Morning Bonus Read – New Week Set Up

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Tarot of Plants (Solar Edition) and Wildlife Wisdom Oracle

What does the mind need to stay centered?

Five of Autumn (Monkshood) and Heron – It is important to remember that the scarcity that you feel is in your head and your past, and not a part of your present reality.  Focus on what’s here in the now, instead of what in your past influences these irrational emotions. Acknowledge that you are now far beyond that place of constant powerless need.

What does the body need to stay grounded?

The Empress (Corn) and Deer – When you bend you cannot break, but in order to be able to bend, you have to be able to yield. Soothe yourself, ease those muscles and tension. Allow yourself to bend. Treat your body with the kindness that it needs to be flexible and strong.  Make sure you are doing your physiotherapy and yoga, and that you are getting out in nature to get the exercise you need.

What do your emotions need to feel heard?

Mother of Autumn (Lavender) and Dragonfly – Things shift and change around you, make sure that you are going to someone willing to support you to speak with and find the support you need. This is about seeking people out instead of trying to close yourself off and deal with it on your own. Opening up about what needs to be said instead of keeping it to yourself.  Allowing yourself to unload what’s going on inside you with these people will help you in hearing yourself as much as it will help you in feeling heard by others.

What do your desires need to feel seen?

Seven of Summer (Venus Flytrap) and Bear – You want more time off to relax and just not have to deal with the responsibilities of life. This is a new sensation for you and you are struggling with it feeling “wrong”, but in fact it’s normal, just not your normal. You are making choices that could make it your new normal, though. Healthy choices.  Don’t back out because there’s a couple of unpleasantness like this discovered along the way.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF PLANTS (SOLAR EDITION) AND WILDLIFE WISDOM ORACLE

Perpetuating Unhealthy Cycles

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was the third installment of the introductory meditation practice offered in the Balance app. This installment was another breath practice, but that focused upon the body’s sensations with each breath rather than the in and out of the breath itself.

Chinese Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Lovers card, which is traditionally a representation of love, harmony, relationships, and all that good stuff, but can also often represent making choices.  Especially choices that force people to weigh their priorities and reaffirm their values.

In the imagery of this card, we see love and harmony at work in the swirling magic in the air, the smiling faces, and the physical closeness between the two figures. This is not romance, but it is indeed love.

Sometimes, when we love others, we get lost in the need to put their needs first.  We want to help them and love them and support them in everything they do and any struggles they come upon.   The thing is?  Not everyone needs that much of our help.   Some will rebuff the help and say they can do it on their own, but there are others who will take it just becauze it allows them to then be lazy.  They can hand over their worries and work to another and slack, which soon becomes habitual.

As it also becomes habitual for us to let it happen.

That is where today’s cards message lies.  The combination of the Lovers card and the affirmation card today are a reminder that we need to choose wisely who and how we pour our energies and emotions into others.  Are you being healthy about it?  Or are you just perpetuating unhealthy cycles for yourself… and possibly for them as well?

DECK USED:  CHINESE TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJulyTarot #TarotSuitsChallenge Prompt
Questions for July 19th and 20th

Oilracle Essential Oils Card Deck and Panda TarotWhere, or in what way, is my current focus supporting my growth?
Panaway atop Sensation, Knight of Pentacles

Working on the transformation from negative space into a more positive and healthy one. by lifting you up through rest and focus on the now.  The effort taken to focus on and enjoy life in the now is healthy and uplifting. It allows for a more positive and optimistic mindset to balance out the negativity  of your inner narrative, giving you space to breathe and grow where the inner narrative once created no space and was smothering you.

Where, or in what way, is my current energy hindering my growth?
Peppermint, Seven of Swords Rx atop Seven of Wands

As usual, you are being too gung-ho about progress and moving forward, and that mentality and energy is tapping into (and sapping out) your strength and certainty of purpose. Slow down and watch where you’re going.  It’s not a race, nor is life a battle to constantly be waged.

DECK USED: OILRACLE ESSENTIAL OILS CARD DECK AND PANDA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Question:  What can I do to help my inner adolescent feel heard and understood?

Chinese TarotReading Summary: More time in nature, for it is through your connection with the earth that you find grounding and peace (The Empress). Assure them that they have all they need to weather any storm (The Magician). Treat them with a firm hand that is heavily tempered with kindness and understanding (King of Cups).

Take Away:  In order to help my inner adolescent feel heard and understood, they need to feel supported and empowered. So much of that time was spent powerless and destitute that the scrabble for power is a real thing that lives within you through them.  Providing the grounding and reassurances that your inner adolescent needs will help them in not acting out, as it means that their fears, worries, and healing wounds are seen, heard, and understood.

DECK USED: CHINESE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap today even though it was an orders day. I just got super tired out of the blue, and instead of pushing through it as I normally would, I allowed myself to lie down for a bit instead.

Gideon’s Challenge

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The Growth Spurt

New growth
is tender
and delicate
easily squashed
and squandered
by the heartless tug
of passersby
as sheltering limbs
seek to both
protect
and expose
so that tender bits
will harden
into something
healthy and strong

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Worst Case Scenario Thinking

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Today’s meditation was skipped.  It just didn’t end up happening.  I do plan to get back on track though tomorrow.  I don’t want to fall back into skipping over and over again.

Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Nine of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of worries, stress, negative inner dialogue, and nightmares as well as the unpleasant results of these issues such anxiety and insomnia.

What I see here in the combination between the Nine of Swords and the affirmation card today is a reminder that “what ifs” and worse case scenario thinking is not healthy. Yes, it can prepare you for things to come and the unexpected. But that doesn’t make it healthy.

The message in today’s cards is to remember to instill a bit more optimism in your thinking. You don’t have to discount the bad that may come, but rather you need to make sure that you also accept that it (whatever “it” may be) has just as much potential to turn out good instead.

DECK USED:  TAROT DE MARSEILLE JEAN DODAL AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Do Spread #3

Saros TarotWhat have I forgotten that needs to be brought with me upon my path?

Two of Staves – Although you haven’t abandoned your path, you have spent some time in standstill and need to reconnect to the plan and ensure that your coordinates don’t need adjusting.

How can I begin to incorporate that back into my life?

Strength – Everything you need is a part of who you already are. Look inward to your strengths. Connect with your inner moral compass, and what you know is right for you.

Where am I on my path at this time?

The Emperor – You may be large and in charge of your own life, but you also aren’t moving. This pause is necessary to rally your people around you, and learn to appreciate their support and just how much they contribute to your life and your journey.

What should I prepare to harvest at the end of the month?

Five of Cups – There comes a spill… a tumble from grace, just try to salvage what you can instead of wallowing in the negative aspects of the experience.

How do I begin those preparations?

Three of Swords Rx – Work on seeing the up side in bad situations. Optimism is going to be important, and just like intuition or and physical muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it will become and easier it will become to lean on when needed.

DECK USED: SAROS TAROT

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJulyTarot #TarotSuitsChallenge Prompt
Topic:  Something I am asked to heed or consider this week.

Tarot de Marseille Jean DodalReading Summary: Optimism (Five of Cups… the meaning of the card in this reading is an echo of the previous reading I did for myself above) doesn’t equal blind trust. It means you look at both sides of the coin instead of one in order to achieve a healthier perspective (The positioning of the Fool and the Five of Cups straddling the Lovers card creates healthy choices as the ultimate outcome of balancing two perspectives).

Take Away:  As a pessimist, I look at pessimism as a method of preparation.  If you’re already expecting the worst, then you can only be pleasantly surprised if things go better than expected… instead of disappointed or butthurt if things go bad.

This has always been my mindset.  But, something I’ve struggled with is that pessimism isn’t healthy unless you have a balance.  That’s why the saying goes “prepare for the worst, hope for the best”.  Without hope? Pessimism is a toxin.  Poisonous and corrosive to the spirit.

DECK USED: TAROT DE MARSEILLE JEAN DODAL

Daily Self Kindness

I managed to get over 100 orders done and packaged today, with the help of Z and L.  Which, in turn, should take a lot of stress and pressure off order day tomorrow as I play catch up from having time off.

Gideon’s Challenge

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IMG_7634New Perspective

Lean in
and look closer
to see another world
hidden
in plain sight
Shakespeare
had it right
in Hamlet’s
greatest truth…
There are more things
in heaven and earth
than are dreamt of
in your philosophy

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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?

Joie de Vivre Tarot, Healing Flower Color Cards, Wildlife Wisdom Oracle

Earth – Knight of Coins, Cerato atop Elm – Sometimes self doubts can slow you down and keep your progress moving slower than you would like. These self doubts make it harder to connect with your intuition, and it can make it feel like you’re moving along blindly instead of with purpose. This week may feel like you’re standing still, but rest assured you’re still moving. Focus on what you want for yourself and from yourself, instead of on progress.

Air – The Moon and Crab Apple – Make sure you’re doing your meditation, as it can help you in releasing the self-doubt and fears that may plague you this week and cause you to feel stagnant. The meditations are important. Even if sometimes you feel like you don’t get any benefit from it, do them anyway.

Water – The World atop Four of Wands, Clematis – Remember that just because you’re not getting as much progress in your home business as she would like at the moment, you’re still moving along the path that’s right for you. Your journey isn’t over, so don’t let slow progress stir your emotions into feeling like they need to retreat and sulk. As mentioned above, keep your eye on what you want for yourself, and from yourself, on this journey. It’s okay if sometimes things don’t go just exactly the way you want them to.

Fire – Ace of Coins, Cerato atop Wild Oat – This week you’re being given the opportunity to not bury yourself into your work, but rather keep an eye on where you’re headed along your journey and if you’re on the right path. You need to make sure that you’re listening to your instincts and intuition, as well as that gut feeling of your moral compass. Let them lead you this week, because sometimes blind trust in these things is the only way forward.

Waning – Marjoram (Happiness) – This week isn’t a time of new beginnings, but rather and assessing where you are in orienting yourself.

Waxing – Fig (Vitality) – Look at what you have, look at where you’re going. Not just with the limited view of your impatience, but with a broader perspective.

Take Away – The indication in these cards is that this week isn’t about progress or about new beginnings, it’s about assessing where I’m at, and what I want for myself and the world around me, as well as where I want to go from here. There are things that need to be changed, and new perspectives to be seen and understood concerning where I’m at. It’s time to set my impatience aside for the week and pay attention instead.

DECKS USED:  JOIE DE VIVRE TAROT, HEALING FLOWER COLOR CARDS, GREEN WITCH ORACLE