The Nurse Log
Deep shadow
in the damp woods
bark fallen and
crumbling wood
insect holes
and welcoming
grooves
seeds fall in
to nestle
sunlight dapples
as spores take hold
growth
encouraged
and new life shows
Morning Bonus Read – Paying Attention
The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“Sometimes we become so busy that we may miss something, and that’s okay. It happens to us all. To help ourselves out, we could always use a moment to double check or give attention to detail.”
What is something that has been on my mind lately that I have not given enough attention to?
King of Spades atop Queen of Clubs – The constantly cycling thoughts of needing to buckle down with my business and push forward for more growth.
This isn’t about considering doing what these thoughts are nagging me about, but the thoughts themselves and how they effect my outlook and life. By allowing them to constantly cycle through my mind as an inner narrative, they are not inspiring me, but rather they are raising my stress levels and causing anxiety.
Is this something I should tackle now?
Four of Diamonds – Hell yes. You need stability in your life right now, and these thoughts are highly destabilizing.
How could I tackle this now, if I need to?
Nine of Clubs atop Queen of Hearts – Set boundaries for yourself that address these thoughts, and ensure self kindness is being protected and prioritized.
How can I accommodate paying more attention to detail into my day today?
Ten of Hearts – Look at all you have and connect with what (and who) makes you happy. Practice gratitude for all of the love you have in your life.
Bonus: What is your favorite warm drink that brings comfort?
Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. Not the kind made with water, but warm milk heated in a pan with Nesquik powder.
DECK USED: VOODOO PLAYING CARDS
Lowering Expectations
Today’s meditation was skipped again cuz I overslept just a bit so I didn’t get on the road as early as I wanted to. I probably could have benefited from a bit of meditation tho before driving. I’ll remember that for next time. That extra fifteen minutes in the house might be worth it if it helps my stress levels on the road.
Today’s draw is the Five of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of financial disparity, scarcity issues, and other struggles, strife, trials, and tests in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, home, and manifestations.
The Thera-Pets card combined with the Five of Coins is all about doing what you can… and not pushing for more. This is something that I had to learn financially last year, when the pandemic first hit and I lost all of my jobs except one. I went from five part-time jobs and a thriving home business… to one part-time job and a home business that was doing well, but not growing as it had previously. (Hard to grow a business selling pretty things when people don’t have money to buy pretty things, yeah?)
I had to make adjustments. I had to lower my mortgage payment, and I had to lower my expectations of how long it would be before I could pay off my place. I had to make spending adjustments, and shift the priorities concerning where money went, where I spent my money, and what got paid.
This was hugely stressful, and something that a lot of people went through when the pandemic hit. Unlike many people, I didn’t qualify for financial assistance. I had to accept that… I’m not going to be able to do everything I wanted to do in the time table that I wanted to get it done in. And that I could only do… what I can do.
Lowering expectations, especially expectations we place on ourselves is hard. But no harder than the beating we give ourselves by keeping those expectations high and missing the mark. So the message in today’s cards? Make sure that your expectations that you set for yourself are realistic, then knock them back just a notch more, because they aren’t realistic and they aren’t reasonable, even if you think they are.
DECK USED: TAROT NOIR AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
Mr Lionharts’ #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonoftheWitchChallenge Prompt
Questions for October 1st and 2nd
As above, so below, what will Samhain reap…
The closer you get to Samhain, the faster things are going to move, and the more control you’re going to be exerting (The Chariot) on making sure the things that you want to get done to be carried forward are getting done (Seven of Wands).
With a holiday rush right around the corner at this time, what we see here is a pick up in speed and the tenacity to plow through obstacles that might be in the way.
or sow?
Togetherness and teamwork with a jovial tone (Three of Cups) towards the goals we’ve set out as the three of us prepare and adjust for (Page of Wands) what will come in the days after Samhain.
Not more than a week after Samhain, the holiday rush will begin. As L, Z, and I slip in to the last minute preparation for the holiday rush, togetherness will be a key element in those preparations.
From today until Samhain, show me how it will begin.
Controlled chaos (King of Wands and Wheel of Fortune), and confidence (The Magician).
Over the month, these are the elements in life that will begin to pick up speed and strength. As more energy is poured into them, they will grow in strength and purpose.
DECK USED: CREEPY TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2021 Challenge Prompt
Questions for October 1st and 2nd
What is my relationship with my ancestors / ancestry at this time?
Nine of Coins atop Seven of Coins – You haven’t been given any real opportunity to explore your ancestry and ancestors. You’ve not really found this to be a hardship thus far, although there have been times your curiosity has been piqued.
That said, you have a good deal of skill in divination techniques that you’ve developed over a long period of time. Although there are many different avenues of exploration available, you’re happy to contact your ancestors through divination work, and be content with this method.
How can I improve my relationship with my ancestors?
Nine of Wands atop Le Diable – Use your addiction to your advantage in this area, but make sure that you’re setting up good boundaries in order to protect yourself and what you hold dear.
This is an encouragement to keep going with your efforts to contact and communicate with your ancestors through divination, and most specifically, the cards. But they are also a reminder that you need to make sure you have protections in place while doing so.
DECK USED: TAROT NOIR
I gave myself credit for doing a good job on my paperwork perfectly today when I went over the border and came back. Some of the paperwork is quite complicated and can be hard to get right, but I nailed it on the first try!
Gideon’s Challenge
The Meeting
Social hour
at the pond
finds flirtation
in the reeds
as we float
along together
as inviatations
are given
accepted
and we glide
together
just you and I
as the world
falls away
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Don’t Skip It
Today’s meditation was skipped today as it was an orders day.
Today’s draw is the Lovers card, which is traditionally a representation of love, marriage, successful unions, and (as is often the case for me in readings) making healthy choices aligned with what you want in life.
I have a hard time with self care sometimes. I just do. It’s linked into my self destructive tendencies, I’m pretty sure. There are just times when anything that is self care oriented sounds absolutely horribly miserable. This includes exercise, meditation, morning smoothies, going outside for fresh air, physiotherapy for my mobility, working with my plants on the balcony… even eating or showering.
These are all things that are necessary to a healthy me, and yet… things I sometimes struggle with them regardless of that fact. Making healthy choices for myself (which means doing these things that are simple and easy and yet feel so horribly unpleasant during those times) is extremely important and yet can become monumentally difficult at times due to this.
And, today is one of those days. Today’s cards are a reminder that need to do these things even when I don’t wanna. That I can do it, that it’s not as horrible or monumental as it feels like it is… and that I need need to not let that dark cloud of “meh” convince me to skip it.
DECK USED: CULT OF WEIMAR TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
#DiscordTarotholicsSep2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Grab a spread that you’ve been curious about and give it a go!
1 What part of me has been yearning to “get messy”?
Seven of Swords – The strategist is tired.
You know, I never really thought much about this before, but there’s some validity to that phrase. I plan and plot, I scheme and strategize… it is a constant cycle of weights and measures in my mind as I seek how to get the most out of every situation. How to make the most out of my time and energy.
What would it look like to not be constantly conniving and strategizing my life like this?
2 Why have I been censoring or editing myself?
Page of Swords Rx – I want to be kinder. I want to be a better person than the narrative in my head. This requires making sure I don’t spout off with answers or commentary without examining what I am going to say first in order to avoid being insensitive or worse. I don’t really consider this to be a bad thing.
3 Where/how did I learn that it’s not ok to be imperfect?
Two of Pentacles atop Nine of Cups – When I learned that not meeting the expectations of authority figures have consequences that imbalance myself and my life, turning everything on its ear. Namely, this is a lesson that my parents taught me. I was such a disappointment to them in so many different ways that I didn’t have any control over (sexuality, interests, etc), that I tried really hard to satisfy them in other ways in which I did have control over (perfectionism).
4 How can I release the tendency to self-censor?
Six of Cups – I am not my father. I need to leave those dark clouds from my past where they belong… in the past. It’s possible to have learned the lessons needed from these experiences and carry those lessons forward with you into the present without carrying those dark clouds with you as well.
5 How would creating more of a joyful “mess” benefit me?
The Architect (The Magician) – It would provide me with a new set of skills and tools to navigate life with. By being overly rigid, I am cutting myself off from these additional skills.
6 How can I get messy (i.e., let my hair down, color outside the lines, play like a child, etc) today?
The Moon Rx atop Five of Cups – Don’t allow uncertainty to steal away your enthusiasm.
DECK USED: NOISY MUSEUM TAROT
BekahMurphysMagic’s #IntuitiveHealingTarotChallenge Prompt
Questions for September 29th and 30th
How can I become more confident in my intuitive abilities?
Lean into optimism (The Sun), and ensure that you are making choices that keep your emotions (Seven of Cups) in balance with everything else going on in your life (Two of Pentacles).
Neglecting your emotional balance in deference to other goals and endeavors will damage your confidence on many levels, including how you interpret messages from your intuition. So, too, will allowing yourself to sink into a negative mindset.
What have I learned from healing and connecting with my intuition this month?
To stand back and take a breath (Five of Wands Rx). Success (Ace of Pentacles) doesn’t always necessarily require a forward leap (Ten of Cups).
This challenge was a reminder of how developed my intuition already is, and that sometimes it can be harmful to continually push to advance without taking time to sink into the growth I’ve already accomplished.
DECK USED: CULT OF WEIMAR TAROT
I forgot to type in what I did for myself today but considering my struggles with self care today, I think the fact that I had a smoothie with spinach added in is pretty damned good.
Gideon’s Challenge
The Migraine
Piercing pain
splitered
and sharp
will not shed
and fall away
but clings
on tight
to blur edges
and sharpen
the tongue
making all
impediments
a new breed
of irritation
