Summer’s Smile
Spring rain
yields
to summer sun
like delicate
purple flowers
that fall
fragrant
to the ground
while yellow buds
open
to greet the day
More rain please
Move Your Ass… and Theirs Too
Today’s meditation was skipped in respect for orders day and needed to get a jump on all that needed to be done so that I could get orders shipped out tomorrow.
Today’s draw is the Chariot card, which is traditionally a representation of control, determination, willpower and the application of these things to a chosen direction and success. This card is about action.
Here in this card we see that the Chariot is fully controlled by the penguin king while fantastical creatures pull him forward to his destination. This is a team effort, but there is a clear leader here in this image that all these other fierce creatures take orders from.
Combined with the Flower Fortunes card for today, which states to “harness your competitive instincts”, what I see here is about getting things done. Sometimes it’s not enough to put our mind to the task or delegate tasks. Sometimes you need to actually make it a game and stir up people’s competitive instincts. Inspire yourself and others by using those feelings to spur things forward at a faster speed.
The message here is to “get your shit done, and use your competitive instincts to make it happen”. For me, today is an order day, and the cards say that if I put myself to the task of getting things done and dare the girls to compete with me in the process, that I can get my work done quickly and enjoy a bit of down time at the end of the day without all of the stress and the guilt that sneaks in when I’m moving at a slower pace.
DECK USED: ISIDORE TAROT SEA AND SAND SPRING EDITION AND FLOWER FORTUNE CARDS
Raven Willow Tarot’s Emotional Exploration Prompt
Question for May 27th and 28th
What role does serenity play in my life?
Serenity helps in choosing healthier ways of viewing yourself (Judgement) and the choices you make (Seven of Shells) in those moments when you backslide into old bad habits (Ten of Tridents).
Without serenity, my inner critic is too harsh. That moment of peace and calm I reach inside to find helps me be kinder to myself when I make mistakes, and helps me put myself back on track instead of getting stuck in a cycle of negative inner dialogue.
How can I enhance serenity in my life?
Trust those that you spend your down time with (Three of Shells) to stand by you and help you defeat (Five of Swords) the bad habits and addictive temptations that become unhealthy (The Devil).
Knowing that others are there to help me and assist in catching me when I fall out of line and might not see it right away myself provides a sense of security and soothes worry. This in turn helps foster a greater sense of serenity in my life, and these people become a touchstone for me to return to when I feel I’m overwhelmed or veering off track.
DECK USED: UNDERSEA TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsMay2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can you better utilize your free time?
Reading Summary: Focus on the gradual changes you’ve been working on (Death) and building the new system that will work better for you (The Tower) then was there before (Three of Swords).
Take Away: In the past, I pushed myself to exhaustion. I worked a minimum of eighteen hours a day and I never took days off for any reason. Even when I traveled to visit family, I brought a large amount of work with me and worked through this time away. When I hit burnout, I would take “a couple of days” to rest where I would then sneak work into those days to do anyway. I closed myself off from my guides, who then had to conceal themselves as my intuition just to get through to me, and buried my emotions, ignoring them and the shadow and internal wounds that I was abusing.
I’ve been working for nearly two years now on not just my emotional growth (which I write about quite often), but also on building a stronger connection between myself and my guides, and creating a better work/life balance that will allow for more self-care and less burn out. These cards are a reminder that I need to continue focusing on this healthier path during free time, instead of allowing myself to backslide into old habits that no longer serve me and are, in fact, extremely unhealthy.
DECK USED: ISIDORE TAROT SEA AND SAND SPRING EDITION
I’ve worked hard to make sure that I got my orders done at a decent time tonight so that I could get some sleep before having to do my drive tomorrow.
Gideon’s Challenge
The Warning
Startled still
a moment’s pause
you have
my full attention
a warning made
and ears prick
as frozen muscles
twitch
and senses expand
to seek out
what is
being missed
Protect
what’s yours
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Morning Bonus Read – Soul Lessons
Card to describe my next soul lesson.
Harvest of Stones – A stronger sense of stability and leadership in the areas of health and home. This isn’t always about others but has to do with how you feel on the inside, including how secure you feel, as well as how you treat your body and take ownership of your health.
How this lesson will manifest itself.
Nine of Thunder – Through stress, worry, and fear. A tree does not gain strength without the challenges of the wind to test its mettle. It is through misfortune and struggle that we become stronger. The more the wind blows, the deeper our roots go and the stronger we must become in order to continue to stand tall.
A way that I can absorb this lesson gracefully.
Six of Wands – Look to others for suggestions on the best path forward and allow them to lift you up and ease your mind. This isn’t so much about seeking their approval, but allowing them to lift you up when you struggle and give you the assistance you need to keep going when your enthusiasm for the journey is flagging.
Why this lesson is in alignment with who I truly am.
Ten of Cups – It will help me to connect more emotionally with those I love, creating a greater sense of well-being. True happiness goes beyond simply satisfaction, but requires sharing and community. Fostering this happiness can help in finding a stronger sense of stability.
New opportunities that will arise from this lesson.
Four of Stones – More stability and better grounding. A more miserly outlook. The opportunities here coincide with the lesson being learned. It’s important to know when to hold tight to things, and when to let them go. Developing a slightly stronger urge to be a little more tight-fisted wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing when it comes to the financial aspects of life.
How can I follow my heart?
Flower of Wands – Do what makes you happy and help inspire others to do the same.
DECK USED: THE GENTLE TAROT
Look Before You Leap
Today’s meditation was skipped as I was in the middle of it when I got called in to go down to the salon and do a couple hours of work. By the time I got back, it was so very much nap time.
Today’s draw is the Temperance card, which is traditionally a representation of balance, interconnection, patience, and moderation.
What really stands out to me in the imagery of the card pulled today is that Isabel Snail’s third eye is open, when her other two eyes are closed. This speaks to me of listening to a “higher power” whether that be your intuition, your guides, the universe, a deity, or whatever your beliefs lead you to put into the role of being your divine connection.
Combined with the Flower Fortunes card, which states “Hate is never conquered by hate. Hate is only conquered by love”, what I see here is that when intense emotions are involved, sometimes we need to slow down. Slow down and step outside of ourselves and our reactions, seek a better understanding of the situation and those involved. Don’t just “jump on the hate train” but pause and listen to what isn’t being said.
DECK USED: ISABEL SNAIL: A TAROT LIFE AND FLOWER FORTUNE CARDS
LionHart’s Reap & Sow Tarot Challenge Prompt
Questions for May 25th and 26th
What potential path is not being explored?
King of Wands and Queen of Cups
Making your emotions more of an element in your creative entrepreneurship. You can give more of yourself and the connection to others through your work. You can uplift and support through your creative path.
How am I asked to explore this potential path?
Reconnect with the stuff that you already do (The World atop Ace of Wands Rx) and work at looking at it from a different angle (The Hanged Man). It doesn’t have to be sunshine and roses all the time, you can start adding in gradually instead of all at once (Temperance atop The Sun).
DECK USED: THE JOYSEEKER TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsMay2021 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Is having a sense of humor natural or taught?
Reading Summary: It’s something that develops over time (Death). It’s learned slowly through experience (Eight of Wands Rx atop Page of Pentacles)) and reinforced by others you look up to (Hierophant).
Take Away: Just like we learn to smile by mimicry of other’s smiles, and learn to speak through mimicry of others speaking, so too do we learn our sense of humor from others over time with the added component of personal experience added into the mix to help us develop preferences along the way.
This explains why some people love practical jokes and pranks, and others hate them and find them hurtful, but might find other types of humor hilarious instead.
DECK USED: ISABEL SNAIL: A TAROT LIFE
After Gideon and I discovered earlier today that I had managed to essentially contract the slowly growing energetic equivalent of a tapeworm with an oily “old kitchen grease” cling, I did a cleansing and warding to make sure I severed off the energy and cleared away it’s remnants.
Gideon’s Challenge
The First Bundle
First harvests
are sparse
but healthy
with lush leaves
filled
with cleansing goodness
A gift
bestowed
upon the caretaker
that tends
to her needs
from one season
to the next
