Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and was another of the harps strings meditations with interval timer of chimes to help me through the stretching part of the process. It was very relaxing, and as often seems to happen these days when I meditate, I ended up in a bit of a nap afterward. Just saying? But having fruit in the house was a real motivator to get me going as well surprisingly. I was very eager to make myself my berry smoothie, so when I woke up there was no dawdling at all.
Today’s draw is the Four of Earth (Four of Pentacles) which is traditionally a representation of stability in hearth and home, finances and resources, as well as one’s health and manifestation goals. This can also easily turn into a negative card if one takes that stability too far and becomes miserly or overly focused.
Although basket weaving is in the forefront and represents home and hearth to me as well as taking care of those you love, what really stood out to me today is the willow in the background. Medically speaking, its properties include use as an astringent and fever reducer, and the salicin in its bark is the active ingredient in aspirin. Metaphysically, this tree is considered a sheltering protector and is associated with immortality through it’s reproductive abilities.
What I see as the message in today’s card is a combination of what sits in the foreground, and the willow that drew my eye to the background. The willow is a protective tree. It shelters many secrets within its shady embrace and protects them from discovery and harm. So too does the Four of Earth offer protection through the sheltering protection of stability.
Just don’t get so focused upon that shelter that you forget to look beyond it.
DECK USED: HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT
#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m so burnt out all the time.
Question: What can I do to remind myself that rest is important before I’m in desperate need of it?
Reading Summary: Learn to recognize the signs (Page of Swords), and then seize steady and rooted control (King of Pentacles) to keep things balanced by using the tools at your disposal (The Magician).
Take Away: To make sure that I’m staying on top of when I need rest and when it is most important to my health and well being, I need to pay attention to the signs and not ignore them as I usually do. Instead, I need to take them seriously and use them as a trigger to bring my responsible self forward and do what needs done to solve the problem before it becomes detrimental to me.
DECK USED: STAR SEEKER TAROT
#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #2
How can I make sure that I don’t backslide in my emotional growth from this year?
Reading Summary: The combination of colors that coincide with each other in the second and third cards, connect these cards together, whereas the complete difference in colors and shapes through the first card in relation to the other two mark it as an outlier.
In the first two cards we have a crazily swirling sea with lots of unknown monsters in the dark, and yet the child sleeps and the sailor continues to row his boat. This indicates a need to accept that uncertainty happens. The world within the spin of a roulette like wheel then continues that theme, saying that that the presence of uncertainty in life is a part how the world works.
The outlier card, stands alone, separate from the other two by form and shape, subject matter and colors. The figures are packed and moving on…. and this indicates that the uncertainty indicated in the other two cards does not mean that you can just pack up and walk away.
Take Away: The cards here indicate that my biggest hurdle to trigger backsliding is emotional turbulence and uncertainty. My natural response to these things is to close up and turn inward, retreating from others and the world in order to pull up my “walls” and hide behind them. In order to keep from backsliding in my emotional growth, I need to accept that uncertainty is a part of life and that retreating from it solves nothing. Don’t run away, stay and see things through instead.
DECK USED: DIXIT CARD v4 ORIGINS EXPANSION PACK
#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Question: what you project // what you take in // what lies deep within
What I Project – The High Priestess – Mystery in the knowledge of secrets. I found this card to be an interesting response to this question, but at the same time, it also makes sense considering my background and knowledge garnered from being a life-long pagan, fortune teller, and witch. I think it’s more the “secret” part of the answer that gave me pause, as I’m always so willing to be open about my history and my knowledge, should anyone want to ask.
What I Take In – Nine of Wands – Energy. I take in the energy of others, which is often defensive. I didn’t realize this until recently when Kev did my Human Design System reading. A good deal of the reading rang true, and that included the part about my struggle to connect with others. When I rub people the wrong way, I feel that deeply as it is reflected back to me. I’ve considered restructuring my shielding to deflect this, but I find the input helpful.
What Lies Deep Within – Five of Pentacles – Depression and pessimism. As I mentioned in yesterday’s reading, I’m upfront about the fact that I deal with depression and have done so throughout my life… and yet when a depressive episode comes upon me, I work to hide it both from others as well as myself. My pessimism is something I also try to hide, although it more often becomes apparent during times when I’m feeling especially grouchy. These things live deep within me, and although I struggle with them and try to fight against them when they rise up? I don’t think they can really be abolished so much as… managed.
Today’s draw is another double without a jumper, as they both came out of the deck together. The cards in today’s draw are the Six of Cups (the Deer) and the Happy Squirrel card, which is an extra card in this deck that has placement just after The World card in the Major Arcana.
Twisting the Leaf 