Phenomenon
How can
something
so beautiful
look so cold
like icicles
and winter snow
crisp underfoot
at sunset
her rosy cheeks
don’t add
any warmth
to the scene
only color
and confusion
Gideon’s Challenge – Phenomenon
Hollow Acts vs Enriching Activities
Today’s meditation was skipped.
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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 Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of public accolades, societal expectations, people pleasing, and peer pressure.
The Six of Wands has then been combined with an affirmation from the Miracle Mantras Affirmation deck, which says, “I am abundant in love, time, and possibility.”
If people pleasing for loved ones is something that you are drawn to, make sure that you are doing things that you enjoy in that endeavor. It should be pleasurable for both, not just for them.
These activities need to be more than just the pursuit of praise or another’s happiness. They need to also give something to you through the pleasure you take in the activity, the pride you feel in the results that stem from a job well done rather than another’s praise, or the joy such activities create within you.
Without these personal rewards, people pleasing becomes hollow and unhealthy.
The message in today’s Six of Wands and affirmation is a reminder that people pleasing doesn’t have to be unhealthy. By finding your own joy and pleasure in what you do, it can transform an unhealthy and hollow experience into something bonding and magical. These cards, therefore, encourage us to choose our people pleasing activities wisely based on our own interests and enjoyment rather than solely on the desire to please others.
DECKS USED: TAROT MURMURE DE LA FORÊT AND MIRACLE MANTRAS AFFIRMATION DECK
The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 3rd : A need you’re finally honoring
Reading Summary: Instead of ignoring your weaknesses and trying to find ways to bypass them (Align), you are working on (Practice) utilizing your courage, and the confidence built from it (Confidence atop Courage), to acknowledge and accept them instead (Align).
Take Away: Confidence often follows in the steps of courage. When we allow ourselves to face our fears and acknowledge our weaknesses, it builds courage within us and with that courage? Confidence as well.
You are learning how to acknowledge and accept your weaknesses rather than trying to berate yourself for them or bury them out of sight. In honoring these weaknesses and the need to accept them, you foster space for new growth and fostering a greater strength within yourself that includes both courage and confidence to flourish.
Other elements included in this reading:
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting with Nature and the Wild Within
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: FAERIE PATHWAYS ORACLE
#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 3rd : About comfort…
What key element of comfort are you refusing to provide for yourself?
Two of Swords – You aren’t making choices; you’re just sitting back and letting the choices make themselves or pass you by entirely. Without a proactive attitude, you end up languishing instead of doing the things you really need in order to help in “leveling up” your comfort.
Why are you withholding this comfort?
The Hermit – Your craving for alone time holds you back from participating in the needed activities that often have to involve others in one way or another. You’re avoiding social interaction and time with others, and as a result it is withholding from you this greater level of comfort you -could- be experiencing.
What is needed to release this blockage or pattern of neglect?
The Hierophant – If you incorporate teaching others into your time spent with them, you will enjoy these interactions more and be more open to doing them. This can both enrich their experiences with you, and create a greater sense of enjoyment and comfort for you in the social aspects of these activities.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Dried Lavender Bundle for Calming and Comfort
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Calcite for Gently Calming the Mind and Stimulating Insights
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: TAROT MURMURE DE LA FORÊT
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.
Gideon’s Challenge – Distractions
Distractions
Lets lie down
on the pier
and hang
our torsos
over the edge
to play
with the critters
that cling
to the edges
where water laps
crisp and cold
against the
mussels and
barnacles
bathing
in the sun
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Transformations Through Trust
Today’s meditation was a ten minute #DailyCalm session from the @Calm.
• • • ◈ • 🍃 • ◈ • • •
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of slow growth, sustainability, domestic harmony, hard work, and practicing patience while the fruits of your labors develop and take form.
The Seven of Pentacles has then been combined with a prompt card from the Animantras Chakra deck, which says, “Be Delicate.”
Accepting that it is okay to be vulnerable is one of those things that has been extremely difficult for me to process. It can be hard to let go of control…
[pauses for a moment of thought and reflection]
It just occurred to me why we may not be using violence as foreplay as much as we used to in my relationship with Gideon. These cards make me wonder if the reason we don’t need as much violence in our foreplay these days is because I am more willing and/or it has become easier for me to let go without it.
In the beginning of my relationship with Gideon, it often took violence to get me into a place of submission. Not because I didn’t want to be there, but because psychologically speaking, I had a hard time letting go of control. The violence helped with that (and was hot for both of us… really hot).
Overtime, though, it has become easier and easier for me to drop into the drown (subspace). I don’t need the violence as much to get there, and Gideon became hesitant in using it to get me there because my drowns were going so deep and the (sub)drop that came after was becoming more intense.
Over time, I allowed myself to be more vulnerable and more delicate around him. In response, he became more careful with me.
I mean, to be fair, I’m not complaining. I’ve just wondered sometimes where that violence had gone, and why it disappeared when it was something that we both enjoyed. I think that my mind was trying to find a way to “take the blame” for this change, and that I was depriving Gideon of something he wants or needs in the process.
The message in today’s cards speaks about vulnerabilities and how trust can make these vulnerabilities something far easier to expose and accept. This relates to to areas of life and ourselves that go far beyond sex and preferences in that area; trust takes time. You can’t expect people to just hand over that kind of trust… it has to be built.
DECK USED: STORYBOOK TAROT AND ANIMANTRAS CHAKRA ORACLE
The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompts for July 1st and 2nd
A feeling you’re leaning into
Fire – After your talk with your shrink the other day, you are feeling a new spark of your hope and creativity.
You feel like you have a bit of an idea on which direction you want to go in order to try and make things better with your business, and are feeling the motivation to get started in that area on those things that have been discussed.
A standard you’re releasing
Purpose and Diet – Expectations of perfection for perfection’s sake. Recently, you have been encouraged to look at your relationship with perfection and how it connects to self abuse.
Your third quarterly reading indicated that now is a good time to look at the options available to you and start weeding out the ones that don’t fit, aren’t suited, or aren’t healthy for you. This includes your attachment to perfection and the unreasonable expectations you put upon yourself in this area. With this relationship brought to light you are beginning to let go of these expectations and work on seeing your efforts in a different (more positive) light.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Citrine for Energy Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: THE WITCH CAT AKASHIC RECORDS ORACLE
#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 2nd : About fun…
Why does guilt plague your moments of carefree fun?
Nine of Cups – Guilt plagues your moments of carefree fun because you want to show measurable success in your happiness.
It often feels like it’s not enough to just be happy. Instead, you feel the need for there to be an actual measurable success to show for your efforts rather than just a feeling of happiness or contentedness in the moment.
How can you release this guilt to enjoy these moments more?
Seven of Cups – There was recently an article published about how newer generations are prioritizing experiences over possessions. They spend their money on things that they want to experience like live music, festivals, and travel, instead of on material expenditures that show your wealth or accomplishments. They live light and experience more.
Letting go of your guilt to enjoy more of these moments guilt-free is a matter of choice and priorities. You have to choose what you prioritize and choose what you value most. Do you actually value most the fact that you can amaze others with what you’ve accomplished? Or is your own enjoyment more important?
What would guilt-free fun look like?
King of Pentacles – It’s the stability you’ve been looking for all along, you’ve just been looking in the wrong places.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Shiva Shell Heart for Wisdom and Discernment
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
DECK USED: STORYBOOK TAROT
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.
Gideon’s Challenge – Longing
Longing
Blue skies
are boring
but mountain peaks
basking
pristine in their
glacier’s glory
make way
for imagination
and curioisty
to flourish
all the same
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
The Self Abuse of Perfectionism
Today’s meditation was a ten minute #DailyCalm session from the @Calm.
• • • ◈ • 🍃 • ◈ • • •
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 Coins, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings and new opportunities in the areas of one’s finances, resources, health, labors, manifestations, and the physical world.
The card has then been combined with an affirmation card from the Soul Seedlings deck, which says, “I strive for progress, not perfection.”
In my opinion, the expectation of perfection is a form of self abuse. This is coming from someone who has spent the majority of their life in pursuit of perfection at all costs, including whatever personal costs are involved. This kind of mindset means that your best is never good enough, and you tear down your best again and again to do more until it’s better than your best. Even then, you finally have to concede that this is the best you can do, but it’s probably still not perfect.
See the abuse in there? It’s all over the place from the actions taken to the mindset to the fact that no matter how good you do it’s never going to be enough.
Years after having discovered this, I still catch myself, falling into the old pattern of expectations of perfection. Not from others, but from myself. I am working to be kinder to myself, though, and this is a part of that journey.
The message in today’s Ace of Coins and affirmation card is a reminder that demanding perfection from yourself is unhealthy. It is abusive. These cards encourage us to instead focus upon progress rather than perfection, for it’s not in perfection where we find growth and betterment, but in the small steps of progress we make from day-to-day.
DECK USED: QUEER CROW DEATH MAGIC TAROT AND SOUL SEEDLINGS AFFIRMATIONS FOR KIDS
#DiscordTarotholicsJun2026 Challenge
Prompt for July 1st : Do the Third 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 July : Seven of Cups
There’s a lot of choices, directions, and options laid out in front of you this month. Make sure when you are looking at all of these options that you first weed out the ones that are impractical or unhealthy for you. They don’t need to be in the mix causing extra confusion with their presence. This weeding process is the first step in making the best choices possible.
Focus / Advice for July : The Crux
“… suffering and its cure are written into our DNA. Any unrealized goal is a form of dissatisfaction“
Make sure when choosing which opportunities you moved towards and which ones you step away from, that you are also considering which of those opportunities will be too heavy to carry over the long run.
Ray of Hope for July : My Voice Matters
Consider discussing these options with others rather than making the decision alone and on your own. By bouncing your options off of others, you gain a perspective on these options that you would not otherwise have, as well as a better understanding of yourself as those you trust to consult with offer you honest advice based on what they know about you. Not to mention, sometimes they are more likely than you are to take into account and add value to the things that will make you happy.
Theme for August : The Tower
Make sure whatever choices and deliberations needed to be made are done in July, because in August it’s time to start moving on the destruction and restructuring needed to make room to bring these new opportunities you’ve chosen to pursue to life.
Focus / Advice for August : The Benighted
Make sure to leave room for lots of cluster fucks. Just because things feel like they aren’t going as planned doesn’t mean that you’re not getting something out of the process. It just means that you need to give yourself more time to get where you want to go. Feelings of uncertainty are natural during this time. Tenacity is needed.
Ray of Hope for August : My Mind is Being Filled with Fantastical Ideas
Instead of falling into “what if” thinking where your brain begins to fill up with all of the catastrophic issues that could turn things awry, use that creativity in your mind and imagination to consider all of the ways that things could go even better than planned because of these obstacles and delays.
Theme for September : Temperance
Slow down. Explore and consider where you are pushing too hard, to the point where it can be detrimental to you, your health, or your well-being. Don’t ignore the warning signs that you are overexerting yourself through excess and lack of moderation.
Focus / Advice for September : The Ethics
Remember that how you go about doing something is just as important as getting it done. You may be tempted this month to try and bypass your own personal ethics in order to foster expediency. Don’t do this. Make sure that you are checking in with yourself and your moral compass and following where they lead, regardless of what extra difficulties or delays that may entail.
Ray of Hope for September : I Am Doing My Best
Don’t forget that “your best” it’s not about perfection or self-abuse. It’s about doing what you can in the moment without harming yourself in the process. Some days you are going to be more capable than others, and that’s perfectly okay.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity
Citrine for Energy Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECKS USED: QUEER CROW DEATH MAGIC TAROT, EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT TAROT, THE SKYBOUND TRAVELER ORACLE, SOUL SEEDLINGS AFFIRMATIONS FOR KIDS
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.
