Rainy Season
fed up
and tired
to the bone
he lifts
his home
above
the flood line
so he won’t
have to wear
waders
indoors
anymore
and now lives
among
the clouds
Gideon’s Challenge – Rainy Season
Lucid Dreaming and Control
Today’s meditation was skipped.
• • • ◈ • 🍃 • ◈ • • •
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is the Justice card, which is traditionally a representation of balance, cause and effect, repercussions and consequences, give and take, and can often indicate the law or legal system.
The Justice card has then been combined with the A Good Dream card from the Happy Little Things deck, which says, “In case you haven’t heard, there are entire universes inside you. Every day, humans spend 6 to 8 hours sleeping. And they sleep every day of their life. And every time they sleep they create wonderful universes. If you scrub the bad things from your brain before going to sleep, with any luck – sleep will bring out something magical.”
I often experience what I would consider to be “the cusp” of lucid dreaming. That is to say that often when I dream, I am fully aware that I am dreaming, and can even control certain aspects of that dream. I cannot, however, control the dreams theme or its atmosphere.
I suppose this is fair since my dreams seem to often be helping in processing traumatic experiences, but I have to admit it’s also irritating because a lot of the themes of my dreams that are not focused around my traumas are actually themed after frustration.
If I could take a greater control of my dreams, would that make for better sleep? Or would it stunt my growth in processing my trauma?
I have a feeling that the answer to that question is neither, and both. I think that there’s always going to be repercussions to every action we take, and that is how the world, and in fact the universe, creates balance.
Today’s Justice card and affirmation card ask us to consider what things in our life we desire to change but can’t, and what repercussions changing these things could create as a possible reason for why we can’t change them in the first place. Perhaps this can help us in accepting that we just can’t always have control over everything because we don’t always know what’s best, even sometimes when we think we do.
DECKS USED: TRANSPARENT WISDOM TAROT AND HAPPY LITTLE THINGS DECK
The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 14th : A goal you’re reframing
Reading Summary: You are spending less time on the defensive (The Watchtower) as you delve into explorations (Green Sea Turtle) of your self (‘Ōpe’ape’a).
Take Away: Dipping into an exploration of self can be a daunting experience rife with vulnerability and triggers to trip over. It’s natural when you commit to this type of exploration that your defenses rise up in an effort to mitigate uncertainty and protect you.
As you continue on this path, though, you are finding less need to brace and defend. This is allowing for curiosity to flourish in this journey of self discovery, and making it easier to stretch into growth instead of flinching away from it in moments of uncertainty.
Not that the flinching still doesn’t happen from time to time, but you’re getting there in developing a new perception and response in those moments.
Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Red Oak Leaf for Fostering Unconditional Love
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity
Moss Agate for Attracting Opportunities for Growth
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: NATIONAL PARKS ORACLE
#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 14th : About life…
My life’s purpose
Ace of Pentacles / Rabbit – To connect with the earth and explore the concept of potential, while learning to connect with opportunities that are right for you instead of jumping at every opportunity that presents itself.
How this looks in the day-to-day
Nine of Wands / Turtle – Regulation of the speed needed to do what needs done and the determination to connect authentically with those things that “fit” no matter the speed at which they move. Earning the wisdom needed to understand when to move faster, when to slow down, when to put up defenses, and when to allow for vulnerability.
How this looks at the end of my life
Nine of Pentacles / Bobcat – Independent, but satisfied. Wise enough to know your own strengths and weaknesses. Illusive to others at times. Able to choose your battles wisely with the understanding and skills gained by previous experience.
Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting Deeper with Nature and the Wild
Foraged Acorn for Protection during New Beginnings
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Conch Shell Knots for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Gray Agate Druzy Slab for Stabilizing Energies and Expectations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: TRANSPARENT WISDOM TAROT
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.
Gideon’s Challenge – Wrong Way
Wrong Way
sunlight steals
through boughs
and branches
to illuminate
the shadows
as it speaks
of open spaces
instead of
the close tangle
of green
blocking out
the light
and warns
that it’s time to
change direction
or depart
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Connections We Make
Today’s meditation was skipped.
• • • ◈ • 🍃 • ◈ • • •
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.
Today’s draw is The High Priestess card, which is traditionally a representation of intuition, secrets, sacred knowledge, mystery, the subconscious mind.
The High Priestess card has then been combined with an affirmation from Miracle Mantras Affirmation Deck, which says, “My relationships reflect the love I give myself.”
We see what we need in life, often without conscious thought of ever doing so. This is why those we engage in friendships in relationships with often appear to be the opposite of ourselves. They create the “puzzle pieces” that match up with our own, fitting together into a greater wholeness.
Therefore, I’m not entirely sure if our relationships actually reflect the love that we give ourselves (as stated in today’s affirmation prompt), or reflect the love we need but cannot give ourselves.
Either way, the message in today’s High Priestess card and affirmation is a reminder that the connections we make with others help to “round us out” into someone better than we are on our own. Sometimes how this is happening is hard to see clearly. These cards ask us to examine those relationships and take a moment to see and appreciate what it is that they contribute to our lives, our livelihoods, and our well-being.
DECK USED: VINTAGE THEATRE POSTERS TAROT AND MIRACLE MANTRAS AFFIRMATION DECK
#DiscordTarotholicsJul2026 Challenge
3-Card Spread Prompt for July 13th : Self-care for this month’s new moon…
Wanted – Rose
Perfection and acceptance. They are two very contradictory desires and it’s hard to accept that you can’t have both. The truth is, though, that you could if you were willing to redesign your definition of perfection. That you’re not willing to do this leaves both of these things out of your reach.
Needed – Daffodil
A new start and the patience needed to allow growth to develop at its own pace. Pride gets in the way of this patience, and is a bit motivator in your drive to push yourself too hard.
Accessible – Iris
Move forward one step at a time, even when doubts drag at you and obstacles hold you back. Trust in divine timing and let go of the need to force everything to move faster or to do more. That drive for control over everything leaves you unnecessarily vulnerable.
Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flowers for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Dried Lavender Bundle for Calming and Comfort
Calcite w/ Conichalcite for Amplifying Intuitive Messages
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: THE FLOWER ORACLE
The @ambitiouslyalexa July Journal Prompts
Prompt for July 13th : A comfort you’re allowing yourself
Reading Summary: You’re giving yourself permission (Six of Pentacles) to not engage in stubbornly obsessive ways (Knight of Wands Rx) with those things that steal your time away from (Seven of Swords) the personal growth you wish to focus on (Page of Cups).
Take Away: You are prioritizing your emotional growth and understanding above your need to always be pushing for better and greater success.
In this way, you are essentially putting yourself first above your responsibilities and obligations, giving yourself the space to learn and better understand yourself rather than pushing this focus on growth away to deal with at a later time.
By allowing yourself the space for exploration and growth, you are not punishing yourself as severely as you would have in the past for putting success and ambition in other areas on the back burner.
Other elements included in this reading:
Black Spruce Needles to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy
DECK USED: VINTAGE THEATRE POSTERS TAROT
This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.
Gideon’s Challenge – Eager
Eager
A new trinket
a shiny bauble
a treasure
as yet untold
awaits
for a key
in the lock
and the
eagerness
of wanting
to be home
to split tape
and
peek within
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
🌑 New Moon in Cancer – July 2026
Tomorrow is the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is courtesy of @oak.moon.magic
Where do I feel most at home?
The Luminous Brew
“The strange and unforeseen adventures, synchronicities, and encounters that unfurl as you attempt the various feats of your life simmer within you. These experiences combined to form an elixir that nourishes and sustains you… throughout your life.”
It is in the coalescence of your past experiences that you find the nourishment to move forward. Don’t forget that where you feel most at home is in your present, where the past lies as a foundation to support you and the uncertainty of the future is not yet realized. It’s in the present where empowerment lives and your greatest potential and comfort resides.
What does emotional safety look like?
The Dawn That Follows the Prolonged Night
“Just as dawn begins so subtly that we only notice it once it’s well underway, the same is true of our experience of emerging from dark periods of pain and confusion.”
Safety is in the sensation of surfacing from depression or feeling the lift of experiencing pleasure sourced through nature. When you become more aware of the rhythms of life, you are able to more greatly appreciate the up-swings where you feel safe to be vulnerable.
What do I need less of?
The Self-Seeing Eye
“We all develop a handy thing called an ego… made up of assumptions, many of which took shape when you were very young. These assumptions worked well enough when they formed, but things change.”
It’s important to connect with and look closely at your assumptions and ego driven beliefs now and then, and to then discard those that are longer serving you well, what you now understand to be wrong, or that hold you back from growth into a better person. Don’t allow your misguided ego to hold you back from letting these things go when they are no longer needed.
What do I want more of this lunar cycle?
The Coiled Snake
“Once you acclimatize to having been turned into a snake, you start to enjoy the feeling of your whole body being in direct communion with the Earth. You luxuriate in the sensuousness of your movements and the sinuous power you feel in every cell of your serpentine self. To be a snake, you realize, is a profoundly tactile experience.”
More time communing with nature through the experiences found there. To explore nooks and hollows, touch leaves and bark, smell the earthy scents, and lie upon the spongy grass. To experience the air’s movements along with the branches above, and the squish of detritus and damp earth beneath your feet.
You want to get outside more. Not just any “outside”, but the kind of getting outside that allows you an immersive connection with the trees, plants, and the Earth.
How can I care for myself more gently?
Snake Encircles the Moon
“There are things that give you a sense of safety and stability. When you feel that things have become too turbulent in your life or in your heart, merely remembering these things is like bringing your storm-beaten ship to relieving moorage in a sheltered harbor.”
When you are feeling overwhelmed, take it as a sign to step back for a moment and relieve your stress through meditation or positive visualization exercises. In doing so, you give yourself a break from the chaos, which allows you to re-enter the fray with fresh eyes and renewed energy.
New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.
A Peach So Ripe
“…ambivalence is no longer an option. Like the (ripe end of season) peach, it’s time to either pluck it and eat it, or let it drop to the ground. Either commit more deeply to your current situation, relationship, or endeavor, or let it go. Use it or lose it. Be it or leave it.”
After a long period of stagnancy, you are beginning to finally move in the effort to turn things around for your creative business. Keep in mind as you do this, your commitment will be tested. Lean in.
Other elements included in this reading:
Goat Figure as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
