Window Musings
A circular room
full of light
with paint splatter
on the floor
and in mind’s eye
you can see
the ghost
of a long gone
easel
sitting in the center
as the whisper
of hours
cast shadows
like a sundial
on aged wood
Morning Bonus Read – Future Self
My Present Self
Bear – Large and in charge, you feel like you have everything (or the things that matter anyway) under control. You accept that not every aspect of the world is yours to control, but the parts of it that are your responsibility are feeling well in hand.
My future self will thank me for…
Tower – Keeping an eye out for trouble and anything that might require foreknowledge in order to defend against. Be prepared. Make sure that you’re wards and other protections are in order, including those of the physical variety.
My future self tells me to focus on…
Fox – The day to day mechanics of making sure everything is running smoothly and will continue to do so. Now isn’t a time to drop the ball. Stay on top of things and settle into a steady routine that’ll keep everything moving at a comfortable pace from one day to the next. This is about what allows you to provide for yourself and those that depend upon you, and finding a balance and routine in that area that’s not overwhelming or going to flirt with burnout, which will then disrupt that “steady as you go” rhythm.
My future self tells me to cut off…
Coffin – Cut off the pessimism and negative inner narrative that can drag you down and cause you to lose your stride on life’s path. When you feel it sneaking up, cut it off immediately. Don’t allow it to wreck changes that will be unhealthy for you in the end.
Advice from my future self
Child – Have a little fun. This is advice you recently received in another reading as well. Don’t be so damned serious and aloof all the time. It’s okay to invest yourself in the things you like and enjoy, and it’s okay to smile and laugh more. Working on incorporating more of this attitude in your life will breath fresh air into your life and refresh the energy that surrounds you.
DECK USED: ANNA K LENORMAND
What We Pass On
Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long and was a guided meditation that I had saved on my phone from the Calm app that is from last winter. Along with the guided meditation, I included an interval timer for my piriformis stretches.
I really liked this meditation the first time I did it, and so I decided to do it again. The topic of today’s meditation was about silence and stillness, and how even when we don’t feel like meditation does anything for us, it quietly works behind the scenes and makes changes in not just how we see and deal with life, but also with our health.
This is something that I relate to a lot. When I do my meditation, whether it’s hit-or-miss or done regularly every day, I don’t really feel a difference in myself. I don’t feel any different, or see any differences just on the surface level. But other people notice the differences. They notice I am a bit more relaxed and a bit less high strung. They notice that I smile more and react more noticeably to music and songs that I enjoy. And my Fitbit notices as well, for doing meditation regularly significantly changes my resting heart rate by over ten bpm. I have a feeling that if I had a blood pressure cuff, that I would see a noticeable difference there as well.
Today’s draw is the Three of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of heartbreak, disappointments, and hurt feelings. The key to remember in this card is that it is in the Swords suit, which is about the mind. We are not in the Cups suit. These emotions are about being stuck in your head, they are produced by the thoughts, opinions, and inner narrative going on up in the mind. Thus, they live in the Swords suit instead of in the Cups.
The thing is? People fear this card regardless of where the pain comes from. This is because people fear pain. Whether it’s created from out mind or not, it hurts… and that is (understandably) something that can instill fear.
The reminder here is about this card, and about life in general. It’s about realizing pain is coming, seeing or feeling a warning of what’s to come… and not flinching or shirking away from it. It’s about understanding and accepting pain, and separating yourself from it internally so that you do not lash out at others and spread that pain onward. Smiles are not the only thing that can be contagious, and it’s important to make sure that we spread love; not pain and not fear.
DECK USED: QUEER WITCH TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: How can I deepen my connection with my intuition?
Reading Summary: Lean into grounded empathy and nurturing (The Empress) instead of aggression (Seven of Sticks). Be generous in sharing your time and attention with others you connect strongly with (Six of Daisies atop Two of Tulips).
Take Away: Pause and pick your battles. Make sure what you’re fighting for is really worth it, and if it really needs that rise of aggression that comes to “save the day”. Would empathy and understanding work better? Would working to find common ground and making a connection be a better path? Removing aggression from the equation will help in that intuitive connection, as you will no longer be stepping into habitual behavior.
DECK USED: RABBIT TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do you need to focus on for self-care for this full moon?
Reading Summary: Slow down in the addictions (The Devil) that are scarcity driven (Five of Pentacles)… or else (The Tower).
Take Away: This is something that I have been doing over the past month or so, the slowing down on those addictions that tap into my finances. With this full moon we are looking at a lot of things that need to be paid for. Insurance, the accountant, more than likely the IRS, etc. Extra expenditures that I don’t usually need to deal with on the regular.
This extra precaution right now is necessary, but temporary and will ease off as the month moves closer to the new moon in a couple of weeks.
DECK USED: QUEER WITCH TAROT
I tried to give myself plenty of small breaks today without it getting to a point where it negatively affected my work or my bed time. I think I did pretty good.
Gideon’s Challenge
The Last Dusting
Late spring
and a last dusting
of snow
on elevated peaks
like powdered sugar
sifted fine and white
over sweet beignets
lets go for a drive
and find a bit
of winter’s bite
still alive
in the warmth
of spring’s
soft breezes
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Full Moon in Scorpio – April 2021
Today is the full 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 about delving into shadow alchemy, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.
1. Scorpio is extremely intense, emotional, and highly intuitive. As a water sign, what old wounds will be illuminated for cleansing and healing with this full moon?
Seven of Swords – Feelings of betrayal that have been buried and left to fester beneath the surface will be given the opportunity to rise to the surface and be dealt with. There have been a number of these instances in your life, and although you cannot heal them all at once, remember to take the opportunity when it is offered instead of shirking away from the old pain that might still be lingering there.
2. What aspect of my life is undergoing a potent transformation?
King of Swords – How you view your business and deal with the constant drive to demand more from yourself. In order to bring about new transformations, the old must be shed and allowed to fall away. Remember not to try to hold onto both. You can only have one, and will have to choose between the “feathers” you are shedding or the progress towards something better.
3. How can I magnify my sense of pleasure?
Nine of Cups – Saturate yourself in it when it happens. Allow yourself to sink in and wallow in your pleasure rather than giving in to the need to stay “composed” and aloof. It’s okay to let yourself go and really embrace and enjoy the things that bring you pleasure without inhibition.
4. What illusions do I need to break through?
Knight of Cups (combined with the adoring gaze from the card to the right) – Not every “Knight of Cups” is a user that’s completely out for themselves. That outreached hand isn’t always going to bite you if you reach for it. It’s okay to reach for the things you want, and offering to help others can be rewarding in and of itself.
5. What suppressed feelings will surface to provide insight this full moon?
Page of Pentacles – You long to be more like the Knight of Cups. Withdrawn and watching from afar, you see others seeking their joys and enjoyment with abandon, freely going after their hearts desires, while you sit back and hesitate, seeking instead to take your time learning and taking things slow. You long for the freedom from these restraints and to be able to just go with the flow of your curiosity without restraint.
6. Message from the Ancestors and Guides.
The World – Life is about balance between gentleness and ferocity, between dominance and submission, between responsibility and unrestrained freedom. If you lean too far one way or the other, everything tips off kilter and things start to fall apart. You are learning how to open up to the softer side, the more impulsive side, the more hedonistic side. This takes time, but you are making progress.
DECK USED: SEASONS OF THE ARCANA TAROT
It’s Okay To Need Help
Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long and was a guided meditation from the Calm app combined with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.
The focus of today’s meditation was about speaking with kindness when one is irritated, instead of with abrasion and aggression. Sometimes it can be hard to do that, and the advice in the meditation today was about tapping into your meditative mindfulness practice by taking a pause before speaking, and a deep breath. Allowing yourself to calm a bit in that moment prior to opening up and speaking what’s on your mind.
In doing this, you’re able to approach the situation with a more level head, and usually end up with a far better outcome as a result.
Today’s draw is the Four of Discs, which is traditionally a representation of stability, strong foundations, conservation, and at times, miserly behavior or control issues when it comes to one’s finances or earthly pleasures.
Although I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking at in this image, what stands out to me here is that the discs in this image are providing a sort of structure, balance, and perhaps even support for the inner beam of energy that they encircle. This makes stability and support, to me, the highlight of this card’s meaning in the sense of the imagery itself.
Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is that we all need support now and then. That doesn’t mean that we are less than because we need that support. Instead, it shows a different sort of strength to be able to accept the help and support offered by others, and a self awareness that you can’t do everything all on your own all the time.
DECK USED: PETRAK TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS
The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: A message from my inner crone.
Reading Summary: Make sure you’re enjoying life to the fullest (The Sun) by owning (as in taking ownership of) those things that light your fire (King of Disks) and following your intuition (The Priestess).
Take Away: My inner crone wants me to know that life is short and I need to follow my instincts and intuition in the direction of enjoying life and living it to its fullest rather than constantly holding myself back and being so practical. Not everything can be about stability, security, and comfort.
DECK USED: PATCH TAROT
#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: Where do I need to seek more clarity in my life?
Reading Summary: The deep blues in the Four of Discs correlates with the dark blues in the Three of Swords Rx. This connects these two cards and the Three of Wands is drug along from center to the left (the present and past) due to being positioned on top of the Three of Swords.
Thus the cards indicate that you need to redefine your perception (Three of Wands atop Three of Swords Rx) of stability (Four of Discs).
The Three of Wands also has a very strong color connection with the Fortune card, pulling the Three of Wands to the right side of the board (aka the future) as well.
This then speaks of the result of redefining your perception is that in your life journey (Three of Wands) you will have more room to account for the ups and downs in life (Fortune).
Take Away: My current perceptions of what stability means to me are caging me in and keeping me from being as flexible and adaptable as I could be. If I open up my mind to look at stability from different angles, I will find that stability and security are more than what I have limited them to, and this will allow me to grow and adapt more easily.
DECK USED: PETRAK TAROT
I took my fire extinguisher downstairs with me when I went to check on a neighbor whose fire alarm was going off for over ten minutes. Turns out he got drunk and passed out with a pain on the stove. Fortunately, enough pounding on the door roused him before he could succumb to smoke inhalation and there was no real damage done (other than to the pan).
