🎨 Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Flowers

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Prompt: Pull (at least) three cards and use them to respond to… “One day, wandering on city streets, you find a small garden set off the street and apparently open to all. Inside the garden, you sit on a bench, and after a few quiet moments, the flowers begin to speak to you. What do they say? Do you talk to them? What do you talk about?”

Are You In The Room Tarot - Eight of Cups, Six of Wands, Magician, Ace of DiscsSome of the flowers speak of how they feel stuck and frustrated by the roots that hold them in one place when there is so much more in the world they want to see. (Eight of Cups Rx)

Others speak of an eagerness to travel and grow, and of their seeds soon to be set loose to propagate far and wide. (Magician atop Ace of Discs).

I speak with them all, listening to their thoughts and worries, dreams and fears, encouraging them to see the choices they are limited to as a boon of abundance rather than restrictive and limiting. (Dog and His Bones)

DECK USED: ARE YOU IN THE ROOM TAROT

Perseverance and Survival

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Les Messagers d'Égypte and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Horus card combined with the affirmation “You are far more resilient and capable than your anxiety gives you credit for.”

Horus is a god of strength, courage, and tenacity. He perseveres his lackluster beginnings, grows strong, battles with Seth, and seizes his throne.  Undoubtedly during these challenges, there were times of self-doubt and worries over whether he could succeed in his goals.  Absolutely.  Everyone deals with these worries and anxieties.  And yet? With determination and courage, he continues on.

And so too do you.  One step at a  time.

You are a survivor.  There have been plenty of challenges in your life that you didn’t think you would make it through. Plenty of obstacles you thought would be the end of your goals, your dreams, or your very existence.

And yet, here you are.  You’re still here and stronger than ever.

Don’t let that inner voice that whispers doubts and uncertainties give you pause. Keep going.

DECK USED: LES MESSEGERS D’EGYPTE

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Questions for August 3rd and 6th:

Tarot Reading with the Kashima Tarot and Cozy Cards OracleWhat inner injury from my childhood needs healing?

Three of Swords and The Maypole – The Maypole card says “It is important to have fun. Play, enjoy, and relax!” Unfortunately, a lot of times as a child when you tried to indulge in these activities, such pursuits were dissuaded or looked down upon by elders. In response, you shut down on these urges play and have fun. Instead, you leaned into hard work and responsibilities in order to become less of a disappointment to others, carving out parts of yourself in the process.

How can I begin working on healing that injury?

Five of Cups and Cuddle Time – The Cuddle Time card says “I am safe”. Keep working on the positive thinking and optimism practices that you have begun using in the past few years. It helps keep the negative inner voice in your head at bay, and gives your inner child a sense of safety as a result.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Rose Quartz for Connecting with One’s Needs
Dyed Agate for Fostering Stability and Seeing Clearly Beyond Emotion
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: KASHIMA TAROT AND COZY CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I stayed inside while Jer mowed the lawn at Ms Bs, ensuring no allergy issues cropping up from the grass pollination.

A Refuge From the Storm

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Soul's Oracle and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Home Tree and the affirmation “You are not a fountain of energy and goodness. Please, do not sacrifice your health or well-being for other people.”

Home is where your roots grow, digging deep to anchor and ground you.  It is your shelter and your anchor.

Sometimes, these are the things you need most, in order to be healthy and happy and take care of your own well-being.  Today’s cards are a reminder of this need to pause and find a sense of stability and security.  How important it is to feel rooted, grounded in having a safe place to call your own, a place of refuge from the storm.

These cards encourage taking advantage of that refuge when you need it, instead of ignoring your needs for the desires, needs, and whims of others.  Your needs are important too, and it’s up to you to give yourself what you need when you need it… even when it’s something as simple as staying home when everyone else is demanding you go out.

DECK USED: SOUL’S ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Question for August 5th : What do I need to focus on for self-care this new moon?

Oracle Reading with the Soul's Oracle

Reading Summary: Say goodbye to the city (in the Left Card we see a figure waving at buildings in the distance. They appear to be saying a last farewell before disappearing out of sight on their trek down the path). Slip through the liminal spaces (in the Center Card we see a portal of natural spaces, a liminal space that leads from forest to sea… from one existence to another). Take time to savor nature (in the Right Card we see a figure sitting on the shore of a lake, feet in the water, enjoying the beauty and calm of nature as mother earth’s face smiles from the soil below).

Take Away: These cards encourage taking the opportunities that arise during this new moon to get out of the city and enjoy some time in nature.  Hike to a lake in the woods and take a dip. Make a day of it and let go of the stress and responsibilities of day to day life for a while.  Cut loose and enjoy some time among the trees.

DECK USED: SOUL’S ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I went down to the library today and got my card re-issued so that I could listen to audiobooks through Libby for free sometimes instead of always sourcing through Audible. A lot of times the library doesn’t have the titles I want to listen to, but sometimes they do so it’ll be a cheaper source for those titles that they have available.

Finding the Positive for August 2 – 4

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Sea Witch Oracle, Asherah Tarot, Grounded Wisdom Soil Tarot, Wisdom for Wee Ones Cards, and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate Allan

August 2 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions with the Calm app.  Today’s meditation focused on the breath and the practice of Anapana, which was described as using focus on the natural breath as a meditation practice.  Instead of focusing on the lungs and chest, though, you focused on the little bit of space just under the nose, and paying attention to the movement of air through that space, narrowing down  your focus to just that small patch of skin and nothing else.

I am, admittedly? Not good at “observing the natural breath”. I try, but every time I try? I end up altering my breath when I pay attention to it, either deepening it or modulating it in some way.  I’ll keep trying, of course, but I’ve yet to find a way to keep this from happening.  I’m sure I’m not the only one.

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Today’s card is the Seal card combined with the affirmation “I have a good body, whether or not other people like it.”

This affirmation reminds me of the phrase “It could always be worse.” My body hurts. It has scars. It has damage. Hell, it even has a few white hairs and wrinkles these days. But… it could be worse. It could always be worse in an endless myriad of ways.

The Seal card’s words “Curiosity needs freedom” is a reminder that no matter what you don’t like about your body, or what others don’t like about your body?  It’s -your- body, and it serves you well (if not exactly as perfectly as you might want).  Get out and do things with it.  Have fun with it. Explore with it.

Who cares if you get dirty in the process? Who cares if you get sweaty and flush-faced? Celebrate your body with an adventure. Let curiosity lead you now and then, and don’t worry so much about what others may think.

DECK USED: SEA WITCH ORACLE AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

August 3 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Lovers card combined with the affirmation “Just try to stay calm and do what you can.”

There is a dual meaning in today’s card, especially when combined with the affirmation for today. The Lovers is often about unity and union, but it can also be about making choices that are best for you.

Combined together, the message for today is about allowing others to do their part so that you are healthier in your own work and responsibilities. Don’t get worked up over everything that needs to be done, but instead trust in others to do their part while you focus on doing yours.

DECK USED: ASHERAH TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

August 4 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s card is the Devil combined with the affirmation “Some people take and never give, yet they don’t have enough, but Wisdom’s way is to give without fear. You’ll still have enough of what you hold dear.”

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a thing, whether it’s buying things you think will be useful to you at a later date, trying to “keep up with the Joneses”, or just not trimming one’s roses because they want to see all the blooms (but instead stunt it’s growth and the size of its blooms due to not cutting them back enough). These feelings, whether spurred on by fears, insecurities, or sentimentality, can be harmful if not kept in check.

One way we keep this in check is through generosity.  Like the rose bush that needs to have its buds cut back regularly in order to produce bigger and more beautiful blooms, our homes need to be purged occasionally.

It can be freeing to go through your closet and finally get rid of some of the clothing you haven’t worn in a couple years, or go through a collection and weed out those in it that you don’t really enjoy, or go through your kitchen cupboards and donate a portion of what’s in there you haven’t gotten around to using.  It helps us to not allow these things to have such a choke hold on us, like removing the invasive vines from a garden before they choke out all the other plants.

That is what today’s cards are about.  Don’t worry that by giving to others you are creating a lack in your own life.  There will still be plenty.  You’re just doing a bit of weeding so the stuff you truly enjoy can have more breathing room and appreciation.

DECK USED: GROUNDED WISDOM SOIL TAROT AND WISDOM FOR WEE ONES CARDS

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Bee Tarot and Honey Hive Lenormand

Earth – Six of Pentacles – You’ve already started this process with giving away a good number of items over the past week to people in the building and that you know. Continue the process of clearing things out that you no longer use and giving them to those that might need them instead.

Air – The Empress – Be kind to yourself in your thoughts and actions. It’s too easy to fall into letting your internal thoughts beat you up and drag you down. Instead, make sure that you are getting yourself, nurturing feedback and encouragement.

Water – Queen of Swords – Buckle down and don’t let emotions rule you this week. Do you have a tendency to languish a bit too long and fall under the spell that drags you down into depression if you let it. Instead it’s time to take a little bit of a firmer hand with yourself so that you are getting things done.

Fire – Three of Pentacles – You’re not in this alone, so don’t act like you are. Allow others to help and do their part in getting things done rather than trying to take it all on your own shoulders. It might feel like the end result is better if you do it yourself, but the truth is the contribution of others improves not just the end result, but also the process as well as how much you get done.

Waning – Key and Child – You have the opportunity to connect more strongly with your inner child this week. Don’t pass it up, for to pass over this opportunity has the potential of shutting out that part of yourself again.

Waxing – Clouds and Ring – If you are feeling uncertain about any agreements or contracts that come up this next week, make sure that you avoid them instead of giving in and agreeing. Now is not the time to trust that everything will work itself out, even if you make the wrong choice.

Take Away – It’s time to pick up the slack that has developed over the past couple of weeks and get things back on track. Just make sure that you’re not doing it alone, and that you’re having fun and incorporating child-like enjoyment into the process. Make sure that you are stepping away from any uncertainties instead of plowing ahead in that direction.

DECKS USED: BEE TAROT AND HONEY HIVE LENORMAND

🌑 New Moon in Leo – August 2024

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The new moon is upon us!  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 @Lionharts #theaugusttarot.

New Moon in Leo Tarot Reading with the Tarot of the Forest Witch

What heart’s desire should I manifest during this New Moon?

Wheel of Fortune atop Justice – Spin the wheel on cause-and-effect and take a chance that the consequences you predict coming to pass won’t actually be the result. You don’t have to play things so safe and close to the vest all the time.

What intentions should I set under the New Moon in Leo?

Chariot – It’s time to start moving again. The languishing and dawdling about has been a nice respite and needed rest, but to grow and thrive you also need to lean in to hard work in order to steer things in the direction you want them to go.

How can I align my actions with my hearts true desires?

Judgment – Remember where you are going and who you want to have become when you get there. Regrets don’t always come from doing something against your nature, but sometimes in standing back and not doing something that down the line you’ll wish you had.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Temperance – Just because it’s time to start moving again doesn’t mean it’s time to rush or push yourself. Small steps.

Other elements included in this reading:
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration and Clarity
Citrine for for Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
Hand Crafted Goat as sympathetic representation of Amalthea

DECK USED: TAROT OF A FOREST WITCH