Animism Tarot

Just Wait

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes and sixteen seconds, and focused on the three types of learning.  These styles of learning are through the word of others, through your own research, and through actually doing.  It discussed how each type has its place in the process of one’s development of new skills, but it is the last of the three that really cements home changes in one’s skills and abilities.

I think this is especially true and very clear to see in when people are learning the tarot (or any divinitory system).   Books can only take you so far, watching others can only take you so far… research and study can only take you so far.  It is only once you begin actually reading with the cards (or other system) that you begin to cement into place your knowledge and methods and find the confidence and strength that only hands on experience can lend.

Today’s draw is the Five of Swords (the Mako Shark), which is a representation of trials, tests, hardship, conflict, and struggles in the area of one’s thoughts, logic, communication, instincts, intellect, and challenges.

In the guidebook for this deck, the Mako Shark’s keywords are dominance, power, fearlessness, drive, cunning, and endurance.

This card is really good for today, and I would like to share a quote from the Journey into the Hidden Realms book that demonstrates perfectly how I see the appearance of the Five of Swords in today’s draw.

“… while things look chaotic and dangerous, they aren’t as bad as you are making them out to be…. just let the situation play out naturally, it’ll blow over soon. Trying to take action now will only bring regrets.”

This is exactly right for today as I learned yesterday (along with multitudes of other sellers on the site) that Etsy has decided to completely revamp their advertising platform.  This is a platform that has worked VERY good for me over the years, and what they are incorporating into the new platform involves LESS control as well as the inclusion of a venue that has never worked well for me at all.  Because there are less controls, this means there’s no way to opt out of that advertising venue without curtailing advertising through them entirely.

I’ve been mulling over what I want to do about this, as I definitely have issue with a number of the changes.  I needed guidance, although I had not yet chosen to turn to the cards for it.   The cards, though, stepped up to provide that guidance regardless.

For the time being, I will take the “wait and see” route.  Once the dust has settled, then I will go back and review my options and make a more educated decision.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

A Breath of Fresh Air

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes and thirty-seven seconds, and involved a full body scan from head to feet and then back up again.

These are, hands down, one of my favorite types of meditations.  I enjoy the process of moving from body part to body part, and it is mentally engaging enough to keep my mind from straying all over the place.

It also gives me a chance to touch in on what it is my body needs, where I am sore and need more stretching, what needs more attention to function dependably through the day.

Today’s draw is the Page of Wands (the Chinchilla) which is a representation of a receptive omega energy in the area of one’s passions, drive, willpower, and aspirations.  The Page of Wands is a learner, but a learner that is up for exploration and filled with curiosity, inspiration, and potential for discovery.

In the guidebook for this deck, the Chinchilla’s keywords are specified as discovery, curiosity, communication, awareness, innocence, and enthusiasm.

This is the mentality that I brought with me into my day today, and as a result we visited a LOT of places along the way back home including craft stores, grocery store (I made a new and absolutely SPECTACULAR dish tonight that I’d made up in my head in the grocery store), and even the park for a short visit.   This energy was like a breath of fresh air, and one that was greatly needed at that.

Make It Fun

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and ten seconds long, and focused on techniques for releasing thoughts so that they do not clutter up your mind during meditation.   This is something that a lot of people have difficulties with in meditation, myself included, and is one of the main lessons meditation in mindfulness is there to teach you.

It also had encouragement for those (also like myself) that become frustrated when thoughts continue to keep bouncing back in again and again, even once acknowledged and set aside.

Today’s draw was a triple.  That is to say it was the main card with two jumpers that came out together.  It was an odd experience, to be honest, but I decided to go with it rather than try for a single card answer.  It is also the third time in the past 24 hours I’ve been given 3 cards when seeking a single card answer.

The main card in today’s draw is one that’s visited quite often over the past couple of weeks.  That is the eleventh card in the Major Arcana, the Justice card (with the chimpanzees).

The two jumper cards in today’s draw are the Eight of Pentacles (the Beaver) and the Page of Cups (the Platypus).  Once again today, I will go into traditional meanings afterward, as I feel the need to pull my intuitive reading out of the cards first before delving into my more “book learned” information.

What these cards are telling me (in the order they are received) is that I need to focus on creating more balance in my working life.  It doesn’t all have to be serious or studious.  Yes, hard work is important, but so is having fun with it.  And it is absolutely possible to do both.

I sometimes lose touch of this aspect of “fun” when I become too focused upon the work that needs to be done.

The two guidance cards attached to the Justice card are also both depicted in water, which points to my creativity and emotions.  I think this is an important distinction, especially within my business, as my business is a creative process at the heart of it all.  And although the success of my business is created with hard work, it is also an expressive venue of my creativity that requires a bit of fun, and even whimsy to not just succeed but be enjoyable to me.

And on to the traditional meanings…

The Justice card is in the Major Arcana, which deals with “big picture” topics and issues, rather than specific aspects of the human condition.  This card is a representation of cause and effect, balance, karma, accountability, fairness, and truth.  In the guidebook for this deck, the chimpanzee is associated with the keywords adaption, objectiveness, awareness, compassion, and honor.

The Eight of Pentacles is a representation of the manifestation, mastering of skills, accomplishment through hard work, determination, and purpose in the areas of the physical world, manifesting reality from ideas, resources, and finances.  The Beaver’s keywords are dedication, drive, guidance, success, integrity, and community.

The Page of cups is a representation of a receptive omega type of energy, personality, or person in the area of emotions, creativity, intuition, and relationships. This card’s energy is one of curiosity and learning, creative opportunities, tapping into one’s intuition for guidance, and possibilities.  The Platypus’ keywords are curiosity, peace, intuition, opportunity, individuality, and fluidity.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

Root First… then Sway

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty seconds long, and focused on taking your mindfulness practice from your meditation and into your daily life.

By this, I mean that you take moments in your day to just pause and connect with the moment.  With the smells and the sounds and your inner self, as opposed to letting the day run away with you.

I do this quite often throughout most days, as it helps me keep my anxiety levels in check.

Today’s draw is another double without a jumper, because as seems to be the norm for this deck, they came out together.  The cards in today’s draw are the King of Pentacles (the Silverback Gorilla) and the Fool (the Ccara Llama) from the Major Arcana.

Intuitively speaking, today’s cards speak to me about rest and enthusiasm. They speak about how when one takes the time to be well seated, rested and comfortable and secure in their environment, and it then leaves room for enthusiasm to flourish, and new things and ideas to enter into your life without upsetting the balance.

It’s a good reminder to stay grounded, even when you’re feeling inspired and enthusiastic, like a tree whose branches want to dance in the breeze must first dig deep roots. This is especially true with my creativity, I often have that urge to leap first and work it out as I go, but that’s not always the best option.  Sometimes you have to plant your feet first, so that when you leap you land where you want to land.

On to the traditional meanings and the guidebook….

In the guidebook for this deck, the Silverback Gorilla’s key words are wisdom, leadership, authority, generosity, protection, and loyalty.   The Ccara Llama’s keywords are tenacity, curiosity, fortitude, steadfastness, impulsiveness, and joy.

Traditionally, the King of Pentacles represents a strong, projective alpha energy in the area of finances, resources, manifestation, and the physical world.   The Fool card, which is the very first card in the Major Arcana and often considered the protagonist of the tarot as a whole, represents new beginnings, free spirited-ness, innocence, spontaneity, and naiveté.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

Choosing Your Moment

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes long, and focused on how to deescalate conflict by taking a moment of pause to allow the emotions and bodies to calm down.  During the guided meditation, I learned that it takes 20 minutes for adrenaline and other stress reactions to leave the body, which was something I didn’t know.

The meditation was soothing, with a focus on the breath, and concluded with an encouragement that when life becomes filled with moments of discord, stress, or anxiety, to step away for a moment, and take that moment to pause and calm before you return to deal with whatever has wound you up.

This is often what I use the balcony of my place for.  It always has something that needs done, year round, whether it is tending to living plants, checking on those in hibernation, cleaning up dead leaves, or just a bit of TLC.   By going out there when I have become overwrought, I am giving myself space to process and ease.  I never noticed this before, but my visits in this capacity are usually… just about 20 minutes long.

Today’s draw is the Knight of Pentacles (the Black Rhinoceros) which is a representation of an active beta type energy, personality, or person in the area of manifestations, resources, finances, and the physical world.

The key words for the Black Rhinoceros in the deck’s guidebook are determination, wisdom, strength, stability, awareness, and endurance.

What I feel when I see this card in today’s draw is…. patience. Not in the way of languid moments or lengthy waiting, but more in how one is patient in order to find that precise moment to strike.    It is Z when she needs to bring something up to someone, but you ask her about it and she says “I’m choosing my moment”.

That is what this is.   Choosing your moment, poised to act and yet not -quite- there.

I see this as a good and positive message because this is a reminder that you can’t always go leaping ahead right out of the gate, and neither can you always just sit back and let everything pass by.   The lesson, and also the benefit, of ‘choosing your moment’ is that in that moment and only that moment, a window of opportunity has opened that you will not have at any other time.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot

 

Cooperation and Balance

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty seconds, and focused on savoring the moments and the little things. It delved into how it is not the big accomplishments and flashy moments that define our lives and bring meaning, but the little things in life, the small kindnesses, the moments in which we stop to appreciate what we have and what surrounds us.

For me, photography has always been this.  With my camera in my hands, I tune into the things that mostly get passed by.  The wondrous world of lichen, the synchronicity of nature, the beauty of colors that one wouldn’t think might go together, and yet in nature there is proof that they do.  With the camera in my hands, I am attuned to all of this and so much more.  And then, when I put the camera down?  It carries forward with me into my day to day.

Today’s meditation was a beautiful reminder that although I don’t -need- my camera to pick up on all these things… I need to pick up my camera more often.

Today’s draw is another double without a jumper, as they both came out together. The cards in today’s draw are the Six of Pentacles (the Alligator and the Plover), and the 11th card in the Major Arcana, the Justice card (chimpanzees).

I will put the guidebook’s keywords for each animal at the end, but first I want to get out what I see in the cards today, which is cooperation and balance.  Harmony through collaboration and partnership.  Yes, the Justice card is here again today, but there is no warning there as there had been last time.  Instead, this is all about creating balance and helping each other.

It is a fitting card for today, as today is my driving day and I will once again be traveling with J.  Aside from that, though, I also see this in the relationship I have with you.  We are both very different, and yet very the same.  We approach things differently to come to the same ideas or conclusions.  We work together to the betterment of both of our lives in so many aspects.

Today’s draw is a celebration of that balance, and a reminder that it is there.  The cards have appeared to draw up my conscious awareness, appreciation, and gratitude.

Okay…. Guidebook interpretations for the animals are as follows…

Alligator – adaptation, patience, power, and opportunity

Plover – unity, insight, tranquility, reflection, creativity, and resourcefulness

Chimpanzee – adaptation, objectiveness, awareness, compassion, and honor

Traditional meanings of the cards for today’s draw….

The Six of Pentacles is generally a representation of cooperation, vitality, and the “give and receive” aspects of harmony in the area of resources, finances, manifestation, and the physical world.

The Justice card is a Major Arcana card, which means it deals with more of a “big picture” perspective than one aspect of the human experience.  It generally deals with ideas and themes to do with balance and the “righting” (or tipping) of the scales of life, cause and effect situations, and the ideals of fairness and truth.

Deck Used: The Animism Tarot