Badgers Forest Tarot

Making Good Choices

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @hippiepixie333 #Escapril2026 Challenge
Prompt for April 18th : distant trains
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Llewellyn Tarot - Ten of Swords

Today’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation long journeys coming to an end, painful endings, lessons learned the hard way, deep wounds, and sometimes can indicate loss or betrayal.

I live in a condo on a hill with train tracks that run along the bottom of the hill through the “valley”. Trains run along these tracks all day and all night, their sound rolling upward over the hill where I live, carrying and amplifying the sound as it goes.

Because of this, although I live a few blocks from those train tracks, it sounds as if I live right next to them. Well, on the other side of the building at least, because the side of the building that faces the train tracks actually feels like you might be living 2 feet from the tracks.

When I moved in here, it took a really long time for me to get used to the noise of the trains, especially at night. Back then I was only getting about 3 to 4 hours of sleep per night, and this ungodly racket of trains moving through the night was not helping me get even that much sleep.

At one point, I even considered whether it was worth staying here, or if I should move.

I did stay, though, and over time I became used to the sound of the trains. I barely even hear them anymore.

The message in today’s Ten of Swords combined with the “distant trains” is a reminder that we can’t always choose the things we can live with, and those that we can’t. Sometimes the most excruciating things (like chronic pain) are things we have to live with rather than choosing, while other things (like the sound of trains that keep you up all night) you can choose whether or not to accept in your life.

In the end, we can “live with” a lot of things we don’t want to live with. We are all stronger than we realize, after all. The reminder here is that when we have a choice, make good choices. Pick yourself up from the “knockdown” blow given to you, and make the best choices you can in that moment. It may not be the perfect choice of your dreams, but if you make the best choice you can, you will get the best results from the experience you’re in the process of picking yourself up from.

DECK USED:  THE LLEWELLYN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2026 Challenge
Philosophical Questions for April 22nd and 29th

Tarot Reading with the Badgers Forest Tarot and Sibley Tree Identification Flashcards

What does it mean to live a good life?

Ten of Swords, American Plum, Queen of Swords

These cards indicate that living a good life involves protecting those you love (American Plum) from the hardships that life has to offer (Ten of Swords Rx), and guiding them through the ones that you can’t protect them from (Queen of Swords).

The truth is that we all have to live through hardships, and life is going to hand out to us a wide variety of them to go through in our lives. In these cards, we see that living a good life involves connection with and support from others as each of us traverses through these hardships and learns how to deal with them, survive them, and move on from them.

Is personal growth required to live a good life?

Knight of Pentacles, Southern Crab Apple, Ace of Swords

You can’t move forward, not even slowly (Knight of Pentacles Rx), without some kind of growth (Ace of Swords). Stagnancy creates a stunted experience (Southern Crab Apple).

Yes, personal growth is a requirement for living a good life. Or at least, the good life that is described above in the answer to the previous question. Without personal growth, there is nothing to share, and nothing to give. That means there’s no reciprocity, and nothing to be shared with you.

Through growth we provide for others… and through growth they provide for us.

Other elements included in this reading:
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Green Jasper and Tiger Eye Turtle for Confidence within Progress
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: BADGERS FOREST TAROT AND SIBLEY TREE IDENTIFICATION FLASHCARDS

@lightningwildflower‘s April Energetic Shifts Challenge
Mercury sextile Pluto Prompt for April 18th : How can I use my voice to empower myself?

Tarot Reading with The Llewellyn Tarot

Reading Summary: Remember that you can’t have everything all at once (The World blocked by Knight of Pentacles), and you wouldn’t want to (Justice). Take the things you want and need a little at a time instead (Seven of Swords).

Take Away: There are unhealthy results involved in leaning into a mindset of immediate gratification. Empower yourself by knowing your limits and working within them instead.

You will garner more success that way than you will by pushing yourself for more than you can healthily handle at once. Might want to keep in mind that there’s a massive difference between “more than you can handle” and “more than you can healthily handle” as well.

In other words? Saying “no” is empowering, not diminishing. Say it more often.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Turtle Figurine for encouraging Slow and Steady Progress
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE LLEWELLYN TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I avoided speaking politics even when it was brought up a few times today. It’s not that I don’t want to share my personal perspectives on those issues, but it’s like talking to a brick wall and only creates a chasm of distance when I’ve tried in the past.

Self Care… Even in Chaos

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Today’s meditation was just over fourteen minutes long, and focused on the body and how when you place your focus solely upon a place of discomfort or pain, sometimes it your perception of that pain will ease and cause the pain to feel as if it dissipates.

By the same turn, by focusing on something beyond the pain, you can also allow it to ease into the background, which will allow it to feel as if it is dissipating as well.

These are mental tricks that I was already familiar with.  Due to the car accident in my late teens and the resulting surgeries that allowed me mobility and functionality after so much damage, I have done a great deal of exploration in pain management techniques over the years.  In fact, it’s one of the major benefits I’ve found of keeping up a regular meditation practice.

Queen of Pentacles - Tarot of the Unknown Today’s draw is the Queen of Pentacles, which is a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the areas of finance, resources, manifestation, and the physical world.

I accidentally missed my meditation the other day, and then nearly again last night (I ended up taking them a few hours late, but I didn’t miss the dose entirely).

With the holiday rush picking up and me going through the adjustment period into this time of the year, it can be hard to keep track of everything that needs done, and the first thing to fall to the side is my self care.  The appearance of the Queen of Pentacles in today’s draw is a reminder to make sure I’m taking care of myself and not letting self-care fall to the wayside.

Deck Used:  Tarot of the Unknown

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: How can I better recognize whether a new idea is worth chasing?

Badger’s Forest Tarot Reading Summary:  This reading is a 100% intuitive hit off of card imagery (rather than read by traditional interpretation of the suits)… If I’m feeling overwhelmed (Ten of Badgers) and like it’s me against the world (Seven of Badgers), then I am doing myself a disservice by taking on more at that time (Seven of Rabbits).

Take Away:  I am bombarded by ideas ALL the time, and I have a lot of projects on the go at once no matter the time of year or what’s going on in my life.  This doesn’t just include jewelry design ideas, but also other types of crafts and art and miscellaneous other endeavors.   The problem comes when I have too many projects on the go, and the new ideas continue to keep coming.  The drive and passion to explore EVERY idea can make me start to feel not just overwhelmed but as if everything is crashing in on me.  The cards are a reminder that it’s okay to let some of them go, or to write them down for later on down the road rather than taking them all on in the moment.

(This answer actually came as a bit of a surprise, as I was anticipating an answer about the quality of said ideas, which is not at all the direction this reading took.)

Deck Used:  Badger’s Forest Tarot

 

The Victor’s Responsibilities

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Today’s meditation was (probably?) about fifteen minutes long, and was another self directed meditation, this time in the shower.  It was one of those in the bottom of shower watching the drops of water drip down the wall meditations, and was very soothing and a balm to my senses and my insides all at the same time.

It didn’t last until the water got cold, but I was there for a bit of time, so I’m guessing at the amount of time I actually spent in meditation.

Five of Axes - Tarot of the Unknown Today’s draw is the Five of Axes (Swords) which is a representation of tests, trials, and challenges in the area of one’s intellect, communication, and thought processes.  This often presents itself as conflict and/or competition, as well as a drive to win no matter the cost.

What stands out to me in this card today is the rope, which speaks to me of a connection between the victor and those he has defeated.  The message here is a reminder that even when you’re the winner, you need to ensure you keep in mind the fate and well being of those you have won against.   Sometimes, you need to do more than just stand tall as the victor and leave others in your wake.   Those you defeat are still people too, and as such, at the end of the battle they deserve more than just sand kicked in their eyes.

Today’s card relates really well to what is going on with one of my jobs at the moment.  I finally did talk to the owner about the shortcomings of his newest manager.  He wasn’t thrilled to hear the news, but after investigating for himself where she’s been dropping the ball and slacking off,  she ended up fired on Friday… and I ended up with a raise.  I don’t particularly feel bad for her, as she was abusive to the employees and not doing her job, but I did speak to her briefly today and offer her some leads on a couple jobs she might be better suited for.

Deck Used:  Tarot of the Unknown

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: How can I improve my relationship with confrontation?

Badger’s Forest TarotReading Summary:  Turn the other cheek (Four of Cups) rather than piling on and engaging in the conflict (Three of Pentacles), because sometimes you just have to take the high road (King of Swords) and walk away (Eight of Cups).

Take Away: Sometimes when coming in contact with confrontation, you really feel the need to defend your position and stand up against the opposing force.  But the fact is?  There are always going to be people that just refuse to listen to any view but their own, and there are going to be times when the conflict and confrontation just are not going to serve you well, even if you’re in the right.  Choose your battles wisely and remember that sometimes walking away is the best option.

Deck Used:  The Badger’s Forest Tarot