Jagged Tips
Sharp peaks
break above
a blanket of white
to whisper
goodnight
to the setting sun
as cool
blue shade
washes over
cloudy planes
to deepen
the shadows below.
Weekly Creativity Prompt – Mamma’s Boy
Pull up to three cards use them as the inspiration to describe a ghost
as well as where (or who) the ghost is haunting.
Gordie spent his life so wrapped up in his addictions (The Devil) to the point that he no longer had any control over his life or his surroundings (The Emperor Rx). He fell into one habit and addiction after another, lead astray by other’s whims and his own temptations again and again until one day his body decided that it had had enough and he died.
When he passed, his mother’s (The Empress) grief was so great that Gordie worried she might never recover. He felt such huge guilt over his failures in life and having disappointed her so much, that he decided to stay with her (The Fool) instead of allowing the light that tried to pull him away from this earthly plane (The World).
Choosing to stay for his mother, he followed her around, trailing after her like a lost puppy (The Fool again). Sooner or lather, though, she will pass as well. And Gordie, having made his choice to remain, will then be all alone (The Hermit) with a solitary future stretching out before him.
DECK USED: TERROR TAROT
Strength and Tenderness
Today’s meditation was again curtailed due to the need for sleep. I didn’t mean to doze off, but I’ve just been so tired these last couple of days and the moment I settled in and relaxed? Suddenly I was out like a light.
Today’s draw is the King of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.
I don’t know what it is about this card, but there’s something so… sexy here. I’m not sure what. Maybe it’s the shoulder. Or the hip. Or the fact that the hand appears to be holding that scrap of tartan in place. Whatever. It’s hot. And thus…. my brain goes to Gideon, because Gideon is hot… and is my King of Cups.
The thing that draws my gaze the most (along with the whole hotness factor) is the drape of tiny pearls. They hang from his hat, drape his body, as well as his right hand.
What I see here is a contrast between strength and fragility, power and delicacy. It displays a balance. The same sort of balance that Gideon shows me every day. The balance I crave… especially when I am feeling vulnerable.
DECK USED: MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT
LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: Itch-it-a-kup-it-a, mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ka, a poison {1}, the potion {2}, the magick {3}, my witchy calling {4}.
A Poison – The High Priestess Rx – Not listening to your intuition has the ability to poison both your actions, your motivations, and your confidence. It’s important to be able to trust yourself, and when you second guess your intuition, it breaks down that trust.
The Potion – The Wheel – Whether things are on the way up or on the way down, it is through the times that your intuition speaks to you that you learn to trust it in the first place. This takes repetitive practice.
The Magick – Queen of Pentacles – Only through experience can we develop that trust. It takes time and nurturing to make it happen, and it takes even more time and nurturing to help it flourish.
My Calling – The Lovers – Some people ignore their intuition, and thus it rarely speaks. Others accept their intuition and allow it to become a part of their lives. It is my calling to have this type of close relationship with my intuition, and to choose it’s voice over that of logic or reason again and again so that with each trusting step forward it grows healthier and stronger.
DECK USED: LUIS ROYO’S DARK TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: You / Your Current Path / Potential Outcome
You – Death – I am going through an adjustment at this time in my life. Not just the gradual growth and adjustment that came with the emotional growth I’ve been focused on in the past year… but also the adjustment that comes from shifting out of the more relaxed part of my year into the chaos of the holiday rush. For me, autumn is all about adjustments and changes, shifting gears and transitioning.
Your Current Path – King of Staves – I am on the trajectory of diving into my holiday rush. Control and motivation need to be high, not just for myself but to lead those that work with me this year into the fray and give them the inspiration to keep going when things are at their peak.
Potential Outcome – Four of Swords – Exhaustion and a need for recovery. Ten weeks from now, I am going to be at the end of my rope. My eyes will feel like sandpaper, my body will feel as if I’m wasting away, and my mind will be a fuzzy blur as the adrenaline of the holiday rush begins to fade. Ten weeks from now I will reach the end of the chaos of the holiday rush… and it will be time to take a very much needed restorative break.
DECK USED: GOTHIC HORROR TAROT
#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: What message has my Spirit Guide been trying to send me that I have not heard?
Reading Summary: Be proactive (Knight of Swords) about making sure you’re getting enough rest (Four of Swords). Soon enough you’ll be up to your eyeballs in ambition and creativity (Queen of Wands) and dealing with being overwhelmed by the fray of the holiday rush (Five of Wands).
Take Away: These last couple weeks are the last bit of rest and relaxation I’m going to get for a wile. I need to make sure I get what I can while I can and not allow myself to fall into the “oh fuck oh fuck” panic of what’s to come. I’ve done the holiday rush before, and I’ll do it again. Don’t freak out and lose what chance for rest and restoration that I have left.
DECK USED: TERRESTRIAL TAROT
#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How important is my health in my spiritual life?
Reading Summary: Think of it this way (King of Needles imagery)… Your loved ones (Three of Potions) are there to make you take care of yourself so that you can get the most out of life (Nine of Presents). If you don’t take care of yourself? No forward motion will be forthcoming (Three of Candles Rx).
Take Away: Just sayin’? But the way that King of Needles showed up was so funny. It’s literally telling me that I need to really take some time to sit and think about this message. The message being, of course, that my health is extremely important to my spiritual life. No health means no progress upon my path. Those that love me are here to help and make sure that I stay healthy, but their presence in my life is also an integral part of what makes me healthy as well.
DECK USED: NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS TAROT
Gideon’s Challenge
Peeling Paint
The green will fade
and leaves will fall
but the paint
of seasons gone
remains
Some say
watching paint dry
is boring
but to watch it peel
can be
a lesson in
fascination.
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Morning Bonus Read – Samhain Tarot Spread
Because I am trying to show a bit more of my decks this month, as I have a whole LOT of October/Halloween/Samhain decks, I’m doing a few extra bonus reads over the month. This is one of those extra readings.
Life: What is my soul purpose in this life?
Eight of Diamonds
My soul’s purpose in this life is to learn and grow. It’s about taking lessons learned in my past incarnations and honing my understanding of them, and of myself. This incarnation of my soul is about developing skills. I don’t think this is so much about the “developing skills” of the earthly plane, though, but more about developing my skills of manifestation and perhaps skills involved with learning how to continue to move on no matter the hurdles trying to hold me back.
Death: How do I honor and learn from the dead and past?
Queen of Hearts
It is important to instill empathy and understanding into the honoring of the dead and the past. We cannot know the nuances of what has created these past situations or caused those that have passed to do the things they did in life. It is with understanding and empathy, that we can direct love to those situations and people no matter their mistakes or issues that you may not agree with.
Veil: What message does the other side have for me right now?
Four of Hearts
Don’t be a sour sack. Right so…. the thing is? I’ve had a few rough days this week. There was the day that took 3x the time to do just about everything (including things as small as screwing a cap on a bottle). Then the day where everything I touched ended up tipped over or upended (including my chili bowl ending up upended on the couch). And lets not forget the day that damned near everything I touched ended up on the floor (including a pan full of boiling water and a good half of each deck of tarot cards I picked up).
It kind of begins really difficult to not become a sulky sourpuss after a streak like that… but I’m trying.
Trick: What distracts me from my soul purpose?
Jack of Diamonds atop Two of Clubs
Sometimes a slow pace is a good thing, but sometimes? That same slow pace causes a lack of direction. It’s like when you have a million thoughts in your head and you say “I’ll remember them and write them down later” instead of doing it right away. Half the good ideas never get written down no matter how good your intentions.
It’s the same with my soul’s purpose. Sometimes, when the pace is slow, I get drawn off and lose direction, then have to find my way back again.
Treat: How does my soul purpose give me joy?
Jack of Spades atop Four of Clubs
Part of that journey my soul is going through involves all those digressions that lead me astray along the way. Part of my soul’s journey is learning to return to the path forward when I get distracted. And each time I return to my path after having gotten distracted it is like returning home once again, and the puzzle pieces fit back into place. I can feel it happen when these times are upon me, and there is a great deal of pleasure and joy in those moments.
DECK USED: TRICK OR TREAT PLAYING CARDS
Choosing Your Poison
Today’s meditation was curtailed in the face of my need for a nap… because I totally dozed off in the middle of my meditation. I’ll try again before I go to sleep tonight but I’ve had two naps today, bot of them unanticipated, so… yeah. Definitely not taking the chance of lying down again until bed time.
Today’s draw is the Devil card, which is traditionally a representation of themes and situations that have to do with addictions and temptations. It’s about those things you fall into that seem good and can become unhealthy if allowed to go to far, and about the bad habits and addictions that you fall into and then find yourself unwilling to leave behind even when you know they are bad for you.
I very much try to keep in mind Gideon’s take on this card. For me, this card is often a representation of addiction, and a representation of the temptation that my addictive personality can create for me. For him, it is a reminder of the temptation of me… how obsessed and addicted to me that he is.
Regardless of the temptation or addiction is beneficial or not, though. What really stands out to me in this card (and in many Devil cards) is that the chains on those caught and bound are loose. They could slip free.
The message of today’s card is that you choose your addictions and what temptations you want to allow into your life. It’s important to pay attention and be diligent so that you make conscious choices about these things, instead of just wandering randomly from one to another.
DECK USED: TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE
#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:How can I best release negativity carried froward from my ancestors to me?
Reading Summary: Instead of getting up in arms (Five of Wands – Tatzelwurm) when disaster strikes (The Tower – Mothman), take control and plunge into it (The Chariot – Kelpie).
Take Away: Be proactive about the direction you go in and how you react to the chaos that starts to crash around you. Don’t shirk, and don’t get your back up about it, move forward, adapt, and keep moving.
It’s the difference between fighting change, or actually moving with it and adapting to it. Sometimes, you have to just allow change to happen and control your own actions and responses rather than fighting against the change and causing things to go even harder on yourself.
DECK USED: THE CRYPTID TAROT
#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I utilize mine and my Spirit Guide’s different personalities to my advantage?
Reading Summary: When I’m in need of help (Five of Swords), just remember that they’ve been through all this before (Ten of Swords), and they’re trying to help by giving advice based on knowledge that they have obtained through experience (Queen of Swords).
Take Away: It’s about trusting what I hear, and trusting what I fee. They give me messages through the same sensations as my intuition to make sure I listen, so remember that the advice comes from a good place and is the same as when someone that’s been to war gives someone that hasn’t advice on using a gun. It’s guidance given through expertise I didn’t have to live myself to take advantage of.
