Come Closer
Will you please
hug me closer
and keep me warm
as the winter
grows cold
and the air nips
at bare skin
until the
backs of hands
are roughened
and lips
are cracked
I need your arms
around me
close and tight
Where Are You Going?
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Today’s draw is the Three of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of of the first steps that come after planning turns to action. It is about looking ahead, direction, and progress.
In this card’s imagery, the “ghosts” in the image are a glimpse of the future as a father sends his child off to school for the first time, and we see a forward echo of the scene replaying again and again as she grows up. Each send off a first step towards a new adventure.
The message in this card tells us that each small step is a step forward on a path that leads into the future. The choices we make matter as they determine the direction that we go in.
DECK USED: GAY TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2023 Challenge Prompt
Topic for February 19th: Do Spread 3
Instructions: Today’s spread is a bit different than our normal in that we are not drawing random cards, but rather, we are picking out the cards we think fit best. For each position, pick the card you feel fits the question best for you, and then explain why.
Which one card do you feel sums you up best?
Queen of Coins – The older I get, the more I feel like I slip further and further towards the Queen of Coins. Yes, I strive always to be the Hanged Man, constantly looking for new and different perspectives. But, I feel that more and more I begin to embody the Queen of Coins as I age, seeking to support those that I care about in the ways I’m able to best do so.
Which one card do you feel represents your strengths?
The Hanged Man – Mentioned above, I strive for perspectives beyond my own. My strength is in that effort and my desire to be open minded and seek more than my own world view. I seek to see and understand the world through the eyes of others every day.
Which one card do you feel represents your limitations?
Two of Coins – I try and try to balance pessimism with hope, fun and responsibility, work and rest. Balance is not an easy thing for me when there is so much to do and I am constantly trying to find that balance and adjust… and constantly feel that I am failing at this. Because there is no steady and consistently stable balance and continuous adjustments need to be made, it never feels like I quite manage to find the balance I need.
What kind of issues do you feel that you need to work on?
Five of Cups – Pessimism and negativity are my natural inclination. This is an issue that I am working at, but it’s a long road that takes a lot of conscious effort to counteract. The pessimism has a greater influence on my mental health than I’d realized through the first thirty years of my life. Now that I know this, I work diligently to balance that negativity with hope and optimism, but…. sometimes I lose track and backslide.
What message do you want to share with the world?
Six of Swords – You do not have to stay in a situation that is not healthy for you. There are always choices to be made… options to consider. Yes, some of them require actually imploding your life and starting anew, but usually? It’s worth it in the end when your goal is reaching for something more right, healthy, and fitting for you.
DECK USED: THE POOH TAROT MINI EDITION
@Lionharts #TheFebruaryTarot Queen of Cups Challenge Prompt
Questions for February 19th and 20th
What should I stop avoiding?
Ace of Swords – Instead of keeping everything to yourself, make sure that you are communicating clearly with others. Open and honest communication is key to healthy relationships with those in your life.
Why?
The Emperor – In your life you carry a lot of responsibility for others, but you can’t handle that responsibility well if you don’t communicate clearly with those around you to express what is needed from others and “direct traffic” as needed.
How can I live and love more freely?
Six of Swords Rex atop Four of Wands – Don’t let your worries about what other people think keep you from enjoying what you have and celebrating what you’ve built.
DECK USED: GAY TAROT
This is catch-up post, and I cannot remember what I might have done as a self-kindness for the day.
Gideon’s Challenge
Disappointments
The soul withers
and pain
sucks the vibrancy
and life
from every vein
until skin
is paper thin
and teardrops fall
one at a time
until
bits and pieces
begin
to fall away
and flutter
to the ground
to be trampled
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 – Four of Wands – With your week off ahead, make sure you are taking time to celebrate being able to enjoy some down time at home.
Air – Knight of Swords – Make sure if you’re going to hyper focus on anything, that you make it something fun and healthy instead of just more work. You can’t work all the time, and this week you’re supposed to be taking it easy.
Water – Nine of Swords – Worries and anxiety are on the rise this week. Make sure to take some deep breaths and do the grounding needed to keep yourself balanced and stable so that you don’t fly off the handle or become overly reactionary.
Fire – Three of Swords – Take care that you aren’t too harsh in expressing your disappointments. Too much fire and energy poured into this avenue could do far more harm than good.
Waning – Heart and Anchor – A relationship in your life that has felt stable of late may begin to feel a bit imbalanced and unstable this week. Take a breath and remember that part of this is perception… some of it may be anxiety… but very little of it is permanent truth.
Waxing – Fox and Bear – Be cunning and smart in how you take control and lead this week. Don’t just charge in like a bull in a china shop, but instead work at finding ways to bend others to your will.
DECKS USED: KAI TAROT LOVE AND LIFELINE LENORMAND
Being Stubborn Doesn’t Make It Right
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Today’s draw is the Lovers card, which is traditionally a representation of love, unions, and the making of decisions that are right and healthy for you.
What I see in this card’s imagery, though, is that sometimes what we want and desire is not always what’s truly good for us.
What I see in this card is a reminder not to cling to those things that are not for you. No matter how much you want them to be. Being too stubborn about this only leads to pain and struggle.
Better to accept and move on, than fight and insist when it’s only going to do you far more harm than good.
DECK USED: MEDIEVAL MISCHIEF TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2023 Challenge Prompt
Question for February 18th: What do you need to focus on for self-care for the new moon?
Reading Summary: The snake in the Regret card reflects up into the Lovers card in your COTD for today.
There are times that you worry (Regret) that by holding on so tightly to your boundaries and independence (Integrity) that you are fucking things up in your relationship (the snake).
Don’t. He is patient and, although greedy, he is happy for all that you’re willing to give without pushing for more (Patience).
Take Away: Stop worrying so much that you could lose him. He’s here for the long haul and isn’t pushing. There’s no reason to worry that that is going to change.
DECK USED: RECLAIM ORACLE
@the_mystic_star February Tarot Challenge Prompt
Questions for February 17th and 18th
What card symbolizes the love that I have for others?
Eight of Pentacles atop Queen of Wands – You use those things you are passionate about and good at to connect with others. You seek to teach and guide, to give of yourself through these pursuits and sharing of these interests. This is how you express your love for others.
How can I share my love more effectively with others?
Ace of Pentacles and Ten of Wands – Take opportunities that are presented to you to share the burden of your responsibilities. When you pile them too high on your own plate, it steals time and energy not just from you… but from your ability to share with others and enjoy their company.
DECK USED: MEDIEVAL MISCHIEF TAROT
This is catch-up post, and I cannot remember what I might have done as a self-kindness for the day.
Gideon’s Challenge
Staying Warm
Eastern winds
slip between
mountain crevaces
to skim ice
and cold
over rocks
and branches
and as snowflakes
fall
the waterfall
freezes
and we are left
huddled together
to seek warmth
with hands in
each other’s pockets
Twisting the Leaf 