The Dictatorship of Fear

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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.

Standard Playing Card Tarot - Nine of Spades

Today’s draw is the Nine of Swords (Spades), which is traditionally a representation of nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, negative thoughts and inner narratives.

The card has then been combined with the It’s Friday card from the Happy Little Things deck, which says, “Time for dance, time for having time, and time for the little things we have for us.”

Don’t let your fears, worries, and uncertainties keep you from having a good time.

We work hard to reach our goals and push towards accomplishments. It’s only right we also give ourselves time to rest, recover, and enjoy the present as well. That’s a part of the balance needed in a healthy and happy life.

Don’t allow the worry that you’re going to miss some important deadline or drop the ball on some task keep you from enjoying yourself in the present. Your goals will still be there when you come back, and in having taken a break to enjoy the here-and-now? You will return to your pursuit of those goals and aspirations feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The message in today’s Nine of Swords and affirmation card is a reminder that sometimes we all need to set aside the worry and stress that motivates our determination to succeed and just have a little carefree fun. Don’t let your fears and “what if” worries keep you from enjoying that time.

DECK USED:  STANDARD PLAYING CARD TAROT AND HAPPY LITTLE THINGS CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 9th : About peace…

Oracle Reading with the Our World In Pictures Human Body Flash Cards

What is currently causing disruption in my life?

Taste – If you refuse to eat the things you don’t like to eat, why would you do things you don’t want to do? Why are your taste buds getting listened to and complied with more than your sense of enjoyment in other things?

This card indicates you aren’t saying “no” enough. Your over-tolerance for your own discomfort and complacency are causing more problems than they’re solving. It’s time to examine your boundaries.

How can I find healthy authentic peace in the moment?

Upper Back Muscles – Support what’s good for you above other considerations.

It comes down to prioritization and making sure you are prioritizing yourself and your own happiness above other demands and expectations. This helps in not just creating stability, but in instilling more happiness and less stress in your life as well.

How would instilling more of this peace help me?

Lymphatic System – By prioritizing yourself more and upholding healthy boundaries against unreasonable expectations and self-sabotaging behaviors, you give yourself permission to thrive and cultivate a healthier, happier life.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Deodar Cedar Ceramic Impression for Clarity and Spiritual Connection
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Picture Jasper for Sense of Proportion and Grounding
Gray Agate for Stabilizing Energies and Expectations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: OUR WORLD IN PICTURES HUMAN BODY FLASH CARDS

The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 9th : A value you’re protecting this month

Tarot Reading with the Standard Playing Card Tarot

Reading Summary: You are aware that the development of the future self you want to become (Judgement) lies fully within your hands/power to achieve (The Magician), and seek to make sure you are headed toward success in this direction (The Sun).

Take Away: Positive self exploration and development are a major focus of your spiritual and intellectual path. This growth is fostered by those things you do, the choices you make, and the paths you choose to pursue.

To grow and develop into a better person than you are today is to better not just yourself but the world around you as well, and is a value you strive to foster and protect with care.

Other elements included in this reading:
Bird Figurine for Fostering Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Running Horse Raku Medallion for Free-Spirit Energies
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Hag Stone for Connecting with the Liminal
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: STANDARD PLAYING CARD TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.

Gideon’s Challenge – Delicate

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Pops of Color - Red and Yellow Tulips

Delicate

softness
sometimes
leaves
the strongest
impression
on those
that see
the world
in black
and white
sharp angles
and stone

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Expressions of Love

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🍃    •    ◈    •    •    •

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Maya Land Collage Tarot - Ten of Pentacles

Today’s draw is the Ten of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction and stability in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that have to do with hard earned success, accomplishments, abundance created through patience and hard work, and reaching a point in that abundance and stability where it is comfortably shared with those around us.

The Ten of Pentacles has then been combined with an affirmation from the Miracle Mantras deck, which says, “I give and receive love freely.”

I provide stability. Everyone has a “love language” by which they naturally express love to others. For some it’s touch, or words of support, or gifts, or service. For me, it’s stability.

This doesn’t mean that I express my love through giving people money. It’s not as limiting as providing resources either, although sometimes that’s part of it. It’s that I provide those around me with a sense of security. They feel safe with me. They feel stable with me. I help others find and experience (sometimes in small ways and sometimes larger) that feeling of grounded stability we all need now and then.

The message in today’s cards is an encouragement to look at and take some time to explore how you express love. Not just romantic love, but love given freely to others in a language that is an intrinsic part of your nature.

DECK USED:  MAYA LAND COLLAGE TAROT AND MIRACLE MANTRAS AFFIRMATION DECK

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
Philosophical Questions for July 8th

Tarot Reading with the John Bauer Tarot and Jaguar Kei Oracle

What is strength?

Seven of Cups Rx and House of Otter

Strength lies in knowing when to fight loud and wild for your convictions, and when to approach things with a softer and gentle tone.

Strength means listening to the past and learning from it, carrying those lessons forward into the future instead of leaving them behind.

Strength means no man is an island and, in supporting each other, we strengthen each other individually and as a whole.

Where does strength come from?

Knight of Swords and Balsamic Moon

Strength comes from the lessons learned both individually and as a community as we stumble our way through the dark of uncertainty.

Strength comes from allowing ourselves to look at the past and accept that we don’t (and can’t) know everything, but are still eager to learn what we can.

Strength is born within the seeds of curiosity.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity

DECK USED: JOHN BAUER TAROT AND JAGUAR KAI ORACLE

The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 8th : A desire you’re done shaming

Tarot Reading with the Maya Land Collage Tarot

Reading Summary: The Page of Pentacles and Eight of Swords both look back in the direction of the Six of Cups.

Your shame resides in your past (Six of Cups) and those things you have tried to put behind you, ignore (Eight of Pentacles), and yet learn from (Page of Pentacles).

Take Away: It’s time to examine what in your past you’re hiding from and the unresolved experiences that lie there in relation to others’ impossible expectations and demands.

You were able to stand strong in who you are and what you liked back then, so why are you shaming yourself for it now?

Ref: queerness, softness, “feminine” interests

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Foraged Lodgepole Pine for Resilience, Growth, and Renewal
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: MAYA LAND TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.

Gideon’s Challenge – Cracked

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The Long Road to Nowhere

Cracked

broken bits
fall from
cracked surfaces
like ice
dropped
to shatter
on hot pavement
and although
no marks
are left behind
something
is lost

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Bite Sized Busy Work

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🍃    •    ◈    •    •    •

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Marseille Cats Tarot - Four of Wands

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.

The Four of Wands has then been combined with a card from the Animantras Chakra Oracle, which says, “Be Busy”.

You would feel far more welcomed and comfortable if your home was better cared for.

The lack of a housekeeper compounded with the fact that running your business from home creates a fair bit of chaos means that things have gotten a bit out of hand. It’s overwhelming, and because it’s overwhelming it becomes something that you want to hide from and ignore instead of deal with. This, in turn, exacerbates the problem and at the same time, blows the task up in your head to the point it feels insurmountable and hopeless.

The fact is, though, that if you do just a little bit of busy work each day, that insurmountable mountain will become a molehill and the things that need done will be done before you know it.

Today’s Four of Wands and prompt card are an encouragement to do one little thing to make your home feel more welcoming and comfortable. Then, tomorrow? Do a different little thing. It’s okay to do the busy work one little bite sized piece at a time.

DECKS USED:  MARSEILLE CAT TAROT AND ANIMANTRAS CHAKRA ORACLE

The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 7th : A moment you want to stretch out

Intuitive Tarot Reading with the Tarot of Atlantis

Reading Summary: You absolutely love your alone time of both the healthy and unhealthy varieties (Right Card), to the point when it is interrupted you often become disgruntled (Center Card) and forget to celebrate and enjoy that together time with others (Left Card).

Take Away: It can be hard to let go of the peace and solitude that alone time provides you with. You want to stretch these moments out and wallow in them. This urge is so powerful within you that, even when the alone time is of the unhealthy variety, you resent its interruption.

These cards are a reminder that time with others is also precious and should be savored and celebrated. Don’t let your urge to wallow in alone time (including unhealthy alone time) hold you back from enjoying time spent with others. You’ll be able to get back to a bit of that alone time later on, and will have the joy of those memories with others to then savor when you’re there.

Other elements included in this reading:
Chinese Silver Grass for fostering Grounding and Nurturing Stability
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: TAROT OF ATLANTIS (trimmed naked)

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 7th : About dreams…

Tarot Reading with the Marseille Cats Tarot

What repeated element in your dreams have you been overlooking or ignoring?

Nine of Cups atop Ace of Coins – Your dreams always start off well. No matter what ends up happening, you always begin with everything feeling safe, happy, comfortable, and secure.

What is the presence of this element trying to convey to you?

Seven of Coins – That potential lies in this moment of beginning. Although most of your dreams are nightmares or dreams of frustration, the potential at the beginning is there for them to take a happier direction.

That solid starting point in your dreams is telling you that with less micromanagement and meddling, better things can follow.

How can this new awareness help you in your everyday life?

Five of Swords – Less struggle means less strife and less exhaustion. If you want a healthier, happier future, stop trying to control every aspect of its creation.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Fluorite for the Amplification of Stress Relief
Aquamarine for Fostering Relaxation and Letting Go
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: MARSEILLE CAT TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I took a pain pill today and spend some time on an ice pack instead of just forcing myself to keep going and ignore the pain.

Gideon’s Challenge – Crowded

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Vancouver City Street - West End

Crowded

too many people
crammed together
taking up
all the air
and all the space
so that a reminder
of their presence
lives
in every nook
cranny
and moment
and the peace
of being alone
is lost
even with no one
in sight

Photo © ZenStatePhotography