The Surrender
Tufts of white
turn
pink and blue
as evening
dips into
a whisper of
darkness to come
looking like
a celebration
as sunset
dips toward dusk
and the day
is left behind
Gideon’s Challenge – The Surrender
Finding the Fit
Today’s meditation was a ten minute long #DailyCalm session from the @Calm app.
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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 Swords, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, education, logic and reason, ambition, or communication
The Ace of Swords card has then been combined with an affirmation card from The Little Yogi Happy Notes affirmation deck, which says, “ Freedom is… when you just don’t care what others think about you.”
Don’t let what others think about you be a consideration when you are communicating your true self. Nobody has the ability to please everyone or be a good fit for everyone.
With diversity as the spice of life, it’s important for us all to present ourselves authentically to the world around us. In doing so, we open up potential to attract those who accept us as we are rather than expecting us to change to be what they want us to be.
The message in today’s card combo is a reminder to stop worrying so much about what others think of you, and worry instead about presenting yourself authentically so that those who are a good fit for you are drawn to you organically.
DECKS USED: THE WONDERFUL TAROT OF OZ AND THE LITTLE YOGI HAPPY NOTES
One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 1 | Entry 1 – Self-Care and Personal Development
Affirmation : “I have many strengths and positive qualities that I admire in myself.”
Prompt : Based on the card you draw, what is a talent or skill you can appreciate about yourself and continue to hone right now?
What feelings came up when I pulled this card?
I had a bit of an “oy” moment in response to this card on first glance. The reason for this is twofold.
First, the red and the alcohol. (More on this below, but suffice to say that they have self destruct connotations).
Second… I have to admit I was hoping for a light and breezy answer. A lot of the activities I’ve done so far with this book have come back with some pretty heavy hitters as far as answers go, and that was repeated here today. It’s not the book’s fault, just that the cards the decks have been throwing seem to tend to take the prompts in that direction more often than not in the past couple weeks.
What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?
The gist of the life path readings done for me, not once, but all three times and each a decade apart, is a theme of struggle, strife, and woe.
I can’t say that when I first heard this prediction in the cards that I was okay with it, but over time I have come to understand what it means.
It’s not about being a victim, it’s about being a survivor. It’s about being slammed down to the ground and crushed under the boot heel of fate, circumstance, and life… then getting your ass back up and keeping on moving forward.
That is what The Tower card is all about. It’s about destruction, and about where things go from there.
What in the artwork spoke to me?
Back to the red and the alcohol. Red, in this case, is an inflammatory color. Which corresponds well for me in reference to the bottle on the card.
I have been dry and sober for a long ass time. Alcohol has never been fun or entertaining for me. Instead, alcohol represents a descent into unhealthy behavior, and essentially “breaking” or “buckling” under whatever has created the self-destructive urge in me to reach for a bottle in the first place.
The urge to drink lies at the very bottom of a very deep well of painful experiences and hopelessness, under the mud in the muck at the bottom of that well. You don’t find it until you’ve reached bottom, and then been forced even deeper.
My prompt response and reflections.
One of my greatest talents and/or skills is the fact that no matter how many times I am knocked down and ground into the mud, I still get back up and keep going.
I am persistent. I am resilient. I’m a survivor.
I will turn that bullshit of pain and obstacles and failure that life hands me as it tears down what I’ve built into fertilizer, and use it to grow something new. Again and again.
Other elements included in this reading:
Amber Resin D25 Die
Banded agate D6 Die
DECK USED: THE HOUSEHOLDER’S TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsJan2026 Challenge
Prompt for January 19th and 20th
What could you use more of in your life?
Seven of Swords and Ace of Cups – More selfishness without the negative emotional repercussions.
You spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about how your actions and words affect others. This is great when it’s about your partner or your loved ones, but you need to stop worrying about every little thing you do and say and how others are going to take it.
More spontaneity is needed, without beating yourself up over it during (and often after, as well).
What could you use less of in your life?
Judgement atop Seven of Wands – Less friction on the journey to becoming the person who you want to be.
You might want to consider the company you keep and how those around you create friction in moving in the direction you’ve chosen to take your life path and personal development. Who is fighting back against your goals and aspirations in this area, and why can’t you identify them easily?
Other elements included in this reading:
Hand Carved Buffalo Horn Raven for Protection and Guidance during Transitions
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Deodar Cedar Cones for Fostering Clarity and Spiritual Connection
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: THE WONDERFUL TAROT OF OZ
I skipped going to the grocery store today in order to avoid a potential hassle in the making. (Trouble spied in the parking lot prompted a change of plans.)
Gideon’s Challenge – Disheartened
Disheartened
Sitting still
I watch as
the world moves
moves one step
at a time
toward
something
breathlessly
reckless
and I wonder
where
the quiet went
and if
it will come back
ever again
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Today’s meditation was skipped.
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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Arrival Prompt for January 18th : Renewal
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.
In an echo of a reading done yesterday, this card appears to be indicating that it might be a good idea to stay home and relax today and enjoy your time at home, rather than going out into the world.
It is tempting, with the sun shining, to ignore this advice… as well as the far more blatant advice of the cards pulled yesterday on the topic. That said, home isn’t such a bad idea. There’s lots I can do to enjoy life here at home and ground myself without taking an excursion to fuck around elsewhere.
The message in today’s “Renewal” prompt and Four of Wands card is a reminder that “home is where the heart is”. That means that when you come home, and when you are at home, it should be a place of renewal and restoration. If it’s not, it’s time to look at what is preventing that from happening and consider some solutions that might help.
DECK USED: LIZ DEAN’S GOLDEN TAROT (trimmed naked)
One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 1 | Entry 15 – Self-Care and Personal Development
Affirmation : “While I value my opinions, they do not define me. I allow myself to grow, evolve, and change.”
Prompt : Think of a topic that prompts strong feelings or reactions in you. What does the card you draw? Say about those feelings/reactions (where they come from, why they are so strong)? Consider what advice it is sharing about how you can constructively communicate your thoughts on that topic without alienating others.
What feelings came up when I pulled this card?
I winced. At first I thought that the upper horizontal line of the F in this card was piercing through the hip of the mermaid, and that the mermaid’s brains were falling out.
What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?
My chosen topic that prompts strong feelings and reactions for me is willful ignorance. (Cuz I got a good dose of it last night from a loved one.)
The meaning of The Fool is often about new beginnings, but it’s also about lack of caution and an abundance of enthusiasm. I feel like the meaning of this card is telling me that there is no way to actually broach the topic of one’s willful ignorance without alienating the person in question.
No matter what approach you take in getting to a place where you can point out that they’re being ignorant, once you get to that place that butts up against their choice to be ignorant, you butt up against the line where alienation lies.
You can strategize, or you can blunder in blindly, but either way there’s going to be unintended consequences involved.
What in the artwork spoke to me?
As mentioned above, my first observation was the (mistaken) observation that the F appeared to be piercing through the mermaid’s hips. She’s still smiling, and she’s still going, but that shit had to hurt. This speaks to me of consequences for one’s actions.
Next to catch my notice were the bared breasts, which brought up the whisper in my head, that “oh, somebody’s gonna be offended”. It’s that whole “you can’t make everyone happy all the time” kind of thing. Nudity is always going to offend somebody, no matter how artistically meant or done.
Then there’s the snake and her reaching, these two arrived in my awareness together and are aligned by their angles. This seemed to speak to me to say that, no matter how good one’s intentions are, there’s always potential for negative outcomes.
My prompt response and reflections.
I’m a little disappointed in the answer that there is no way in which to approach the subject of willful ignorance without it turning into alienation and/or a clusterfuck. That hopeful little shit that lives inside my heart really wants to be able to discuss this with the people in my life that I have noticed blatantly practice this tactic. I really want to help them see a bigger picture.
And yet, in all of the different approaches I have tried and ways I have strategize to try and have a discussion over this issue in the past, it never turns out well. So, perhaps the cards are right, and there really is no way to successfully (without tension and alienation) have this conversation with them.
Other elements included in this reading:
Petrified Wood D6 and D20 Dice
DECK USED: INTERIM TAROT LETTERS EXPANSION
#DiscordTarotholicsJan2026 Challenge
Prompt for January 18th : Do Spread 3
Separate your deck into the four individual suits and major arcana, then shuffle each of those piles separately. Draw a card for each position.
Major Arcana Card – Something important in your life.
The Tower – Your business. In the Fall of last year, you went through a serious “Tower Moment” with your business. You are still recovering from this experience, and your business is still recovering from the changes and restructuring that was needed to adapt and keep going instead of getting stuck in the mire.
Wands Card – How the essence of the Wands suit influences this important thing in your life.
Seven of Wands – The fight that you are entrenched in with getting your business back on track is not just about what you want in life, but also about what you feel is right. The subjugation that you experienced has lit a fire under you to fight that will continue to burn for as long as you’re willing to keep stoking those flames.
Cups Card – How the essence of the Cups suit influences this important thing in your life.
Knight of Cups – You have within your focus what it is you want, and are motivated to reach for it. This “Tower Moment” caused you to reevaluate not just the needs that your business provides for, but also the wants and desires that support you in being happy in what you do.
Swords Card – How the essence of the Swords suit influences this important thing in your life.
Ten of Swords – You know no firsthand what it feels like (and how much it hurts) to crash and burn where your business is concerned. This experience wasn’t the end of you, and you were able to pick yourself up from the ashes to begin again. It’s proven to you once again that as much as something hurts, that doesn’t mean it has to end you in the process. You just come back stronger.
Pentacles Card – How the essence of the Pentacles suit influences this important thing in your life.
Nine of Pentacles – This experience has encouraged you to seek more satisfaction in the journey rather than just focusing on some goal at the end of the road. You’ve come to realize that the end of the journey is not your goal after all.
Other elements included in this reading:
Goat Charm as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea
Foraged Purple Heather Sprigs for Independence and Luck
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: LIZ DEAN’S GOLDEN TAROT (trimmed naked)
I stopped by the butcher on the way home to pick up the farmer’s sausage that I’ve been craving.
Gideon’s Challenge – Emotional Swell
Emotional Swell
Fissures form
not from pressure
on the outside
but from within
as the stress
of too much
begins to cause
hidden bits
to swell
and spill over
and pieces
are lost
in the process
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)
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?
Earth – Nine of Wands – take care that you don’t go on the defensive this week. Stay soft instead of trying to brace and retaliate.
Air – Three of Swords – Make sure that you are being open and honest in expressing your disappointments and vulnerabilities this week. Nothing can be fixed or changed if you don’t open up and let people know what’s going on with you.
Water – The Star – Positivity and optimism exercises are an important part of your well-being and emotional self-care. Make sure you aren’t neglecting (or avoiding) these practices over the week ahead. After all, you can’t catch what you’re not reaching for.
Fire – The Magician – You are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. Don’t allow others to dampen your shine or get in your way.
Waning – Think and Salty – Those negative inner narratives going on in your head are not going to help you in having a more positive outlook in life. Stop listening to them. Turn away instead of lending them your ear.
Waxing – Hand and Pretty – You won’t be sorry if you decide to pull in some more shifts at the salon this week. Not only is it close to home (which ties into a few readings in the last couple of days that are telling you to stick close to home), but there’s also the bonus of potential tips.
Take Away – Self care this week needs to focus on making sure that you are staying on top of the positivity and optimism practices that help you to stay at a distance from your pessimism, and expressing to others what you are feeling instead of trying to write it off as “nothing” or hide it away. Don’t allow others to put you on the defensive. Instead, stay soft and show that there is strength even amid moments of vulnerability.
Accept any extra shifts that may be offered at the salon this week.
Other elements included in this reading:
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Twisting the Leaf 