Botanical Grace Tarot

The Liar’s Tell

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute self-guided visualization exercise.

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The @hippiepixie333 #Escapril2026 Challenge

Prompt for April 20th : weight of silence

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Botanical Grace Tarot - Seven of Swords

Today’s draw is the Seven of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of strategic thinking, “sneaky shit”, or getting away with something. It can also often be about taking only what one can carry.

Liars need to fill the silence.

There’s a lot of tricks out there to suss out lies and liars. Most of them are faulty, especially when dealing with a practiced liar that sees lying as a skill to be honed. They learn to control what would normally be natural tells.

A technique that has worked for me, though, and is underutilized in my observation, is the application of silence.

Conversion has a natural ebb and flow to it with comfortable silences interspersed within discussion. Inserting one of these silences after a perceived lie, though, makes the liar feel a need to “fill the space”. In these silent moments, they may uncharacteristically fidget, or show tells that are normally controlled.

The weight of the silence can get to them, and whereas they usually come off easy and smooth, their composure is often rattled by silence placed directly after a lie.

The message in today’s Seven of Swords and “weight of silence” prompt is an encouragement to pay more attention to the comfortable silences in conversation, and look more closely at the uncomfortable ones to examine why they are uncomfortable and what is going on in these moments.

DECK USED: BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT

@Lionharts #TheAprilTarot Root & Rise Challenge

The Rise Prompts for April 19th and 20th

Tarot Reading with The BirdQueen Tarot and Enchanted Garden Playing Cards

What choice is ready to be made without further delay?

Seven of Clubs and Eight of Pentacles – Your skills are honed and the craftsmanship you put into your work is undeniable. Fight for your business. Fight for the skills and artistry that you’ve worked for decades to develop.

Politics and the mess created there can only hold you back if you let it. Instead of lying down your arms, raise them high and develop the new skills needed to continue to succeed in this area.

Where can I express my position more directly?

Five of Diamonds and The High Priestess – Take the time to explore and more deeply understand where your feelings of scarcity stem from. The scarcity you feel is not based in reality, but in the hidden parts of you that you try to hide from instead of acknowledging.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Beech Pod for Realizations that Foster Personal Growth
Bird Figurine for Fostering Hope, Positivity, and Renewal
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE BIRDQUEEN TAROT AND ENCHANTED GARDEN PLAYING CARDS

@lightningwildflower‘s April Energetic Shifts Challenge

Mercury conjunct Saturn, Mercury conjunct Mars Prompt for April 20th : What decision is going to require courage or discipline?

Tarot Reading with the Botanical Grace Tarot

Reading Summary: You may need to redefine (The Hanged Man) what you consider stability to entail (King of Pentacles) if you want to find true happiness that you can appreciate (Nine of Cups).

Take Away: Your definition of security and stability is flawed for where you are now in your life. Maybe that definition worked for you in the past, but right now it’s time to do some redefining of the term.

This isn’t easy for you due to your somewhat impressive discomfort with uncertainty and the unknown. It’ll take courage to confront these long held ideals, and discipline to not turn away when you become triggered.

Regardless of this discomfort, though, by redefining stability you can find a definition that works better with you where you are now and your life as you are currently living it. Like the word “balance” requires movement, stability shouldn’t be a stagnant term either.

Other elements included in this reading:
Norway Maple Key for Fostering Strength and Resilience
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

This is a catch up post, and I’m not entirely sure what the self kindness was for this day.

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday 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 is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

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

Botanical Grace Tarot, White Rabbit Oracle I & II, Divine Heart In Flight Oracle

Earth – King of Earth and Desire – Owning what brings you pleasure and stirs your sense of desire is the theme of the day to day for you this week. This isn’t about buying or spending, but rather ownership without shame or self recriminations or worry over what others may think.  What you like is what you like, and that’s that.  Stand tall with pride and allow your authentic self, as well as what makes you tick, to be seen.

Air – Queen of Water atop Four of Air, Direction – Make sure that you are spending down time getting in touch with your emotions and finding ways to bring them forward to others in a way that creates connection and worth instead of imbalance and discord. This may require a pause before speaking up in order to move things in the right direction.

Water – The Lovers atop Temperance, Wonder – It’s okay to wander around with rose colored glasses on sometimes, as long as it’s done with a bit of moderation and caution. Seeing things from this perspective can create a sense of balance on an emotional level that’s currently missing in your life.  Give it a try.

Fire – Eight of Earth atop Seven of Fire, Playfulness atop Adventure – When it comes to what you know is right, you’ll fight to the ends of the earth to stand your ground against those that might try to sway you off your path.  You’ve had a lifetime of practice with this from a young age and are very adept in the ability to stand by your own principles and ideals.  Just remember it doesn’t always have to be so serious. It’s okay to approach such confrontations with humor and a sense of fun and adventure, instead of with outright aggression or dispassionate disregard.

Waning – Serene Soul Connection – Okay so maybe things might not go as smoothly this week on the romantic side of the coin as they have just recently.  Just remember that even when that connection isn’t at its most relaxed and serene?  It’s still there and holding strong.

Waxing – Tear Down Your Walls – Want to restore that serenity?  Suss out those hidden walls that you’re ignoring and pretending don’t exist and give them a hard poke or two.  And make sure that you avoid building on those preexisting walls or building new ones.

Take Away – Tapping into the heart of your wants, desires, ideals, and values is going to be a core part of this week’s theme and you need to make sure that you are being honest with yourself as well as others.   That doesn’t mean just dropping word bombs everywhere and sweeping the debris up later.  Pause and think, and take a moment to consider if this is really a time for aggression, before you speak and things will go a lot smoother all the way around.

DECKS USED:  BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT, WHITE RABBIT ORACLE I & II, DIVINE HEART IN FLIGHT ORACLE

Bending In The Wind

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Today’s meditation was skipped again.  This time it wasn’t interruptions, though.  It was sleep.  I got home from the farm and took a shower, then sat my ass down on the bed for a minute to look at the messages on my phone and… fell asleep.  It was a good nap tho!

Botanical Grace Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Ten of Fire (Wands) which is traditionally a representation of allowing your enthusiasm for something to overburden you to the point of overwhelm and potential burnout.

I’m actually a bit confused by this card due to the illustration.  The herb that is (according to the guide) supposed to be represented by this card is Zanthoxylum americanum (Prickly Ash Bark), but the illustration on this card looks like Jasminum flowers.

What I find today is that the today resides not so much in what card popped out (Ten of Fire) but rather the confusion that surrounds the card’s illustration.

Combined with the message on the Thera-pets card for today, what we see here is a message about acceptance and adaptability.   Don’t allow the unexpected to knock you off track or make you doubt yourself.  Stay open to new experiences and new perspectives.  Bend like a tree in the wind and you will weather the changes far easier than if you hold yourself rigid in the storm.

DECK USED:  BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The #httSelfImprovementTarotChallenge Prompt
Question: What needs to be released to unburden my soul?

Lunaria Tarot

Reading Summary: Trying to pretend you can ignore (Five of Inkwells) new ideas and inspiration (Ace of Pens) is creating a situation where you end up judging yourself harshly (Judgement) and allowing anxiety to thrive (Nine of Pens).

Take Away:  Essentially?  The cards here are telling me to pull my head out of my ass and start writing down my ideas again as they come up.  Allow them to pour out onto paper and keep a log of them.  As a result I will feel like they have been preserved and not be so down on myself for not pursuing them right away, or forgetting them and then feeling anxious about what I’ve lost with my forgetfulness.

DECK USED:  LUNARIA TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Trolley Problem: Do you divert the course of nature let one person die to save five strangers, or let nature take its course and let five people die?

Botanical Grace Tarot Reading Summary: Instinctive reaction (in the fire colors within the first two cards).  I would instantly go for (Two of Fire Rx) the thing I feel passion for (Knight of Fire). And then spend the rest of my life judging myself (Judgement) and retreating to beat myself up inside (The Hermit Rx atop Eight of Water).

Take Away: That sounds about right. Honestly?  I’m a selfish fuck and… I would probably kill the five to save the one that matters to me.

In that moment of panic? I can absolutely see myself making that choice, no matter how wrong it might feel later on down the road (or how wrong it might feel if I’d taken time to think). No time to think? I’d just do it… then spent the rest of my life beating myself up about it.

DECK USED:  BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I forced myself not to work today, even though I was very, very tempted to do some work.  I want to try and give myself the most rest and recuperation that I can.   Going back to work will happen soon enough.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Fool

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Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck that matches [The Fool from Tarot of the Hidden Realm]. Compare the imagery between the card provided and the card from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?”

The Fool - Tarot of the Hidden RealmTarot of the Hidden Realm – The Fool in the Tarot of the Hidden Realm is filled with joy and light that casts a bright golden glow over everything.  The Fae here speaks with a butterfly and the mind can easily imagine him dancing off into the green to follow the butterfly’s flight with laughter on his lips.  The image is filled with carefree joy and a sort of gentle lightheartedness fostered by the flower he holds.  The message here is “Ignorance is Bliss” and the joy that comes from being able to let yourself be consumed by heart filled and innocent pleasures.

The Fool - DNAXCAT Tarot, Kitchen Tarot, Botanical Grace Tarot

DNAXCAT Tarot – Vibrant splashes of color make this card loud in the funnest sense of the word, like a child taken to the playground and set free to have their fun races from the car to their friends and playground games with eager abandon.  Here in this card’s imagery, especially in the colors used, it is all about joyful abandon.  Here we see the classic cliff represented which also gives a word of caution in the card’s meaning, as it is easy to get so carried away with that joyful abandon that we forget to look out for the dangers that may surround us.

Kitchen Tarot – The Colander was a bit of a confusing one as the fool when you first come upon it until you see the words around the colander’s rim. “The colander lets everything wash over it, and remains the same. This is the innocent one, who helps us all to purify.”  Sometimes it is the innocent that remains stubbornly filled with faith that can refresh us all when we encounter them.  We see the potential of a world through their eyes, and with that potential realized, we are cleansed of negativity and given a brighter perspective.

Botanical Grace Tarot – Here we have an illustration of Codonopsis pilosula (Dang Shen), which is often used to treat ailments associated with weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, and anemia.  In this way, this herb connects to the energy of the Fool through embodiment.  it is the light shining forward to uplift and revitalize, and the colorful splash of hues in the background help reinforce the presence of this clean and vibrant energy.

DECK USED: DNAXCAT TAROT, KITCHEN TAROT, BOTANICAL GRACE TAROT, TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALMS