#5FaveSummerDecks2019 (non) VR to Sophquest Synergy

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This tag was brought to my attention by Simon over at the Hermit’s Cave, but originated from Sophquest Synergy.

In my mind (and on my excel spreadsheet), I very much sort my decks (not all of them, but many of them) by seasons.  It’s not that I won’t use these decks outside of those seasons if it feels right for the situation, but I’m so strongly connected to the seasons that I suppose it’s not a surprise I would associate many of my decks with one season or another.

I’ve limited the decks in this post, though, to the decks that I actually used during this summer of 2019.  Out of the “summery” decks that I’ve used this summer, these are the five that have really stood out for me….

Sum05

Stolen Child Tarot – Okay, so this one quickly stole the show for me this summer.  Or, should I say this September.   The thing is, though, that it rapidly has climbed to my #2 spot for all time favorite decks, right beneath the Tarot of the Hidden Realm.  I love the combination of whimsy and seriousness, the expressive complexity of the cards.  I just really connected with this deck, and the cardstock is just amazing.  It feels great to shuffle.

Sum04

Hanson Roberts Tarot – This has been a long time favorite of mine.  Mary Hanson Roberts does lovely work and I really like her depictions in this deck.  Of all RWS clones out there, this one is at the top of the list for me.  Like all the decks on this list, my “summer feel” is about color correlations, and crispness in artistic depiction.

SUM03

Luna Sol Tarot – You know those super hot days where the world feels baked crispy and white washed by the sun’s rays?  That’s what this deck reminds me of.  In my opinion, it makes a great end-of-summer deck for this reason.

Sum01

Linestrider Tarot (with the Hedgewitch Oracle) – When it comes to these two decks, I just can’t seem to have one without the other.  In my mind, they go together as one.  I know that they both really pair lovely with other decks, but I just can’t seem to separate them in my mind.  When I read with the Linestrider Tarot, I often shuffle the Hedgewitch Oracle directly into the deck.  I do it so often that I might end up leaving them some way at some point.

Sum02

Luminous Void Tarot – For me, this deck is the epitome of sticky summer heat and the melty smudge of cosmetics on women roasting as they go about their days in the oppressive heat of summer.  It’s all about dripping sweat, cloying humidity, and the sweltering of the sun beating down upon the world at the peak of summer.

Like I mentioned earlier.  Seasonal decks, to me, are all about color and the texture within the artwork  (as opposed to the texture of the cardstock).  For me, all of the decks above very much speak summer, and I’ve tried to explain why in each one that I see them that way.

Family

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Today’s meditation was 10 minutes long, and focused on letting go of those things that are not working for you so that you can make room for new ideas and processes that will.

The guided meditations spoke on how changing seasons can be a good time to help in this process, as you can sync up your release of bad habits and other behaviors and time with the fall, and will come in new behaviors that will work better for you in the spring.

This is very similar to how I work with the moons phases, where the waxing moon between the full moon and the next new moon would be considered the time for release and correspond to autumn.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Cups, Which is a representation of the ending of a cycle, regeneration, and renewal in the area of the emotions, creativity, relationships, and intuition. My sister calls this card the “happy family card”, because in many ways it represents that atmosphere with a focus on the bounty that you have in your emotional life. It is, essentially, the “all my Cups are full and life is good” card.

The appearance of this car today is a reminder that as much as there may be discord and disagreements and mistreatment and even abuse, the people that I am visiting right now are family. They might suck… but they are my family, and with all their flaws there is still value in that.

It might be something that you have to dig for to see, and really search for in order to find.… but it could be worse too, and has been in the past.

Deck Used: Morgan Greer Tarot in a Tin

Find the Fun

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Today’s meditation was 10 minutes long and focused on softening fear Through mindfulness and staying in the present moment.

A lot of times fear and anxiety is caused by “What If” mentality. That is to say that we worry about the future and the “what ifs” that might happen but are not yet a reality.

If instead, we stick to the present moment and pay attention to this moment instead of spending time trying to predict the future… then there is less to be fearful for and your anxiety can ease as a result.

Today’s draw is the Knight of Rods, which is an active beta energy in the area of one’s passions, ambitions, drive, and willpower.

Today’s card is an encouragement to work at condensing my scattered energies, my frustrations, and my feelings of being rushed about into something positive. The night of frauds is telling me that these negative feelings and frustrations can be turned into his sense of impulsive adventure, and And become an inspiration for my passion and creativity.

As we are apparently going to be doing a lot of running around today, I think this is a good message to keep in mind to help me in actively keeping my eyes open to opportunities to make what would normally be considered a very trying day into something more fun and adventurous.

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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SCS

As I’ve mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Earth – Seven of Cups – There will be a variety of paths and choices opening up before you. Be conscious of those that offer the potential for manifestation and growth.

Air – Four of Swords – If you don’t allow yourself the time and space to vent, you will not get the rest and restoration that is need out of this week.

Water – Knight of Pentacles – Don’t bottle up emotions or run from the unpleasantness.  Instead, stand tall and strong.  Tend to your own values with focus and steadfast resolve.

Fire – Six of Cups – Time spent revising the past will not serve you well this week.  It’s time for a new perspective, as the old one is only weighing you down.

Waning – The Sorcerer – Self destruction through self centered behavior.  Beliefs and ideas that foster separation, conflict, and scarcity.

Waxing – The Owl – Catching sight of what has been hidden that others cannot see. Truth seeking. Intuition.

Moral of the Story – It’s time to seek out new perspectives. Keep an eye out for what has changed and what is different.  Seek your outlet to let things out when needed so that you can get the rest and restoration you need out of this week ahead, and stay true to your values.

Decks Used: Crow Tarot, Dixit Pack #6 Memories, Mystical Shaman Oracle

 

Traveling with Items of Faith

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Okay, so I’ve mentioned before that I do not normally travel with items of my faith.  I leave my tarot cards at home, and instead take a deck of playing cards.  I leave my crystals and other items at home other than those set into the (very innocuous) jewelry that I wear.

Travel AltarThis is how I was taught, and it’s the practice I have followed throughout my entire life.  But, I’ve been feeling a need this time around to bring some things with me.  This is different, and unusual for me, and yet it’s a nagging niggle in the back of my mind that I’m having a hard time silencing.

So… I made myself a ‘kit’ of sorts.   A sort of ‘travel altar’ that I have packed to take with me on my trip.   I thought you’d like to see it and what’s in it.

Above, you can see how it looks all packed up and ready to go.  I’m using a book bandolier to hold it all together, and what you see there are two small hand-made notebooks for taking notes on any readings I do while I’m gone so that I can bring them back and transfer them into my journal when I get home.  I need to be able to hand-write my notes, as this connects to a different part of the brain than typing (no matter what device I’m typing on).   For example, all of my self-care spreads are hand written prior to being added to this blog, as are some of my other personal readings that I’ve shared.

Also included is my favorite type of pen for this type of writing (thank you Sharpie).  Then above that is my tin with all my supplies, and above that, the tin containing the deck I’ve decided to bring along with me on this trip.   I chose a tinned deck for protection of the cards, and that deck in particular because 1) it’s very easy to read and 2) it’s very inexpensive to replace if something happens to it.

Travel Altar

Okay, so in the picture above, you see everything taken out of their tins.  Starting with the deck of tarot cards on the left and working clockwise, we have….

  • The Morgan Greer Tarot deck (in a tin version)
  • A small spray bottle of homemade purification spray consisting of alcohol, distilled water, sweet grass, garden sage, lavender, clove, bergamot, rosehips, allspice, rosemary, and cedar shavings.  These ingredients are put in alcohol (this batch was made with vodka, although rubbing alcohol will also work) and set to age for several months before being strained and diluted with distilled water.
  • One tealight candle
  • An incense holder
  • A small sample of soil from the Olympic Rainforest, and beside it, a small sample of rain water from the Olympic Rainforest as well.
  • My black Sharpie 0.8 fine point pen
  • Two 18 page handmade notebooks (passport size) that came as a free gifts with past bandolier orders (made by CleverHands on Etsy)
  • A selenite thumb stone, and above it, a crystal quartz thumb stone
  • A flourite heart
  • Two small sticks (each) of Nag Champa and Frankincense
  • A small baggie of crystals and stones including labradorite, rose quartz, smoky quartz, amethyst, malachite, nuummite, tigers eye, apatite, citrine, moonstone, amazonite, green calcite, and a few others
  • A strand I made to signify the four elements.  It is created out of amazonite, citrine, carnelian agate, and amethyst, with crystal quartz positioned between each and on either end.
  • A mini Bic lighter

Travel AltarAs you can see in the picture on the left, it all fits nice and neat inside the little tin, and the tin closes tightly.  I will carry it on the plane, except for the lighter, which will have to go in my suitcase (because no way they’re going to let me take a lighter on the plane when they won’t even let me board with a pair of jeweler’s pliers).

So…. there you have it.   Something new I’ve never done before.  And yet…. maybe it’s time, yeah?

 

 

Wasting Time and Energy

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and ten seconds long, and focused on opening up the heart to others.

The basis of the topic and premise is that one doesn’t have to be romantically involved, or have a close relationship with someone, in order to feel love for others.

The guided meditation spoke on how when you approach others from a place of love, you have a better chance of improving not just your life but the lives of those around you as well.

I very much enjoyed the breathing exercise included in the meditation, which involved focusing on Breathing in love on the inhale, and exhaling tension to foster peace with the exhale.

Today’s draw is a pair of Dixit cards from the sixth Dixit expansion pack named memories. These are two cards without a jumper, as they both came out of the deck together.

What I see in these cards as a reminder that freaking out is a waste of time. The chaos and color of the top card speaks to me of anxiety and the chaotic mindset that I’ve been residing in for the last couple of days. When I am in this mindset, everything is scattered and confused, and almost violent on the inside of my mind and body.

The second card speaks to me of wasting time and effort. What else are you doing when you’re trying to water a plant in the middle of a rainstorm when the ground is already flooded?

Today’s draw as a reminder that I need to do you things from a dispassionate perspective of logic rather than the heart while I’m here.

Deck Used: Dixit Pack #6 Memories