decline – The Empress Rx – Overabundance. Take time to pause and consider if this is really something you want, or if there is some other urge pushing you on, prior to pulling out your wallet to add it to your collection.
Self-medicating is a thing, and although there are times when you can indulge a bit? Now isn’t one of them. Take a moment to truly connect prior to committing.
Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Foraged Lodgepole Pine for Strength and Growth
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: TAROCCHI DI CONNESSIONE
I re-listened (twice) to a video that Gid sent me yesterday that made me smile.
Gideon’s Challenge – Peace
Peace
don’t let me
interrupt
your quiet moments
before dusk
steals the light
away
as I merely
pass by
on my way
to somewhere else
and I’m no danger
to you
even if
I were to stay
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Letting Go of Judgemental Recriminations
Today’s meditation was Today’s meditation was a ten minute Daily Calm session from the @Calm app.
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The @GlitterbyInk #OctoberAlchemy26 Challenge
Burn Prompt for October 1st : Release
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home. This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.
I am a judgy SOB. Not so much when it comes to others, for when it comes to others, there’s a great deal more forgiveness and effort towards understanding… but when it comes to myself. This includes those things that are associated with me such as my car, my home, etc.
It’s not so much that I expect them to be of a greater value than they are. I love my Prius. I love that I have a mortgage instead of rent. But at the same time, my place is a mess. Never mind all the very good and acceptable reasons why it’s a mess; it’s still a mess.
I try and whittle away at it a little bit at a time, and I pay someone to come in and clean the bathrooms and the kitchen as well as dust and vacuum… and yet it’s still a mess.
That’s the thing, though, right? If you’re not willing to look at the causes of the situation and take them into account, how can you really judge yourself for the mess? And yet I do.
The message in today’s Four of Wands and Release prompt is a reminder that just because my house is a mess doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong, nor does it mean there’s anything wrong with it being a mess. Today’s cards are an encouragement to let go of unreasonable expectation around this hot button topic for me personally.
The mess is here because life is busy, because I’m running a home business inside a small home that I also live in, and because I’m passionate and have lots of interests. None of these are bad things and just because the house is cluttered doesn’t mean that it is unhealthy… thus it’s time to let go of harsh judgments in this area.
DECK USED: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2026 Challenge
Prompt for October 1st : Do the Fourth Quarter Spread
Year Ahead Theme : The Devil
The Devil card is traditionally a representation of temptation, struggles with moderation, harmful excesses, addiction, and self-harm. Temptation is not always bad for you, but neither is it always good. It’s through grounded and sound judgement that we are able to make healthy decisions when choosing what temptations we indulge in and which ones we leave behind.
Theme for October : Trick or Treat
Seek out joy. You can look at the world as scary and intimidating, or you can choose to have fun with it and focus on the rewards. The choice is yours.
Focus / Advice for October : Bow
Keep those things you want in your sights. You will forget about them, and as a result lose your chance to seize them, if you aren’t paying attention and focusing on what you want to achieve.
Ray of Hope for October : I am brave and unafraid to explore new haunted paths on my journey.
Confidence is the name of the game! When you focus on what you want this month, by keeping things turned in the direction of fun and the rewards involved, the scary stuff and challenging situations aren’t quite so difficult to overcome.
Theme for November : Seven of Swords
You may find yourself feeling cheated this month, as if someone has runaway with your hopes for the future. Pay attention to hints that malicious tomfoolery is afoot.
Focus / Advice for November : The Stream
One person’s loss is another’s gain. Look at not what has been lost, but where to go from here. The key to moving seamlessly forward during these disruptions lies in not grieving for the past, but adapting to the future.
Ray of Hope for November : You’re still making progress, even on your worst days.
November may feel like a setback, but keep in mind that progress is still being made, even if more slowly than you’d like or expect. Celebrate the small wins.
Theme for December : Eight of Wands
Busy, busy… go, go, go! November may have felt like a loss but December has the potential to feel llike you’re running yourself ragged. Make sure you are getting enough rest to give yourself the energy you need to just keep up this month.
Focus / Advice for December : Moving Trees
The goalposts are moving and you’re going to have to be quick on your feet to keep up. Even those things that you thought to be immovable are going to try to prove themselves otherwise.
Ray of Hope for December : Ghosting what no longer serves me
Clear your plate of those things you can let go of in order to give yourself more wiggle room in all that rushing around.
Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Foraged Pin Oak Leaf for Strength and Endurance
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECKS USED: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT, HELLOW TAROT, AWRY THE FOREST GAME CARDS, AND TWIST’S HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION CARDS
October Prompts by @forgotten.dumpling & @ml.mecham
Prompt for October 1st : the ghost in my coffee cup
Turnera diffusa
for a gentle lift
that allows joy to sink in
(Nine of Cups)
Verbascum thapsus
for a breath of fresh air
and a kiss of calm on the skin
(Six of Spades)
Artemisia vulgaris
then opens the door
to what lies beneath and beyond
(Ace of Clubs)
while the remnants
in the bottom of the cup
tell us of what’s to come and has gone
(Jack of Spades)
Other elements included in this reading:
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Amethyst Mushroom for Fostering Spiritual Connections
Smoky Quartz for Introspection and Emotional Balance
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: A STRIKING COLLECTION MATCHBOOK LABEL ART PLAYING CARDS
@owlandbonestarot #OctoberinBetween Challenge
Prompts for October
Stop – Eight of Wands – Stop pushing and shoving and rushing so much. You are allowed to take your time, and now is a good time for doing so.
Let yourself savor things for a little while instead of rushing through everything. That rushing is just another way of closing yourself off.
Start – Judgement – It would be a good idea to start checking in on yourself more often to ensure alignment with the path you want to take in life and the person you want to become.
Evolution of the concept of that future person is allowed, but it’s important to keep tabs on the changes you make in that vision so that you aren’t accidentally left trudging down a path that’s no longer relevant.
Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TAROT
I got the template set up for my October posts today instead of putting it off. It’s one of those things that can feel overwhelming (especially when done on my phone as I did today), but if I don’t do it right away, it ends up feeling as if it’s piling up and holding me back from stepping into the transition from one month to the next.
