Today’s meditation was  just over ten minutes long and was another guided meditation with interval timer.   The thing is tho?  I wasn’t really paying attention to the guided meditation part today.  I’ve been a bit flaky and “off” today, which means that I’ve not been able to really fully focus or concentrate today.  Which is fine, because a blank mind was very easy to fall into…. but listening to that guided meditation as she spoke about whatever it was she was speaking about?  Not so easy.   And even if I listened to it (which I’m almost positive I didn’t), I clearly didn’t retain it.

At the same time?  I liked the quote provided by the meditation today, so I included it in this post.  It speaks to the survivor in me, and to the chronic pain patient in me.

It speaks to me of acceptance so that you can continue on.  Being told that you will never be pain free again, that you will be in constant pain for the rest of your life? It’s a hard pill to swallow.  A really, really hard pill to swallow.  But, once you can accept it and choose to live on and enjoy life regardless, tho?  Then your life finds ways to stretch and accommodate for that pain, allowing for you to have love and joy and all those experiences alongside it…. instead of having to forsake them all because of it.

Today’s draw is the Temperance card, which is traditional representation of well… temperance.  Wikipedia says that Temperance is defined as “moderation or voluntary self-restraint... typically described in terms of what an individual voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from revenge by practicing non-violence and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance by practicing humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as extravagant luxury or splurging by practicing prudence, and restraint from rage or craving by practicing calmness and self-control.”

Although this is a large part of what the Temperance card is about, it is not the whole of it, as the Temperance card goes beyond the virtues of moderation and also reaches past them into the philosophical spiritual connection that practicing those virtues can create.  This means that the Temperance card is not just about the virtues of moderation, but also a connection to one’s spirituality, and thus a connection between the earth and divinity.

I don’t really see much in the way of the spiritual aspects in the imagery of today’s card, though.  What I see here is a statement about restraint and moderation being a choice.

The message here is about making that choice. Moderation is not a strong suit for me, and when I find myself at a point where I am no longer able to make that choice on my own?  It ends up being something I have to walk away from instead.  The encouragement here is to not walk away so quickly, but work harder at making moderation a standard in life…. perhaps with the help of others when needed.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: Ever mind the rule of three, what ye send out {card 1}, comes back to thee {card 2}.

Reading Summary: Sharing your knowledge and skills (The Magician) carelessly with those unwilling to walk the path and do the work (Eight of Swords)… and you are charging directly into regret and backlash for your reckless behavior (Knight of Cups Rx).

Ever mind the rule of three, what ye send out {reckless sharing of knowledge and tools to those not ready for such things}, comes back to thee {backlash for your reckless behavior}.

Take Away:  And this is why I do not provide hexes, spells, curses, etc. to novice witches… or to any witches for that matter. If they don’t have the knowledge under their belt to make their own spells, then they’re not far enough down the path yet to do the spell they are asking about.

I actually just ran into the situation last night on a Discord server, and run into it pretty regularly with new witches that have not figured out that this practice is something to be respected and not a toy.  I’m not referring to basic candle spells or things like that.  I’m referring to advanced spellwork (which hexes and curses definitely fall into).

I’m happy to provide guidance on ingredients that might benefit certain purposes and tools that might help someone get where they want to go within their spellcraft, but I’m not giving anybody any spells or curses or hexes. In my personal opinion and experience, people need time and practice to grow and be able to build their own experience and spells, and adapt them to be personal to them… instead of just cut copy and paste what someone else gives them without understanding any of what they’re doing or what the elements they’re using mean.

Obviously, as you can see, this is a pet peeve of mine.

DECK USED:  DARK ANGELS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What negativity in my ancestral history is it time to let go of in the present?

Reading Summary: Sometimes when you trust in others to do the work for you (Three of Cups) instead of doing it yourself (The Magician) you can end up experiencing malicious backlash (Witch in the Background of the Three of Cups) and hardship as a result (Five of Pentacles).

Take Away: Although I don’t agree with a lot of the ways that I was raised, one thing that I do agree with is that I was raised to be independent, strong, and hard-working. I was taught that there are no good shortcuts, therefore there’s no point in looking for them because they only end up causing problems.

This is something that my ancestors have learned, and through them I was taught to be different and do different… learning from their mistakes.

DECK USED:  GOLDEN AGE OF HORROR COMICS TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How does my personality align with that of my Spirit Guides?

Reading Summary: I am open to my intuition (The High Priestess) and willing to follow where it leads (Knight of Cups), and in doing so, embrace the results as they pour in along the way (Nine of Cups).

Take Away:  My personality aligns with that of my spirit guides because I am open to allowing direction from my subconscious and my intuition, and they’re taking that opportunity to lead me forward and help me find positive outcomes in my life.   Without my willingness to blindly follow these qualities in myself… qualities they manipulate to nudge me along in my trajectory…. and without their willingness to do the nudging?  It wouldn’t all come together so seamlessly or winningly.

DECK USED:  CUTE AND CREEPY TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What does magick mean to me?

Six of Wands – An interest to excel at.

The thing is?  I enjoy the spellcraft and magic(k) part of my path, quite a lot.  I enjoy the studying and the learning, the researching and the experimentation.  I enjoy expanding my horizons and finding my strengths and affinities.  I also enjoy being knowledgeable in these areas and able to help others (and yes, at times, even looked up to by others) with knowledge and experience I can share.

The Star – A way to connect spiritually with the world around me and its energies.

My faith is based upon the energies that surround us.  Energies of the elements, energies of creation, evolution, and balance.  These energies are how I see divinity, how I grasp how the world works, and are the foundation of my path.  Spellcraft and magic(k) are at their very core taking control and direction of energy through intent and using tools assist in that purpose.  In this way, spellcraft and magic(k) then becomes an extension of my faith, and a connection to divinity.

The Chariot – And a means to an end.

None of the above changes the fact that spellcraft and magic(k) is a tool.  It is something that is used to accomplish a goal.  You put your intention into action to make something happen using energy as the force for moving things along.

Take Away:  In the end, spellcraft and magic(k) are many things to me, although these three are definitely at the top of the list.  It’s a part of my faith, a means to an end, a connection to divinity, and a passionate pursuit. It is a sense of security and a lifelong past-time, a hereditary gift passed down from my mother and my ancestors… and much more.

DECK USED:  MURDER OF CROWS TAROT