#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge

An Emotional Buoy

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Today’s meditation was skipped.  I didn’t really want to, but I also didn’t want to spend hours and hours on the road today and that’s exactly what I did.   So… yeah.   It just didn’t happen.  When I got home from the drive, I ate and then laid down on the couch and crashed hard.

Tarot of Haunted House - The StarToday’s draw is the Star card, which is traditionally a representation of a hope, optimism, and a connection with spirituality and/or divinity.

This is a really interesting image in my opinion.  She is waist deep in water, hands clasped in prayer.  This connection to all that water that is seen in the card incorporates a great deal more emotion into the Star card than I usually see in this particular card.  Yes, the card means hope and optimism and potential…. but it also is usually about connecting with spirituality and bridging the gap between the physical and the spiritual.

Here, we see the star card fully immersed in the spiritual and emotional, and only the reeds that surround her hint at the physical aspects of the world.

What I see here as the message in the imagery of this card today has to do with connecting to my intuition and my faith, blending together inner knowledge and hope so that they are incorporated into one another.  I need to allow my spirituality and inner knowledge to help in lifting me up emotionally when I am feeling that I stand on unsteady ground.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: What energy is available to me this month?

Hephoe Tapo

Reading Summary: Ignore (Eight of Swords) moderation (Temperance) and go after fulfillment (Nine of Cups). Don’t close yourself off from others right now (The Hermit Rx).

Take Away:  The energy available to me this month is exactly as it should be for this time of year.  I need that “plow forward” momentum in order to prep for what’s to come when next month rolls around.  The reminder in the reversed Hermit is simply to not put my head down so long that I lose touch with others in the process.

DECK USED:  HEPHOE TAPO

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with my ancestors / ancestry at this time?

Nicoletta Ciccoli TarotI am currently moving towards a more face to face relationship (Left Card) and budding collaboration (Center Card)… but I’m not quite there yet. They are still in the peripheral (Right Card).

There is a color coordination between the two left cards that indicates a connection between them.  Where the girl’s hair in the far left is orderly and coifed, in the center card it is frizzed out and all over the place. This hair change combined with the flutterbys in the air in the center card indicate that I need to reach for that inner voice and use it to “listen” to the energies around me.

I’m on the right track and I’m getting there in finding that closer relationship.  The left card indicates that I am actively pursuing this and putting effort into it.  The far right card indicates that it is paying off by creating stronger threads between myself and my guides/ancestors.  More reflection is needed (her eyes are closed) and more time needed (the darkness surrounding her in the background).

DECK USED:  NICOLETTA CICCOLI TAROT – MODIFIED – TRIMMED OFF TITLES AND BORDERS

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: Pull a card. How does this card relate to my greater purpose?

Zombie Tarot - King of CupsThe King of Cups indicates that my greater purpose in this incarnation on earth is in the efforts I’m currently delving into, and learning how to not just connect to my emotions, but connect with other’s emotions as well, and find a balance between those emotions and my responsibilities.  

I would be neglectful to not mention that the King of Cups is also a representation of Gideon for me. In the aspect of this reading, the inference here is that he is not just meant to be a part of my life and someone that I very much believe my soul returns to again and again, but also someone that is here to help teach me how to get to know my emotions, feel them and learn them, and relate them to others, as well as help me in  find that balance between emotions and responsibility as more and more of my emotional self is unveiled and brought to the surface to be processed.

DECK USED:  ZOMBIE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: Can I be open about my spirituality?

Ritual Abuse Tarot

Reading Summary: It might freak some people out sometimes (The Moon) which may cause some backlash (The Dog in the Moon), but you are comfortable and confident in your path (Two of Wands), and your inner compass and intuition know the way forward (The High Priestess).

Take Away:  The reading sort of took a sideways turn off the question because the question wasn’t really all that relevant to me.  I am very open about my spirituality.  It’s not so much that I shout it from the rooftops or tell everyone I meet, so much as I make no active effort to hide it… and am happy to mentor others when they appear in my life in need of guidance I can offer. I am not in the “broom closet” and haven’t been since I left my parent’s home at sixteen years old.  Sixteen years later?  I have absolutely no interest in stepping into the closet at this point.

DECK USED:  RITUAL ABUSE TAROT

The Unexpected Boon

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Confession… I did not meditate today.  There’s just so many hours in a day, and so many ten minute segments in each hour, and I was significantly short on both today so it just didn’t get done.   Depending on when I get done with orders tonight (or tomorrow morning probably), I might be able to fit it in before bed.  At least… if I manage to get some sleep tonight and don’t end up pulling an all-nighter.

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina's Tarot - Ace of CoinsToday’s draw is the Ace of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of new beginnings and new opportunities in the areas of finances, resources, hearth and home, health, and manifestations. 

The thing is?  Today’s been a bit rough.  I’ve needed to be home getting work done and yet had to be out dealing with traffic and doctors and rude as fuck people.  And yet? 

*Clears his throat.*  Just about 1/8th of my remaining mortgage got paid off today out of the blue due to some serious surprise income.

SO!  The message in today’s card?  Don’t discount good things happening out of the blue.  Just don’t discount it.  Because it can happen when you’re least expecting it.  Was the money free?  Not by any means… but neither was the opportunity to earn it at all anticipated or even something I thought possible.   So… stay open to the possibilities, even the surprise ones. 

DECK USED:  MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: What is my major Hallowe’en / Samhain theme?

XII Tarot

Intuitive Hit:  Take your time and do it right.

Reading Summary: Okay so breaking this down, we have the Page of Cups as a learner in the area of emotions moving into the Four of Cups, which is about a disconnect between your motivation and your emotions.  The Five of Pentacles speaks of loss and struggle, but is overshadowed by Temperance expressively displayed with a searing sword though the heart.  What I see here is that when things move too fast, accidents happen.  When you aren’t willing to put in the effort and pay attention?  Bad things happen.  If you’re going to learn a new skill, or sink yourself into the process of learning?  It’s self defeating to not take your time or keep yourself invested through thick and thin.

Take Away:  And thus all of that circles back to the whisper of my intuition prior to breaking down the cards.   Take your time and do it right.

DECK USED:  XIII TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self care this full moon?

Tarot of Haunted HouseReading Summary: Stand up for what’s yours (Seven of Wands) and those that collaborate with you (Three of Pentacles), and shine a light on (Knight of Wands) those that try to take from you (Seven of Swords).

Take Away: This fits with what my full moon ritual tonight was about, which is to say that it is a ritual that began with the new moon and beginning the process of building strength and condensing it over the past couple of weeks in order to refresh my home’s protective wards and other protections this evening.

I do not want a repeat of what happened last year, with the shadow of my father’s influences invading my life to create significant inner struggle and a sickening shrivel of sensation in my soul as the month progressed toward its end.  For the month of October and November, I’ve therefore chosen to up my wards and protections, shifting their focus and construction over this time period to include these issues.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Prompt: The card for this month is the ______, which indicates…

Carnival at the End of the World Tarot - The HierophantThe card for this month is the Hierophant card, which indicates that you will have much to learn this month, and many people to share what you learn with, to teach, and guide along the way.

During this month it will also be important to remember that not all traditions and “old ways” of doing things are bad or need to be broken… or even altered.

Sometimes when we get too carried away with our own independence, we forget that many of the “old ways” of doing things have lasted as long as they have for a reason.  Because they hold meaning, and because they work.  It will be important to pay attention to what old ways you might be discarding without truly thinking through their value.

DECK USED:  CARNIVAL AT THE END OF THE WORLD TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: A message for my spiritual path.

Ludy Lescot Tarot

Reading Summary: Listen closely to your inner wisdom and intuition (High Priestess) and allow it to tell you when the time for celebration (Three of Cups) of your accomplishments (Six of Wands) is needed (Justice)

Take Away:  The thing is?  I have a very difficult time giving myself the credit that I deserve.  I am aware of this issue.  Gideon calls it modesty, but I’m not really sure that’s what it is at all.  It is far more likely that it has to do with that “never enough” shadow of mine.

The message for my spiritual path is that I need to start healing that inner shadow by listening to the quiet whispers  in the darkness that tell me when I’ve done something good… listen to them and allow them to lift me up.  Wallow, even if just briefly, in that moment of elation.   In doing so, I am helping to balance out the scales between that shadow’s influences and my need for growth and progress.

DECK USED:  LUDY LESCOT TAROT

Celebrating Accomplishments

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Today’s meditation was not done… because they were testing the fire alarms in my building today and if I can’t meditate through some nutbag on the street singing about herself being a prophet of God, I sure as hell can’t meditate through the fire alarm going off every 2 minutes for hours on end.  At least not and actually find the meditation peaceful and positive instead of an exercise in frustration.

Botan Tarot - The WorldToday’s draw is the World card. This is the final card in the Major Arcana, which means that (as with all Major Arcana cards) it deals with an overall message or life path situation rather than a single aspect of the human experience. Traditionally, the World card is a representation of coming to the end of a long journey, and the crossing over from all that you have learned and gathered through that journey into a new existence and new journey on the other side of things.  It is a recognition of accomplishment, rebirth, and reincarnation.

What I see in the imagery of today’s card is more than just recognition of this transition, but a joyous celebration of it.

The message in today’s card is that it’s important to celebrate your accomplishments.  When you reach the end of a journey, take a moment to enjoy having made it to where you’re at, and a moment to look back on all that you have accomplished.  Let go of the negative, and dance yourself forward into the future with optimism and an eagerness for the next adventure to come.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What will keep me motivated to evolve spiritually?

Telluric Tarot

Reading Summary: Determination to move forward (The Chariot) regardless of the fact that inner demons may try to stand in the way (Nine of Swords) of my enjoyment of the journey (The Fool). Fear of the unknown (The Moon) is the only thing that keeps me from enjoying a piece of that child like joy (Six of Cups).

Take Away: The motivation indicated in these cards is twofold.  First is to tap into the formidable amount of determination and willpower that I possess to move forward regardless of the nay-saying that my inner dialogue may occasionally come up with.  The second motivation is the reward of moving forward.  It’s about focusing on the prize and allowing that prize (in this case, joy and pleasure along my spiritual path) to motivate me into continuing forward even at the times when I’m feeling uncertain and fearful.

DECK USED:  TELLURIC TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Grab a spread of your choice that you’ve been curious about but haven’t tried yet… and give it a go!

Lonely Dreamer Tarot

Has this ancestor tried to communicate with me before?
Nine of Swords and Ten of Cups

Yes, in times of worry and stress they have come to me under different guises in an effort to bolster me emotionally.

What wisdom can be learned from this ancestor?
Four of Wands and Temperance

Balance and stability in my life and upon my path through the use of moderation.

How can this wisdom be applied moving forward?
The World

What do you want to carry forward? And what do you want to leave behind? If I want to apply these lessons and wisdom moving forward, it’s important to take time to examine these things and make choices that encourage growth and development into a better person.

A message from this ancestor about what I’m not seeing.
Judgement

I am not paying enough attention to just how much damage my negative inner narrative and it’s harsh judgements are hurting me.  It’s time to really examine this issue and recognize the unhealthy vulnerability it creates within me.

How can I honor this ancestor?
Two of Swords

Open your eyes and pay attention.  They are willing to help in my making of good decisions and choices, but they aren’t willing to hold my hand for it. I have to be open to seeing and fully grasping what’s going on, and willing to make the hard decisions when they come.

A message of love from this ancestor.
The Magician

You are strong and powerful and have everything you need, only you need to be willing to utilize it.

DECK USED:  LONELY DREAMER TAROT

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: What do I leave behind moving past September?

20th Century Tarot

Reading Summary: I’m leaving behind the ability to sit on my laurels (Nine of Cups) and just have a good time (The Sun) and take things slow and easy (Knight of Pentacles Rx) with no drive or push behind me (The Chariot Rx).

Take Away: The slower pace and relaxation of the summer has all been well and good, and very nice.  But it’s time to pick myself up by my bootstraps and get my ass moving on the shit that needs to be done.

DECK USED:  20TH CENTURY TAROT

Spirituality and Purpose

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IMG_6773Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and without a guided meditation, although I did use the interval timer to keep me on track with my piriformis stretching during the meditative practice.

I had a bit of considering to do during my meditation today, which in itself made it more of a self-guided meditation than one of the more quiet and peacefully empty ones that is usually the case when there is no guide.

Instead, I took the time to focus upon how the work that I do in my business influences others around the world.  I have created beautiful pieces of jewelry that have brought joy to thousands of people, lightening the weight of their days and bringing them a sense of beauty and happiness from the experience of opening an aesthetically pleasing package all the way through to the pleasure they take in wearing the beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve sent them over and over again.

I feel like when I started on this journey over a decade ago of the business I now run, I spent a lot more time focusing on and taking pleasure in this element of things.  I think that in the present, I need to work on focusing on this side of things more.

Hush Tarot - The StarToday’s draw is the Star card, which is traditionally a representation of themes having to do with hope and spirituality.  It’s about being connected to the inner-connectivity between life and divinity, and about allowing that connection to renew your sense of hope and purpose in the world.

And… I just have to say.  I really love the imagery on this card.  The interplay between the earth and humanity, between life and death, and between endings and new beginnings.  But, for today, what really stands out to me in this card is the banner that the bird holds in its beak with the worlds “a hunting we will go” scrawled across its length.

The message that I see in today’s card is about finding one’s purpose.  It’s about acknowledging that you need to look beyond the earthly needs of business and life, and delve into one’s spirituality in order to find your true purpose and path.  That is because our purpose stretches beyond life, beyond work and the material… our spiritual path is not over when our life ends, but continues on.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How do I connect with the Divine?

Tarot Leaves

Reading Summary: Look at all those pentacles! By being proactive (Knight of Pentacles), no matter the circumstances (Wheel of Fortune), to get myself out in nature (Ace of Pentacles) and ground (Four of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I connect with the Divine through nature and the earth, and in doing so in this way,  it requires that I am proactive in pursuing time in nature.  Each time I step into the forest and am surrounded by the trees and the moss and the moist earth, it is like the first time all over again. It is an embrace that feels new and exciting, yet familiar and comfortable.  And one that I need to visit often to ground with and connect deeply with.

DECK USED:  TAROT LEAVES

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs a little more focus and energy to complete before winter arrives?

Tarot by Alexander DandiloffReading Summary:  Finding stability (Four of Pentacles) in the changes that I’ve worked through putting in place in the spring and summer (Death). Make sure that you’re getting help from those that care for you and that you care for in turn (Two of Cups).

Take Away:  This is something that I’m struggling with, and in struggling with it I’m not getting the prep work done that I need to get done because I’ve got so much of my energy turned towards this issue. I feel… like I need to find stable footing for the growth I’ve made.  At first, I thought it was about choice.  That I had to choose that new emotional depth or my holiday rush… but I understand I don’t need to choose.  Yet I still feel like things are unstable and I need to find a way to shore up the foundation beneath my feet.

DECK USED:  TAROT BY ALEXANDER DANDILOFF 2012 IV EDITION

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: What is the biggest lesson I can take from this month?

Science Tarot

Reading Summary: Creative flow and the desire to move forward (Page of Wands) gets stalled out (Hanged Man) and moderated (Temperance) by worries, concerns, and anxiety (Nine of Swords).

Take Away:  Anxiety is a creativity killer and the death of motivation. That’s the lesson. 

DECK USED:  SCIENCE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How do I make time for rest and relaxation… every day?

Joe Sparrow Tarot

Reading Summary: Stop using your ambitions to push yourself forward (Knight of Swords) and reassure yourself of what good you already have (Nine of Cups). Opportunities are not going to run out anytime soon (Ace of Pentacles)… Which means it’s okay to skip one now and then and not have to listen to yourself lecture about it in your head (King of Swords Rx).

Take Away:  I can make time for rest and relaxation in my daily life by understanding that just because I might miss an opportunity for progress doesn’t mean that another isn’t right around the corner to offer itself up next.  Also, stop listening to my father’s voice in my inner dialogue telling me that rest is for the weak and is a progress killer.

DECK USED:  JOE SPARROW TAROT

Turn It Inward

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Today’s meditation was skipped in the interest of the fact that I overslept and my day started far to late, especially for an order prep day. I definitely felt the difference of not doing the meditation today tho, and plan to pick it back up tomorrow.

Botan Tarot - The EmpressToday’s draw is the Empress. This is the third card in the Major Arcana, which means that (as with all Major Arcana cards) it deals with an overall message or life path situation rather than a single aspect of the human experience. Traditionally, the Empress card is a representation of nurturing energy that is grounded and giving, but strong and stable.  Her appearance is an indication of generous abundance, sacred femininity, and is associated with mother nature.

Like so many cards in this deck, it is not one aspect of the card that stands out to me above all others today, but rather the “atmosphere” of the card created by different elements.  It’s the grace in the tilt of the woman’s head and the vulnerability of her bare shoulders and neck, it is the quiet sensuality in the slightly parted lips, the wealth in the earrings she wears, and abundance of nature’s harvest in her hair.

There is softness here, and strength.  Abundance.  She looks like she is just about to lift those lowered eyelids and give a warm and gentle smile of understanding.  I would bet that her eyes are warm, no matter what color they end up being.

Kindness comes from within.  This is the message in today’s card. You can be kind and caring, loving and nurturing, and not be a pushover or a doormat.  It is the strength added into these qualities that allows someone to nurture not just others, but to know when they themselves need nurturing as well.   Be generous not just to others… but to yourself as well.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Goal / Pros / Cons/ Obstacles / Solutions

The Painted TarotGoal – Four of Swords – To allow myself more rest and recovery.

Pros – Alchemist (Magician) – The pros of this goal are that the rest and recovery allows me the time to recover, so that I can think clearly and move with precision, using my tools to the best of my ability.

Cons – Moon – The cons of getting more rest and recovery is that I don’t get as much done, and I don’t have a much time to get the things done that I need to get done… which creates a feeling of uncertainty.

Obstacles – Lovers – The obstacles in this are that no matter which choice I make, it’s a choice for my benefit… less rest and more work furthers my goals and business.  More rest and less work furthers my health and well-being.   Both are extremely important to me, and so it makes it feel like there is no good choice.

Solutions – Nine of Swords – Stop worrying so damn much. The worry is yet another waste time, and it also causes extra exhaustion which then creates a need for more rest and recovery and therefore less work gets done as a result.

DECK USED:  THE PAINTED TAROT

The Drown and The Drop

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IMG_6711Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a guided meditation accompanied by interval timer.  The topic of today’s guided meditation was about using the skills learned through one’s meditation practice to turn moments of frustration and irritation around into a calmer and less destructive response.

It’s about being aware of when this irritation and frustration begins to rise, and taking a moment to turn that awareness into action by stepping back and taking a deep breath, allowing yourself a moment just breathe and let your muscles relax.

In that action alone, we lower our blood pressure and thus ease our temper enough to keep it from boiling over, allowing for a calmer and more positive interaction with whatever has us irritated or frustrated in the first place.

Hush Tarot - Five of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Five of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of tests, trials, conflict, and hardships in the area of one’s finances, resources, hearth and home, health, and manifestations.

I’m very touched by the imagery of this card. What I see here is the drown… and the drop.  Both captured in one image.

In the drown, all that intensity and intimacy that delves me under the surface of subspace and sends me floating in the limbo of weightless pleasure is peaceful.  My trust as I am held down beneath the surface, my certainty that nothing will be allowed to hurt me so that I can fully open up and allow those vulnerable inner pieces of myself to hang suspended in that place of peaceful place controlled by you.

Where in the drown there is peace, in the drop there is agony.  I used to revolt against it, thrashing uselessly in the cloying suffocation of the drop.  I have learned that it is better to remain still and quiet, to not fight but accept the pain as payment for the pleasure.

Nothing is free, and the pleasure you give me when you float me into the drown and hold me there is so great… that it makes sense the ache that comes after as payment would be just as heavy.   This stillness and ache is also something I see in the imagery of this card.

Today’s card is a reminder that pleasure and pain go hand in hand, and that those things worth having sometimes take their payment less traditional ways.  It’s okay… just stay still and breathe, and the drop will pass.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How to move toward my vision with clarity and purpose?

WilderWoven Tarot

Reading Summary: Keep your eye on the prize (Tree of Life over Ten of Cups) and do your best to take what you’ve learned this year (The Hierophant). Don’t throw up unnecessary barriers between yourself and those lessons (Nine of Wands) is a better path to protecting what’s yours (Seven of Swords).

Take Away:  “The Prize” in this case is my emotional growth (Ten of Cups) and turning over a new leaf in how I do things (Tree of Life).  I’ve had a lot of worry about having to choose between that emotional growth and the lambasting intensity of the upcoming holiday season. 

The thing is, though… I’ve earned the growth I’ve managed to accomplish so far over this year.  I’ve earned it, I’ve learned from it and it’s now mine.  A part of me.   Instead of trying to put up walls to protect my progress, I need to accept that this progress is already a part of me.

Even if I backslide?  Regaining my footing will not be the same as starting from the beginning all over again.  I’ve already tread the path and climbed the cliff face, I know where the footing is best and where the handholds are.  That means I will be able to regain that ground more quickly.

If I want to protect what’s mine… what I’ve earned and made a part of myself?  I need to ease up on that normal reaction to construct walls, and instead take a breath and relax.

DECK USED:  WILDERWOVEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #3

El Goliath Tarot 2nd EditionAmber – Nine of Wands – Where I need to work on my emotions to create more balance in my life is in the area of my depression and my hard flex to guard myself from emotional pain. Having spent so much of my life walling my emotional side off, I never really got used to and toughened up to the emotional pain people are dealt.  Now that I no longer have a fortress of walls to protect those emotions, sometimes when I flinch in pain, I start building.  This does not encourage balance, nor help me in getting used to this new state of emotional openness and growth.

Cedar – Five of Wands – I can use my present day fortitude to strengthen my future protections by remembering the experiences from my past and the times that I’ve had to fight for the growth and progress needed.  The strategies, methods, and spark of willpower from those times can be carried forward through the present and into the future, to strengthen my position and my protection of those things that are important to me.

Marigold – Karmic Release – Where I should focus on my health in order to develop a happier outlook is tied in directly to my Karmic health and self actualization. In looking at the things I’ve done that I am ashamed of, feel guilt over, or know that are wrong… by examining these things and taking ownership of them, then letting go of them. By allowing this process of release to happen, I can then foster a greater sense of happiness in my life.

Lapis Lazuli – The Shaman – The inner truths that self awareness can bring into the light within my life have to do with my spirituality and my connection to the earth, the elements, and the metaphysical.  By delving into this part of who I am, I am able to not just facilitate my own growth, but guide others in theirs as well. The more I delve into myself, my spirituality, and my unique abilities, then the more I grow and the more I have to offer others in turn.

Walnut – Knight of Swords and The Sage – In order to be more discerning in picking positive friendships, it is important to take a level-headed look at those friendships from your past in which you have bitten off more than you can chew. Take some time to truly ascertain which of those friendships were valuable and which were simply frivolous leaps into the unknown, and purge those experiences and energies left over from those that did not work for you, while retaining the lessons learned from them.

Sapphire – The Hierophant – I can best discern between logical thought and true wisdom by looking at these moments through the lens of inner truth. Only through reaching within yourself for the answers can you sort out the difference.  Logic comes from the mind, but true wisdom comes from somewhere much deeper.  Ask yourself if the information being offered is simply emotionless knowledge… or heartfelt inner truths being shared.

Yarrow – King of Swords – To move from a place of trauma to a place of healing, I need to take control of myself and the situation, clear my mind, and see things through a sharp and discerning eye. It is only by shutting down the clutter and creating a place of piercing clarity that you can cut through trauma’s influence to find a path to healing.  When you are lost in the fog… the path is concealed from view.

DECK USED:  EL GOLIATH TAROT 2ND EDITION

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: Is there any karmic energy I currently carry with me that I should be aware of?  Is it something I should deal with or act upon at this time?

Sasuraibito TarotKarmic energy I carry and need to be aware of.
Queen of Swords atop Eight of Swords

You are not dealing with the effects of your mother’s influences on you.  Ignoring those dark shadows she has created through her selfish, self centered words and actions over the year is not healthy, and as long as you carry this energy within you, you will never be entirely free of it’s affects upon your inner self.

Should I deal with it at this time?
Page of Swords

Go for it!  It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to take some trial and error with a heavy dose of learning to get it right.  But you can untangle the web of thoughts and emotions and rip off that blindfold.  You have the intelligence and capability, as well as the opportunity, to take this challenge on one step at a time.

DECK USED:  SASURAIBITO TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: Do I believe my opinion matters?

Brady Tarot 2nd Edition

Reading Summary: I give good advice and have a lot of good input to give through past experience (Eight of Roots).  When others choose to discount my opinion (Two of Arrows), I also am then later given the chance to say I told you so (Six of Wands).

Take Away: I’m always happy to share my experiences with others and offer opinions when I think they might be able to help or have been asked for. So very often, though, even those that ask for your opinions and advice then go off and do whatever they wanted to do in the first place no matter what you had to say to the contrary. At those times, I more often than not am not going to say “I told you so”, but you can damn well bet that I’m thinking it.

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT 2ND EDITION