No Wiggle Room

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute long #DailyTrip session from the @Calm app.

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Winter Waite Tarot Santa Helpers Edition - Eight of PentaclesThe @GlitterbyInk #DecemberDays25 Beyond the Solstice Challenge
The Mystic Prompt for December 1 : Mindful
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Eight of Pentacles, which is a representation of hard work, expertise through practice, honing a skill, quality craftsmanship, handicrafts, and manifestations through skill and hard work. The card is often the embodiment of the “practice makes perfect” adage.

“You have a lot to get done today, and if you aren’t mindful of how you’re spending your time, there’s a good chance you’re not going to get it all done.”

Being that I am the king of procrastination, it can sometimes be difficult to stay on track. Especially when there’s so much to do, and procrastination tells you to prioritize other things instead of the things that really need to be completed.

The message in today’s card combined with the “mindful” prompt is to make sure that you are paying attention to what you are doing throughout the day today. That way, you don’t fall off track and end up not getting everything done that really needs to get done. Distractions are all well and good when you have a little extra time to play with them, but sometimes that wiggle room of extra time it’s just not there.

DECK USED:  WINTER WAITE TAROT SANTA’S HELPERS (2020) EDITION

@Lionharts #TheDecemberTarot Fruits of 2025 Challenge
Prompts for December 1st

Tarot Reading with the POMO TarotA bridge to cross

The World – You have to finish out what you’re doing before you can move onto the next thing. That means letting go when things reach their end, rather than holding on so tightly. Letting go is not really one of your strong suits, but if you don’t, you can’t move on.

A bridge to burn

Five Bills – It’s time to close your wallet and begin a more miserly path forward. Throwing money about isn’t going to help your cause right now. It will only make you feel good in the moment, but turn into more scarcity in the end.

A chapter to close

Disaster – As a previous reading this week has already mentioned, your time dealing with the absolute chaos you’ve been dealing with over the last few months is indeed coming to a close. Yes, there will still be trials and tribulations to go through, but they won’t be quite as disastrous as the ones that you’ve dealt with over the duration of autumn’s months.

A page to turn

Money Boy Rx – Again, here we see an encouragement to lean away from wastefulness when it comes to your finances. Spending like a baller is not going to further your ambitions right now. Set the idea of dropping cash as you wish aside and control your impulses. Instead, lean into the slow progress of saving your dollars as opposed to wasting them.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Acorns for Protection during New Beginnings
Foraged Pin Oak Leaf for Strength and Endurance
Carved Rhyolite Leaf for Regeneration and Healing
Honey Calcite for Optimism and Motivational Boost
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE POMO TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsDec2025 Challenge
Prompts for December 1st and 2nd

Tarot Reading with the Winter Waite Tarot Santa Helpers Edition and Santa Claus LenormandWhere should you direct your focus this week to foster your relationship with yourself?

Present (Fish), Nine of Swords, The House – Stop worrying so much about what you don’t have. Instead, place your focus on the gifts you’re being presented with this season. There’s lots to enjoy over the holiday season with loved ones if you let yourself move past your fears of what’s -not- happening.

Yes, the business is slow, but look at all the extra time you have to enjoy the holidays, family, friends, and traditions that you haven’t had the chance to enjoy for the past few years when the holiday rush has been at its peak.

What aspects of your life could benefit from some grounding and centering?

The Bed (Coffin), The Moon, The Reindeer (Rider) – You’re uncertainties have a tendency to run away with you and get out of hand. It’s time to instill a little bit of reality into the areas where you feel uncertainty so that you can put these worries to bed.

Things aren’t as bad as you think they are.  Your emotions are getting into the mix and muddling with your perspective. Combined with that negative inner narrative of yours, it’s a recipe for doom and gloom and lots of fear driven withdrawal.  Instead, acknowledge these emotions… then set them aside so you can really enjoy the world around you more.

Other elements included in this reading:
Oregon White Oak Leaf for Strength, Stability, and Longevity
Dried Rosebuds for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
 Conch Shell Knot for Concentration and Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  WINTER WAITE TAROT SANTA’S HELPERS (2020) EDITION AND SANTA CLAUS LENORMAND

Daily Self Kindness

I bought myself some  yogurt in the hopes it might help my stomach calm down.

Gideon’s Challenge – Glass Ceilings

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Greenhouse in Victoria BCGlass Ceilings

A moment
to pause
and look up
as surprising heat
radiates down
from above
not from
shining sun
but by
greenhouse glass
high above
on an overcast day
kissing the skin
with warmth

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

📆 Transitioning from November to December

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Month End Check-in Reading with the Southern Gothic Trilogy Decks

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety. 

The Panther – The fire within you is rising, and along with it, your strength and perseverance. You are starting to feel in control again in ways that you haven’t in quite some time; in healthy ways that help create drive and balance, instead of the unhealthy ways that create stagnancy and sickness.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Nest of Wasps – Although you usually don’t realize it in the moment, when you’re in the depression, you have a sharper tongue, and your words have a tendency to sting, even when you don’t mean them too. Now that the depression is easing off, that sharp stinger is fading as well. Taking time to be conscious of your tone when communicating with others will help you shed this sharper edge quicker.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Uncle Monday – You want to be stronger in both your mundane abilities as well as your magical ones, and are seeking to develop better adaptation abilities than those you currently possess.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Hazel the Mummy – The things that you hold onto too tightly will in time turn from stagnancy to decay and crumble away. Make sure that those things that you want so badly to hold onto aren’t actually holding you back from something better.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Alligator – Take time to explore the self. Digging deep instead of just skimming the surface will help you in connecting and prioritizing those things that are most important.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Hydrangea – It can often be difficult to be grateful for things that happen in life. Especially when they hold a negative consequence instead of an obvious boon. You’ve very recently acquired a whole new set of inner scars, and have yet to find and really appreciate the boon involved.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

The Dog – Take some time to reflect upon and appreciate those that you trust to be by your side, no matter what. Some love is unconditional, after all, and needs to be recognized as such and appreciated.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Cornbread – Make sure to take some time to connect with the roots of who you are so that your ego doesn’t get in the way moving forward. Remember that being a “basic bitch” isn’t necessarily a bad thing it keeps you humble and helps you connect more strongly with others.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Abandoned Plantation – There’s a great deal of opportunity in the deconstruction of things. Make sure that you aren’t just letting these opportunities go to waste.

Message from the Spirit World – Self reflection may cause you to find you’re not as generous as you could be.  Harsh judgements can be destructive. Instead of indulging in those negative veins of thought, use your mindfulness and self awareness to shift toward a kinder and less harsh frame of mind.

Message from the Mind’s World – People depend upon your dependability. They follow you because yo tu provide them with a sense of stability and strength that allows them to actually enjoy the activities (even the work) that you do together.

Message from the Physical World – Those friends that are worth a damn will persist through though thick and thin.  Those that aren’t worth a damn?  They’re temporary, and because they have no gratitude in their heart, they always eventually show their true colors.

Take Away – Things are beginning to turn around, and there’s a good deal more energy (and hope) rising in you as you transition from one month to the next.  Focus on practices that encourage a mindset of gratitude, and lean on those that you trust.

Other elements included in this reading:
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Foraged Norway Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Dried Grand Fir Sprig for Help in Finding One’s Natural Rhythm
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Desert Rose for Purification and Drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: SOUTHERN GOTHIC ORACLE, SOUTHERN BOTANICAL ORACLE, THE HAUNTS ORACLE

Read the Room

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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China Tarot - Ten of Cups and Mushroom AffirmationsDaily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of feelings of completion, connection with others and harmony in those connections, and is often considered as the “happy family” card.

The Ten of Cups has then been combined with the Tremella affirmation card from the Mushroom Affirmations deck, which says,  says, “A time to be fluid. There’s a beauty to softness and restoration.”

When you go with the flow instead of fighting at every turn, happiness and harmony become easier to obtain. This doesn’t mean that you need to give up your values or shift your moral compass… or even give up on the things that you enjoy. All it means is that you are more willing to flow with the energy around you instead of applying your monumental stubbornness to every step of the way.

The message in today’s cards is a reminder to “read the room”. Instead of coming into a situation, all flash and bang, and filled with oppositional energy, take a moment to read the room and try and match the energy that’s already there. You’ll find there is find more harmony and goodwill that may come your way as a result.

DECK USED:  CHINA TAROT AND MUSHROOM AFFIRMATIONS

#DiscordTarotholicsNov2025 Challenge
Prompt for November 30th : Grab a spread of your choice you’re curious about… and give it a go!
The @owlandbonestarot #78DaysOfTarotSpreads Challenge
The World Spread

The World Oracle Reading with Rune Dragons Ancient Americans and Rune Dragons Ancient Egypt

What have you completed or integrated?

Eb – This card speaks of being ready to continue on your journey. The time for stagnancy is over and growth as a foot. You’re ready to take these steps that will move you along your path and make the choices needed to actually get you moving in the first place.

How are you honoring your growth?

Tláloc – You were putting more effort into rolling with the punches instead of trying to fight back against them. As a result, you’ve become a bit rusty at adaptability and you’re working on reviving that quality within yourself.

Where do you feel whole?

Chalchihuitl – You have recently found a more honest connection with the true values in your life; including who and what really matters. Acknowledging these things creates a mindset of gratitude that you are basking in at the moment.

What chapter is closing with grace?

Ōlmēcatl – Life has asked a lot of you of late. Your resiliency and perseverance has been tested again and again. The challenges have been monumental, and you have been proving your strength and the power of your will repeatedly along the way. Things are going to calm down a bit now. This is not to say there still won’t be challenges, but they will be… a bit less challenging.

What new horizon calls you forward?

Atum – Remember to put rest before you try new challenges. This creates a better balance by allowing you to recuperate and reflect on what you have accomplished before moving forward onto the next thing.

Other elements included in this reading:
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting with Nature and the Wild Within
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: RUNE DRAGONS ANCIENT AMERICAS AND RUNE DRAGONS ANCIENT EGYPT

@LightningWildflower November Tarot Challenge
Earth and Water “The Tens” Prompts for November 28th thru 30th

Tarot Reading with the China Tarot and Auspicious Art for the Year of the Snake 2025 Playing CardsTen of Pentacles

What legacy do I want to create for myself, my family, or my community?

Ace of Hearts, King of Cups, Nine of Hearts – A legacy of emotional support and healing between these three aspects of your life (yourself, family, community). Discovering new ways to spread compassion and emotional support in order to create a greater sense of fulfillment not just for yourself, but for others as well.

Ten of Cups

How can I cultivate more joy and harmony?

Seven of Hearts, Page of Wands, Ten of Spades – Stop choosing to allow struggle and strife to dictate how you feel about those things that you enjoy. These things should be a source of comfort and motivation for you during dark times, not something that is set aside during those more difficult moments.

What parts of my life do I find most satisfying and fulfilling?

Jack of Spades, Knight of Pentacles, Ace of Clubs – Those times when you take your time and allow yourself to thoroughly explore a potential interest and learn new things along the way. Although the time involved itself can be frustrating, you find a great deal of joy in the journey of discovery.

Other elements included in this reading:
Beech Pod for Realizations that Foster Personal Growth
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Japanese Cherry Leaf as a Reminder of Life’s Fleeting Moments
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: CHINA TAROT AND AUSPICIOUS ART FOR THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE PLAYING CARDS 2025 EDITION

Daily Self Kindness

This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.

❤️ 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?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot and Echoes of the Wood Oracle

Earth – The Emperor – Sometimes when you take on the mantle of leadership, even though there are others that follow you, you still feel like you’re alone. It’s important to remember that when you lead well, others will be there to pick you up when you need it.

Air – Queen of Swords – It’s absolutely always okay to stand up for what matters to you. Method is important, though. Use strategy to get things to go your way instead of just “being a bitch”. That sass and spark attitude is not always the shortcut that it seems like it’d be.

Water – King of Cups – Emotional support from others, especially from Gideon, is going to be a high priority this week in order to keep your emotional balance. Make sure you are reaching out for that support when you need it.

Fire – The World atop Death – Sometimes endings are just that… endings. Other times they are a doorway to something else. Try considering endings as a liminal space. There’s a lot of potential there if you’re open to it.

Waning – Harvest and Germination – This week ahead isn’t about what you can get out of it, nor about what you can begin to sprout in your life.

Waxing – Song and Frost – Instead, put your focus on preparing for a time of dormancy and keeping things lighthearted.

Take Away – The depression you just started to recover from is still looking for a way in. You need to take care to lean on your support instead of trying to shoulder everything yourself. Look for ways to lift yourself up, and be open to experiences that you will enjoy.  These experiences will help you in your recovery and in recuperation as well.

DECKS USED: BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT AND ECHOES OF THE WOOD ORACLE

Gideon’s Challenge – Grumpy Gus

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Angry JeepGrumpy Gus

Pouty
grumpy
full of sass
I really just wanna
kick some ass
and stomp my foot
and then sit down
and scowl
and sulk
with an unhappy frown
until I’m able to
finally calm down

maybe I need a nap?

Photo © ZenStatePhotography