#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge

Set Aside Expectation

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IMG_8272Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis and forearm flexor stretches.

The topic of the meditation today was about how we react to others. Specifically, how we react to negativity and whether or not we take a pause to process and form a reaction… or just instantly react (often negatively) without thinking first.

The thing is?  When you get in the habit of that pause?  That pause then becomes shorter and shorter over time as you become more accustomed to utilizing it.  It becomes more ingrained and easier over time.   The same can be said by leaping before you look, which is why it’s so important to stay conscious of your initial, internal responses and pause to consider your response before actually  acting outwardly.

Lost Hollow Tarot - Four of CupsToday’s draw is the Four of Cups, which is traditionally (this deck is a Thoth deck) a representation of being apathetic towards true value as one pursues happiness on a material level, a lack of motivation when new goals are needed, and other feelings of disinterest, discontent, lack of satisfaction, or depression.

Although nothing in this card’s imagery especially stood out to me today beyond the turn of the figure’s head, which is somewhat standard across tarot imagery for the Four of Cups, as the card  hit the table this morning I did get a very clear message from it all the same.

That message portrayed to me is that in the my first day of freedom from the holiday rush, be sure to remember that I don’t have to do anything that I don’t wanna do.  I don’t have to work.  I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to.  Today can be all mine.  All about me.  I have no expectations to fulfill, and need to be sure I don’t put any expectations upon myself.

DECK USED:  LOST HOLLOW TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs to be purged and/or completed before the end of the year?

Madam Clara Sees All Fortune Tarot 4th EditionReading Summary: Reign in (Temperance) your resistance to change (The Tower Rx) and find a way to stop fighting against what you know will be better for you (The Lovers Rx) in the end.

Take Away: Like most people, I have an issue with change.  I know that and I know that natural inclination is present in my make up even in times when the change that’s happening is for the good and will lead to better things. 

The cards here are making it clear that this need to resist is something I need to purge as the end of the year approaches.  I do not need to work myself to the bone.  I am more than capable of jugging my work and responsibilities with my emotional and spiritual growth and self care needs. I’ve been learning over the past year how to do this in a more healthy way and it’s okay to let go now and allow that balance to slip back into place.  I just need to make sure not to “get my back up” about the shifting of the sands and allow the stressful, unhealthy habits of the holiday rush to wash away unimpeded.

DECK USED:  MADAM CLARA SEES ALL TAROT 3RD EDITION

Mystic Star December Challenge Prompt
Question: What gift should I give to myself in what remains of this year?

Tarot of the Holy Spectrum

Reading Summary: Allow yourself time to daydream (Ace of Swords) and imagine the possibilities of what’s ahead (Ace of Wands), while staying safe at home (Four of Wands) and appreciating all you’ve accomplished in the last year (Nine of Pentacles).

Take Away:  This is about lack of action.  It’s about giving myself the break that I need to rest and recover… not while ignoring the future and what’s ahead, but rather while musing about what might come and what might be possible.

Usually, my mind is so grounded in the practical and logic that I don’t take a lot of time for daydreams.  Instead I project and look at trajectories, seek out hurdles and potholes on the path and prepare for them, etc.  What the cards are describing here is not that, but rather about looking forward into the future with hope, optimism, and an eager hint of imagination.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HOLY SPECTRUM

Roadkill or Ride

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IMG_8259Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and was another of the Calm app’s guided meditation with additional interval timer for my piriformis (and forearm flexor) stretches.

Honestly… I don’t remember the theme of today’s guided meditation.  I listened to it, but I was far more focused on the piano chords being played in the background.  There were like… drops of water on a smooth body of water.  Like you could ride those drops from one drip to the next.

It was very peaceful and relaxing.

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot - DeathToday’s draw is the Death card, which is traditionally a representation of organic change.  This is different to sudden and chaotic change like what is represented in the Tower, and is instead about change that develops over time and may, or may not, come to a tipping point at some time along the way.   It isn’t sudden, but a development where something ends so that something new can begin.

What really stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the frog on the right hand side holding the cattail like a spear as well as the frog that is beneath the foot of the heron.

The message I see here in the imagery of today’s card is not just about change, but it’s about not resisting change.  It’s about allowing yourself to roll with the changes taking place so that they don’t trample you under their feet in order to just keep moving forward.  Because that change is going to happen whether you fight it or not. So do you want to be roadkill under the change’s tires… or rather take a moment to see the direction change is moving in and make sure you’re on board for the ride?

With today being the last day of the holiday rush, this message rings especially true for me today as a reminder that it’s time to slow down, and to not allow myself to squirm and fight that slowing but take advantage of it to allow myself time to rest and recover from the neglect and abuse I’ve inflicted on myself over the past six weeks.

DECK USED:  FANTASTIC MENAGERIE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where should I direct my focus this week to foster my understanding towards others?

Winter Waite Tarot 2019 EditionReading Summary: Be consciously appreciative of all you have accomplished (Nine of Pentacles).  Now is a time to put away your authoritative and controlling side of your nature (King of Pentacles Rx) and lean into your intuition and spirituality (The High Priestess). It’s time to find balance once more (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away: The message here is that if I want to be able to be understanding towards others, I need to first take the time to settle myself back into a comfortable and balanced place of gratitude and reconnect with my spirituality first.

I’ve spent the past six weeks essentially neglecting and abusing myself in order to keep up with the holiday rush. I’ve closed myself off from people and even from loved ones on a number of different levels (social and emotional primarily) and I need time to find my balance again.   The cards here are indicating that once I have taken care of myself, it will be much easier for me to direct my compassion and understanding towards others.

DECK USED:  WINTER WAITE TAROT 2019 EDITION

Mystic Star December Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I be more open to the gifts that others wish to share with me?

Dreamland Tarot

Reading Summary:  Don’t be combative (Seven of Wands Rx) when people are trying to reach out to support you (Queen of Cups and Queen of Wands) when you’re feeling overburdened (Ten of Wands).

Take Away:  Support can come in a number of different ways.  Sometimes it comes in the form of emotional support.  Sometimes it comes in the form of inspiration or hands-on help with your burdens.   In order to be more open to this support in all of the forms it may come in, I need to make sure I don’t bulk up in defense when it’s offered.  Set pride and ego aside and allow them to reach out and help in the ways that they are willing and able to do so.

DECK USED:  HANS ZATZKA DREAMLAND TAROT

You’ve Got This

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IMG_8233Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was another guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.  I’ve also begun adding in some forearm flexor stretches for my right arm, as the muscles have started to seize up from so many hours using the pliers and the repetitive action of the wirework.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was about how to work through difficult emotions such as loneliness, depression, sadness, etc. The key technique that is touched on in this meditation is in remembering that emotions and feelings are temporary. This time of year there’s a lot of people feeling alone, especially considering the pandemic and the restrictions in place around the world right now.  Feeling lonely or down is a common reaction to this.  They key is to remember it’s not forever, even when it feels like it’s forever.  It’s not.

Keymaster Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of being in possession of all of the skills, abilities, and tools necessary to reach one’s goals and accomplish one’s ends.  It’s about being capable and skilled, resourceful and gifted with what is needed to get the job done.

Like yesterday,  there are colors and items in the imagery that stand out to me, but in this case it is more of an aesthetic appeal, as the message that came from the card when it first landed on the table was clear and succinct.

You’ve got this.

It’s the last two days of the holiday rush.

You’ve got this.

DECK USED:  KEYMASTER TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: How can I best ensure that I get the rest and recovery I need in the week ahead?

Traditional Japanese TarotReading Summary: The colors in the first two cards between the aquas and the greens connect the two cards together.  These two, connected as they are, recommend that new ideas need time to percolate.  Write them down in order to keep track of what needs done, and formulate a plan with Gideon to support you on sticking to it.

The shades of green in the Nine of Pentacles also holds a connection to the Ace of Swords. This is a reminder that now that the end of the holiday rush is at its end, it’s time to turn the mind in a new direction and take time for gratitude, and to acknowledgment of your accomplishments.

Take Away: As silly as it feels to me to need someone to sort of… “police” my activities in order to assure that I get the rest I need this week to recover from the god-awful chaos and exhaustion of the holiday rush… I also know that I’m not able to fully step away without that watchful (and somewhat constant) reminder that I’m not supposed to be working.  There are things to get done and I struggle with not doing them as they pop into my head, worried they won’t get done otherwise.  I need to make sure I’m writing these things down and making a list I can then work at checking things off on later after I’ve had a few days to recover.

DECK USED:  JAPANESE TRADITIONAL TAROT

Mystic Star December Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the best way to share my gifts with those around me?

Tarot of Light and Shadow

Reading Summary: Use what you’ve learned (Six of Cups) to inspire and motivate others (Queen of Wands). And allow them to help you (Three of Serpents) when you need help to defeat your own demons and come out on top (Five of Swords).

Take Away:  This is about making sure that I respect the give-and-take that happens between myself and others.  I always try to give and help, teach and offer… but struggle with taking help in turn.   The cards here indicate that I am capable of inspiring others even while I allow others to help me with what I need help with.  They are not mutually exclusive.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Don’t Stop Yet

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IMG_8210Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was another of the guided meditations from the Calm app accompanied by an interval timer for my piriformis stretching. 

The topic of today’s meditation was about choosing your battles.

The thing is, everyone has those times when something sticks “under their craw” and they jump forward into an argument either in defense of something they believe in, or maybe just because they don’t like how something was said or who said it.  But if we spend our lives in that space where we’re always ready to jump on every little thing, it diminishes the joy we feel in the day to day.

This is where it’s important to choose your battles wisely.  Not just because you want to win or be in the right, but also because you don’t want strife and conflict to overtake the joys in your life.

Green Witch Tarot - The Battle WagonToday’s draw is the Chariot (which in this deck is known as The Battle Wagon), which is traditionally a representation of willpower leaning into action.  It is about motivation, progress, and success through determination.

The horses really stood out to me in this card today, but I think it’s more because they’re pretty than anything, because the message that came through when the card first hit the table was, “No rest for you today. Get back on the wagon.”

This is fitting, and was actually really good advice. I had a really nice and relaxing Friday with Gideon and I really didn’t feel like going back to work for these last three days of the holiday rush.  And yet… if I had not taken that advice from the Battle Wagon card this morning?  I’d be up until three or four in the morning tonight trying to finish the work that landed in my lap today.

Because I did listen?  I get to actually get some sleep tonight. That’s a win in my book.

DECK USED:  GREEN WITCH TAROT

LionHart’s 20/21 Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic: In what way can I use 2020 as an inspiration for 2021?

Inkromancy Tarot

Reading Summary: Continue with the changes that were started in 2020 (Death). Keep your eye on the prize even though the progress is slow going (Knight of Pentacles), and don’t judge yourself harshly for the extra time it takes (Judgement).

Take Away:  I need to remember that I’m not on a deadline where it comes to the emotional growth I’m working through and the changes I’m working on making concerning my work balance and personal care priorities.  This isn’t a race and there’s no finish line, which means it takes as long as it takes and there’s no such thing as “lagging behind”.  I’m so used to pushing myself so hard on every project and endeavor that I sometimes forget that this isn’t like making it through a holiday rush or working on a project with a deadline in mind. Stop worrying so much about how long it’s taking… or how long it takes… or whatever speed I am moving along that path.

DECK USED:  INKROMANCY TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where do I find the most joy in life?

Bonestone & Earthflesh TarotLook at that Empress and Sun card.  Talk about artwork flow in a reading!

I find the most joy in life in my connection with the earth and celebrating that connection through enjoying time in the presence of the earth and her generosity.  When I connect with the earth through my time in the outdoors, I am given energy and an inner healing that I can’t find anywhere else, which is not just healing but also uplifting.

There is also an outlier here in the Ten of Wands which is an indication of a sort of self destructive joy I find in being busy.  This particular joy has to do with feeling like I’m accomplishing things… even if in doing so it grinds me into the ground.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT

What Are You Building On?

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IMG_8195Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for piriformis stretches.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was about the Danish/Norwegian concept of Hygge, which essentially is a word that indicates a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment… In both Danish and Norwegian, hygge refers to “a form of everyday togetherness”, “a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow”. (Thank you Wikipedia)

The meditation went over how important this concept is to our well-being and how meditation helps in finding a way to slow down and sink into the hygge concept more easily with less resistance to those moments when we can find ourselves enjoying the moment and the world around us without the strain and stress pounding on our mental or physical doors.

Faeles Arcanae - Nine of CupsToday’s draw is the Nine of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a sense of contentment and satisfaction.  This isn’t about the work or what has been earned, but rather about the feelings involved with those things.

What stood out to me the strongest in the imagery for this card is that the cat is sitting on a rug that looks like it’s either a representation of the sun or a sunflower.  Either way, the meaning there is very similar in that there is a radiant warmth and joy in the foundation of those feelings of contentment and satisfaction.

The message here today is about staying focused on the stuff that makes you happy, rather than allowing things that don’t to tug at your attention.  Everyone, even those most fortunate, have things in life that make them unhappy, but instead of focusing on them… make sure you are building your good feelings on a foundation of positivity rather than a bedrock of quicksand.

DECK USED:  FAELES ARCANAE TAROT

LionHart’s 20/21 Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic: What should I keep in mind in preparation for 2021?

Heaven & Earth Tarot

Reading Summary: Good and healthy decisions (The Lovers) will require seeking out a new outlook, thought patterns, and methods (Ace of Swords) in order to ensure victory (Six of Wands).

Take Away:  It’s time to set behind me the old habits and work-a-holic attitudes of my past now that the holiday rush is over, and re-focus on the new goals and perspectives I was fostering throughout most of the last year.  Self care and finding a healthy balance between my own needs and my work, as well as exploring that emotional growth and fostering it to continue, now need to come back into focus as I move forward into 2021.  Don’t allow the bad habits and slippage the holiday rush caused to carry forward into the new year.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I better connect with my intuition and decrease self-doubt?

Broken Isn't Bad TarotReading Summary: Kill (Ten of Swords) the bitch in your head (Queen of Swords Rx) that makes you so unhappy (Three of Swords)… and look forward into making healthy choices for yourself instead (The Lovers).

Take Away: When you are tortured by those negative voices and being pulled down into the quicksand of depression and bad decisions, your intuition’s voice becomes more faint and your confidence tanks. 

In order to keep yourself on top of that mound of quicksand, you need to make healthy choices and not listen to that inner voice that likes to rise up when you’re feeling down or vulnerable. Finding ways to “kill the bitch” in your head or otherwise weaken that voice until it has much less power will assist you in moving forward in more healthy ways.

DECK USED:  BROKEN ISN’T BAD TAROT

Don’t Get Up Just Yet

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Today’s meditation was supposed to be ten minutes long, but I dozed off and slept through it (and another 30 minutes on top of that).  I’ve got the stomach flu and I think my body just said that sleep was more important.  I’ll try again at the end of the day when I lie down to go to bed.  Then if I fall asleep on accident it’ll be okay.

Broken Isn't Bad Tarot - Ten of SwordsToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally about painful endings and finding yourself at the end of a difficult journey with lots of struggle and strife.  It can also be a representation of loss, betrayal, or coming out at the end of something feeling crippled in some way.

Honestly? This is such an appropriate card, considering how I’m feeling today. I woke up with an upset stomach and severely painful back today, and even after an Imodium, followed later on after the Imodium started working by dry toast and an ibuprofen?  I have still felt really rough throughout the day and it was extremely hard to focus on work.

The message in today’s card is in her position upon the ground, as she looks more in repose than as if she’s been struck down.  Today’s card is a reminder to take care of myself and allow myself the rest I need to feel better.

You will be happy to know that I did give myself some rest this morning while waiting for the Imodium to work.  I laid down on the bed and had a tel-appointment with my shrink (that I almost forgot that I had today) and I’ve been careful to make sure I eat enough (of only very gentle foods) to keep my blood sugars level even during the worst of the stomach upset.

DECK USED:  BROKEN ISN’T BAD TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Should people care more about doing the right thing, or doing things right?

Lost Hollow TarotReading Summary: Note the Four of Pentacles on its side.

The Adjustment card with the Eight of Wands indicates that one should go swiftly towards doing the right thing.  Adjustment/Justice is about cause and effect and “the law” (whether that be the laws of nature or the laws of man).  The Eight of Wands is about swift action.   These cards indicate that it is important to not just do the right thing, but to do so without hesitation.

The Four of Pentacles on its side is what blocks us from this swift action of doing the right thing.  The concept of “doing things right” is a concept of control.  It’s not about the rule of law (natural or otherwise) but about subjective opinion and control over one’s environment and how things are done.  This is not dominant but rather on its side… a blockage.  A problem.

Take Away:  These cards clearly state that people should care more about doing the right thing than they should about “doing things right”.   It is our ego that gets in the way from doing the right thing… and our ego that makes us focus on “doing things right”. 

DECK USED:  LOST HOLLOW TAROT