Wishes
I wished and wanted
longed for and hoped
and the snow
I desired
fell in droves
but the wind
was too biting
the temps too low
to rush outside
and play in the snow
I stayed inside
and watched it blow
then a sudden shift came
and temperatres rose
ice fell from the sky
to glaze all in sight
and as I looked
out the window
all I can think
is that I’m pretty
damn sure
I never asked
for a skating rink
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Today’s draw is the House and Mountain cards from the Merry Christmas Lenormand.
Over the past few days, I’ve been trying to talk out a difficult situation with someone I consider to be a part of my “online family”. It’s not been an easy discussion, and sometimes it feels like it’s not going all that well. Or… going well at all.
These cards are a reminder that difficult does not mean impossible, and that it’s time to deal with the elephants in the room that we’ve all been trying to push into the corner and ignore for a long time… no matter how difficult it becomes, or how much it sucks.
These cards also pose a question. What discussions with family and friends are you avoiding? What ugly or uncomfortable business with those close to you needs dealt with to clear the air?
#DiscordTarotholicsDec2022 Challenge Prompt
Spread: Tarotholics Spread 3 from December 18th
Thistle – Mental Health / Wards: How can I ward off the blues that try to encroach as the holidays draw to a close?
Six of Swords – Focus on moving in the direction towards something better. Lean into improvements.
Garnet – Purification / Balance: How can I purify myself to help find a better balance for the new year ahead?
Eight of Swords – Open your eyes to the shit that you are trying to deny. Acceptance and adaptation will be far less dangerous.
Yew – Rebirth / Protection: What practices need resurrected in my life to protect my personal well-being?
Knight of Pentacles atop Seven of Wands – Stand up for your need to slow down, even if that’s standing up against your own harsh judgement and old habits.
Diamond – Fearlessness / Imagination: How can my imagination foster more fearlessness in my life?
The Sun – Imagine the possible positive outcomes and lean into optimism, instead of always imagining and expecting the worst.
Holly – Fertility / Longevity: How can I create longevity in the fertile soil of my new endeavors?
Temperance – Practice patience and moderation. Stretch out the experiences instead of plowing in headlong and full-bore.
Emerald – Hearth & Home / Loyalty: How can a closer connection to hearth & home affect my sense of loyalty?
The Hierophant – A closer connection to hearth and home teaches you what truly matters, and connects you in traditional ways to others in your life.
Peppermint – Mental Stimulation: What methods can I use to best stimulate my mind when I need a boost?
Six of Pentacles Rx – Be selfish. Take time for yourself and do things for yourself instead of always putting everything and everyone first.
I let Jer drive and took a nap in the car.
The Thaw
Drips and dribbles
pat and patter
as ice melts away
and snow disipates
overnight
so that the morning
dawns
with a combination
of wet sheen
rippling puddles
and dripping bits
of icy remnants
of frozen rain
and heavy snow
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 – Knight of Pentacles – It’s time to slow down. You can still keep you eye on your goals, but the slower pace is needed. It might feel like stagnancy, but if you’re still moving toward your goals? It’s not.
Air – Knight of Cups – You need to make sure you keep in mind what it is you want in your life. Don’t lose sight of what’s truly important to you and will make you happy. Orient yourself towards those things.
Water – Eight of Swords Rx – Now that the holiday rush is over, it’s time to remove the bindings on your emotions so that they can flow freely once again. Keep this in mind moving forward through the week and remain conscious of this goal as you move out of emotional stagnation.
Fire – Ace of Wands – Find other passions to pour your excess energy and anxiety into. That excess will taper off over time, but it needs redirecting into new and different interests in the meantime.
Waning – Birds and Anchor – Don’t depend on family and friends for the stability you crave. You have to create that for yourself.
Waxing – Rider and Garden – That doesn’t mean avoid them, though. Enjoy their company and companionship as you visit with them over the next week.
Take Away – It’s time to ease up on that tight grip of control you have had over your emotions and intuition throughout the past seven weeks. Allow your softer side to stretch from the shell you’ve built around it and begin to find the fresh air and freedom it needs to return happy and healthy once more.
Today’s meditation was skipped.
Today’s draw is the “Harmey the Elf” card from the Fearsome Weirdos Ghouls of Yule deck.
Harmey the Elf says… make sure the solution isn’t worse than the problem! For example, trying to use clumping litter as traction would cause more problems than it fixes. Breaking the ice above the gutter without a ladder to make sure you don’t damage anything would cause more problems than it fixes. Trying to force the screen door back onto its tract without a butter knife and a little patience would cause more problems than it will fix.
Pay attention to the things you do today and make sure that the ingenuity and solutions you reach for are solid and grounded. The potential for causing more problems than you fix is high if you don’t take care to do things right the first time around or think prior to acting.
#DiscordTarotholicsDec2022 Challenge Prompt
Spread: Tarotholics Spread 1 from December 4th
Bear – Introspection / Healing: How can a period of introspection help with healing the past year’s pain?
Two of Swords – Think before you act. Think before you speak. Remember that it’s okay to pause and contemplate before you say something that might make things worse or choose a direction you’re not prepared or interested in going in.
Robin – Compassion / Patience: Where can I express more compassion and patience with others?
Four of Cups – Take a moment to consider why people are being difficult instead of just assuming it’s manipulation. People balk for many reasons, and it’s not always to get their own way, inconvenience you, or make things more difficult for others.
Deer – Gentleness / Intuition: How can I use my intuition to encourage more gentleness and caring this holiday?
The Moon atop The Chariot – Allow your intuition to chariot you through moments of uncertainty. It’s okay to give your intuition reign and let it steer. The holiday rush caused you to pull back, but that’s no longer needed.
Squirrel – Preparation / Resourcefulness: How can prep and resourcefulness help me through the holidays?
The Star – Being prepared will help you in seeing the possibilities, making your outlook more positive and allowing you to be more hopeful. This positivity and optimism is key to enjoying what’s left of the holidays.
Wren – Inspiration / Enthusiasm: Where can I find inspiration to help me be enthusiastic about the holidays this year?
Six of Pentacles – Giving and receiving is a huge theme of the holidays. You enjoy people receiving the thoughtful gifts you have picked out for them, and in receiving those you’ve picked out for you. You enjoy witnessing the generosity that is so readily apparent during the holidays.
Boar – Stubborn Persistence: In what way can stubborn persistence help me through the rest of this year?
Five of Pentacles – Don’t let your scarcity issues get the best of you. Things are not as bad as they seem, and there is help of you truly need it.
Owl – Trust / Knowledge: How can the knowledge I’ve gained this year help me to trust myself better?
Eight of Pentacles – Integrate the lessons that you have learned into your life and use it to become better at those things you struggled with throughout the past year.
I waited to take off for Ms B’s until the roads had a bit of time to thaw, leaving in the afternoon instead of first thing in the morning.
Winter Temptation
Frozen paths
and thigh deep snow
keeps us inside
when the desire
we know
digs in deep
to tell us to play
but it’s
too damned cold
to go out today
maybe tomorrow
we can play
and have
a fit of fun
before the snow
melts away
Twisting the Leaf 