Albano Waite Tarot

Another Way

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was a bit longer than normal at fifteen minutes, as I added on a few extra stretches to my piriformis stretching.   It was just a quiet meditation, and I had a bit of trouble focusing, which is fine.  I’ve picked up my yoga practice a bit, so the piriformis stretches are a part of that .  I expect to be a bit sore over the next few days.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is the Mercury card, which is a part of the oracle cards that are included in this deck. Although I am not really strong in astrology, I do know that Mercury rules over communication which is why when Mercury goes into retrograde so many people freak out and so much seems to go awry… once communication goes off the tracks? Everything else soon follows.

When I look at this card, I get very confused. Somehow skulls and face with one eye and a smile and a hand and snakes and ribbons and long tongues and…. it all gets messed up in my head when I look at the imagery on this card.  It’s a fucking clusterfuck mess, and i can’t seem to ever piece out the imagery to make sense of what I’m seeing.

In fact, what I see in this card’s imagery today is… not really there at all. Because when I look at this card, I see a nude figure curled into itself made out of the hand in the upper right hand corner, and the curvature of a bare spine from shoulders to hips out of the lower left skull.

What I see in these things that are not really there is vulnerability and a need to retreat from chaos.  Today’s card is a reminder of this.  Of the fact that when I feel vulnerable that I have a tendency to try and curl into myself and away from the chaos.  It is a reminder that that is the old way of doing things… and I’m learning another way.  A better and healthier way.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m so burnt out all the time.
Question:  How can I rest more effectively?

Tarot of the Journey to the Orient

Reading Summary: Learn from the new knowledge that you’re gaining emotionally to guide you (Knave of Chalices) instead of falling back on the fire that is sparked through conflict (Five of Wands) and charging ahead (The Chariot).

Take Away:  This is about managing my energy in a more resourceful way.  Instead of spilling my energy all over the place and using the flash fire of passions to drive me forward, I need to seek a gentler way of motivating myself so that it is easier to unwind from that motivation to rest more easily.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE JOURNEY TO THE ORIENT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:  How can I become more sure of myself?

Karma TarotReading Summary: Move away (Eight of Cups) from the belief that you have to be the end-all be-all and be able to do everything all the time (The World). Take some self reflection and allow those things that really aren’t any of your responsibility to fall away (The Hermit).

Take Away:  This message has to do with more than just my actions and physically taking on too much, but also my sense of inner responsibility. I need to remember that I am ultimately only responsible for myself.  This is because when I take on more than I can handle, or responsibilities that are not mine to take on, when I then fail, stagger, or struggle… my inner critic uses this as fodder to tear myself down through it’s negative inner dialogue.  That inner dialogue is all about being a failure, and I shouldn’t be taking that on for things that aren’t my responsibility in the first place.

DECK USED:  KARMA TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  hold your ground // step aside // share the path

Slavic Tarot

Hold Your Ground – Five of Cups – Against your depression and pessimism.

Step Aside – Ten of Coins – From the responsibility of balancing everything on your shoulders… sometimes they’ll flourish just fine on their own without your stressing over them.

Share The Road – Two of Swords – With the fact that sometimes you do have to make difficult decisions even when you don’t want to. That’s OK. Just be well informed first.

DECK USED:  SLAVIC TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  When am I least creatively confident?

Albano Waite Tarot

Reading Summary: When joyous fun (The Sun) is torn down by selfish words (Queen of Swords Rx) by someone that should be a nurturing figure in my life (The Empress).

Take Away:  When I’m having my fun and/or expectations crushed by my mother.

DECK USED:  ALBANO WAITE TAROT

Percolating is Not a Dry Spell

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_5404Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and I chose to do a guided meditation today that focused on a method of using “volume control” as a way of quieting one’s mind during meditation, instead of shoving thoughts away or trying to reject or ignore them.

Sometimes brute force just isn’t the way to get what you want, and that can include when dealing with your own mind and ability to concentrate.  This meditation was a walk through on allowing thoughts to flit through, but turning down the “volume” on these thoughts until they move from shouting, to talking, then to murmuring, and finally to a quiet whisper in the background.

Women of Science TarotToday’s draw is the Nebula card, which comes from the oracle side of this deck’s cards. Scientifically, a nebula is a cloud-like substance in space made up of the death of old stars combined with gasses and other matter.  This essence is then where the birth of new stars take place, recycling old supernova remnants and other elements to give birth to something new.

I very much liked the line in the guide for this deck that speaks of this card being a reminder that before things can manifest into reality, they exist in a space of creative possibility and potential.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the eggs, which also speaks of possibility and potential.  Like the thought experiment of Schrodinger’s Cat, as long as the shell remains unbroken, there are infinite possibilities that lie within.  I also have a small draw to the volcano’s explosion in the background, which speaks to me of the explosive quality that creativity and manifestation can sometimes take on.

The message in this card today is about embracing one’s creative nature. Even in times when you are not actively creating, the potential is there and there continues to be “workings” going on in the mind deep beneath the subconscious.  Dry spells are not dry spells… they are times of subconscious percolation.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:  What issue should I wait on and avoid dealing with at this time?

Albano Waite TarotReading Summary: Don’t worry about stealin’ assholes right now (Seven of Swords). Whatever damage was going to be done, has been done now, so just focus on your emotional growth (Ace of Cups) and do your work (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I’ve had so many warnings lately about sharing my inspired ideas and projects with others, that I’ve lost track of just how many warnings there has been.

The issue that I need to deal with later on has to do with the fact that I have either managed to avert this issue… or I’ve already fucked up and the fallout will come later on. For now, I need to focus on carrying on with carrying on as I have been.

DECK USED:  ALBANO WAITE TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  resist // rise up // revise

Veleda Woods Tarot

The message in these cards is not mine and does not fit my life. I had the feeling when I was pulling these cards, that this message is not for me. I don’t know who it is for… but perhaps it will resonate with someone in the different places that it is shared, or perhaps the intended recipient will stumble upon it by chance.

Resist – Nine of Cups – Conformity.  This interpretation is not about the 9 of Cups, but about the imagery on the card. Individuality is important.  Do not be one of the many, but take a leap through the door and allow yourself to be unique.  Conforming to the values of others and marching to their drum instead of thinking (and feeling) for yourself is not the answer.

Rise up – Guardian of Cups – The narrative you are given needs one’s heart and intuition to discern and dissect.  Instead of listening to what is being said, listen to what is not said which lies beneath the surface.  Listen to the emotions.  Do not allow those with ulterior motives based in negative emotions to carry you away with their narrative.

Revise – Ranger of Wands – Your outlook needs examining.  You take after your passions and those things you feel deeply about with zeal and power pushing you forward, but are you going in the right direction? You need to examine what lies beneath that drive to move forward and push against… that drive that keeps you going.  Make sure that what lies beneath is good and pure… not polluted by other’s narrative or your desire to “fit in”.

Take Away – If you have read this reading and it resonates with you… it is time to do some soul searching , and some close examination of the motivations that drive not just you… but those around you as well.  What undercurrents of emotion are truly driving those you follow, admire and listen to? Deep down, why do you choose to follow them in turn?  It’s time to reflect upon these questions.

DECK USED:  VELEDA WOODS TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  When am I creatively true to myself?

Wheel of the Year Tarot

Reading Summary: When I allow things to develop at their own pace (Seven of Pentacles), and don’t allow myself to become overburdened (Ten of Wands) or listen to much to my negative in her narrative (Queen of Swords).

Take Away:  The cards here indicate that you can’t “force” creativity either through expectation or through negative enforcement.  Creativity has to come through positive reinforcement and patience, allowing that spark to come alive and develop slowly over time.  The trip to manifestation is only the end result… the full process is beneath the surface and only begins to come into conscious awareness when it’s ready to be seen.

DECK USED:  WHEEL OF THE YEAR TAROT

Healing is a Process

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and took place out on the balcony.  I needed some fresh air and distance, so I closed myself out there and laid out along the plants and pots to chill for a bit.  I took a lazy amount of time out there, even after the breathing exercises I rolled over to spend some time chilling with the overflowing of thyme I have out there this year, picking buds and cleaning things up.

Herbcrafter's Tarot - Three of AirToday’s draw is the Three of Air (Three of Wands) which is traditionally interpreted as representing themes of heartbreak, disappointment, emotional pain, and depression. These “emotions” do not live in the heart, but within the mind, and this is why although the card appears to be about the emotions, it resides within the Swords suit which is the suit of the mind.

In this card, my eyes are irresistibly drawn to the Echinacea flowers reaching for the sky today, as well as the hint of a rusted roof in the distance of the background.  Echinacea is an immune system booster, and is used in spellcraft as a plant that lends an energy boost to your intent as well as an herb used to promote inner strength. This makes the presence of the plant represented on the Three of Swords card especially relevant, as it transforms the card from a representation of desolation and despair to one of growth and support during difficult times.

The roof holds its own meaning to me when I see it in the imagery of this card today. It speaks to me of a long stretch of time. It takes time to weather a corrugated roof and create those streaks of rust and weathering you see in that small peek you see in the lower left corner of the card. Blended with the Echinacea, it speaks of the fact that sometimes it takes time to heal from disappointments and heartache.  Not everything can be immediate.

This message today is in reference to my journey of healing from “the letter”. It’s been months and months since the letter first arrived, and over six months now since I started confronting the fear and fog that swallowed me whole in response to that letter. It feels like this climb out of that place of fear and desolating doubt.  Today’s card is a message of encouragement and patience. A reminder that true healing takes time, and that’s okay.

DECK USED:  HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling with self-worth.
Question:  What three qualities do I associate with what it means to be “a good person”?

Lumina Tarot

Reading Summary: The ability to stay on the straight and narrow despite the shit that tries to tear you down.

I can’t quite break this one down as neatly as I usually do to display how I came to the bare bones of the reading.   What I see here is that the Three of Swords is the topic.  It is what “happens to you” and the basis of this reading.   The King then represents the strength to “stay the course” and the Eight of Wands reinforces single minded purpose  towards the direction I wish to go in seen in the Two of Wands.

Usually when I break apart my reading to display how I get there, I’m able to break it into pieces that fit together into a succinct sentence.  Something about how the Lumina Tarot communicates makes this process a lot more difficult.  I’m not sure why.

Take Away:  So in breaking this down, three of the qualities I associate with being a good person include the strength of will to “stay the course” of one’s beliefs and standards through through times of struggle and heartache, the ability to perceive the direction you want to go in through these times, and the determination to stay on that course.  This is about one’s moral compass and life goals, and about not allowing negativity to steer you away from those values.

DECK USED:  LUMINA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Banish This / Attract This

Minchiate Etruria Anima Antiqua TarotBanish This – Taurus –  It’s time to let go of your bullheaded stubbornness and rigidity. There is a great deal of inflexibility in you and in order for the growth you want to happen to flourish and really take off, you need to find a way to let go of some of that rigidity.

Attract This – The Grand Duke – Androgyny and a hint of mastery yet to come. The message here is about adaptability, versatility, and growth.  I need to invite these qualities in and allow them to ease the rigidity that is holding me back.  It is possible to hold on to who you are and your moral compass, even as you move through the changes taking place and grow into a better person.

DECK USED:  MINCHIATE ETRURIA ANIMA ANTIQUA TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  let in // let out // let go // let rest

Albano Waite Tarot

King of Cups – Let in Gideon, for he is your support and knows you better than all others (except perhaps L). Sometimes, especially when I’m dealing with subdrop, it can be hard to open up.  Feeling so vulnerable makes being so open especially a struggle, but that is what he is there for, to block out the danger so that he and he alone has access to those tender moments and inner knots, and can help me through.

The Empress – Let out into the world my ability to nurture and encourage others. Remember that the creations you make and send out in to the world have power to influence others in positive, nurturing ways. They foster positivity and spread joy, bringing this warmth and energy into the lives of others, sometimes when they need it most, but always with the ability to then spread out from that person to the next and the next.

The Sun – Let go and allow the sun to shine. Don’t allow pessimism to win out. You’ve made he conscious choice to try and move in a more positive direction, to foster positivity and joy in your life. In order for this to happen, you have to allow it.

Ace of Swords – Let rest my harsher nature. That inner critic and the inner dialog that goes on with myself is not healthy.  Pushing it away is not the only path to easing up on this.  Letting it rest is another method worth exploring.

DECK USED:  ALBANO WAITE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I capture my best ideas?

Wheel of the Year Tarot

Reading Summary: Take time to examine them from all angles (The Hanged Man), pick them apart and judge them harshly (Queen of Swords) in order to challenge their worth (Five of Wands).

Take Away:  This is more about how to sort out the best ideas from the not as great ones. It’s one of those times where that shrewd judgement and harsh sight comes in handy as it allows me to pick apart an idea down to its bare bones and look at all the drawbacks and other pitfalls it might have.   If it can make it through that process and come out the other side, it is truly worthy of exploring further.

DECK USED:  WHEEL OF THE YEAR TAROT