daily draw

Sparking the Flame

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Today’s meditation was about twenty minutes long, and was not guided but instead a full body scan that completed with going from focusing upon my body to my surroundings.   First my immediate surroundings, and then further out as I stretched my senses and my energy to reach further and stretch.

At the end, you pull your senses and energy back in again, and repeat the body scan as you settle back into the norm.   I found the meditation to be very relaxing and very much like stretching, but without the pain that stretching my body always involves.

Ace of Trees - Majestic Earth TarotToday’s draw is…. look at all that green.  Okay, just saying but I really like this card, even if the horizontal alignment took me by surprise.   This card is the Ace of Trees, which is the equivalent of the Ace of Air / Wands.

This card is about planting seeds and bright new sparks of inspiration.

My immediate reaction to this card is, “YES!  Lets go hiking!” and with the current need to get myself back into working on gaining weight? The message here is to get myself going on this.  Adventures await and I’ll enjoy my time outside much more if I get my ass in gear and start that journey to a healthier body.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I improve my relationship with my ancestors and guides?

Revelations Tarot

Reading Summary:  To overcome their dissatisfaction with how I have been treating them over the stretch of the past (Nine of Cups), I need to continue in my solitary path of searching (Four of Cups) and meditation (Three of Pentacles).

Take Away:  As the reading yesterday on this topic indicated, I’m on the right path.  I just need to be patient and dedicated and practice perseverance in order to demonstrate to my ancestors and guides that this is something I really want and not just a whim.

DECK USED:  REVELATIONS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #2
How can I foster inspiration for taking better care of myself?

Tarot of the Lucid Slumber

Reading Summary: Long-term results can be obtained (Judgement) if I will stop spending so much time worrying about the things you can’t control (Six of Swords), and focus on the things that that I can (The Devil).

Breaking the read down through the activity in the spread, the reason that the Judgement card sits at the center and focal point (result) of this reading is not just because it sits in the center, but also because it incorporates colors from the other two cards together.   On either side you have to completely opposing color schemes, and in the center both colors are combined in one card.

Take Away:  You know that whole phrase “easier said than done”? Yep.  That said, I am trying to let go of that grasping, gripping need for control over everything, and to break down my responsibilities into smaller bite sized pieces.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LUCID SLUMBER

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: What will help me in improving my vision this year? / What am I already seeing clearly?

Tarot in WonderlandImproving My Vision: Keep my eye on the ball.  That ball is not just the security and stability that I crave and the path that will eventually take me there, but also involves my gratitude and my practice concerning appreciation of what I already have.

Seeing Clearly:  I see the need for hope and optimism.  I see that if I want to move forward and keep progressing along the path toward my goals, I need to foster that hope and optimism.  It’s not a natural mindset for me, but I will continue to work towards it because I understand its importance.

DECK USED:  TAROT IN WONDERLAND

The “How” of It All

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Today’s meditation was about seven minutes long and was interrupted by THREE f’ing phone calls.  I would have started over, but then J showed up and it was time to go.  In the end I gave up and decided that I would try again tonight before bed.

Tarot of the Hidden RealmToday’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning both cards came out together as one.  The cards in today’s draw are The Moon and the Three of Cups.

When I received The Moon card the other day, it was about my longing to be out in nature and how sometimes I just can’t get out there enough to sate that longing inside of me.

Today’s draw is an expansion on that, which speaks of inviting those I love to assist me in finding the time and opportunity to spend time in those places I love so much.  My loved ones are there for me, to support me and help me in finding those things in life that bring me joy.  It’s important that I don’t just acknowledge that, but allow that to happen and reach for that support when I need it.

Reaching for that support is a repeating theme in the cards lately, and I hear the message loud and clear, even if it seems I’m having a hard time with the “how” of it all.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my current relationship with my ancestors and guides?

Britt's Third Eye Tarot

Reading Summary:  Keep working at it (Temperance), keep researching (Three of Pentacles) and seeking a good balance between responsibilities and seeking that connection (Queen of Pentacles). Things are coming along, but it’s going to take some time cuz there’s going to be some ups and downs involved (Wheel of Fortune) in convincing them of my sincerity.

Take Away:  Essentially?  I’m on the right track both in my private efforts to connect with my ancestors and guides, in reaching out to others for information and research, and in finding a good balance between the responsibilities of life and my spiritual path.  But it’s going to take some time.  I’ve spent my life ignoring them and putting the effort to communicate entirely in their court, and if I want to connect?  I’m going to have to stay the course until I’ve proven to them that it’s what I really want.

DECK USED:  BRITT’S THIRD EYE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What one thing can I do today to make a loved one’s life better?

Dame Darcy's Queen Alice Tarot

Intuitive Interpretation: The thing I can do that would most help a loved one is help them with their burdens.  I was thinking of L when drawing these cards, and it looks like what she needs is something very similar to myself at the moment.  That is to say, someone to help remind her of the long-term view and set her free of the self-restraining thoughts that are making her feel overwhelmed with her burdens and responsibilities.

Although I haven’t had the chance to see her today, I think I might sit down with her and have a heart to heart tomorrow.  Just some quiet time and a talk about how we’re both feeling and how we can help each other in what is very obviously a mutual struggle at this time.

DECK USED:  DAME DARCY’S QUEEN ALICE TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: Card for me / Card for humanity

Weird Cat TarotCard for Me – Four of Wands, Wheel of Fortune – Make sure that you’re taking time to cherish the good times, because life is going to be full of lots of ups and downs this year.

Card for Humanity – Ace of Swords – It’s time to start looking at things in a new way, and to acknowledge the dependence we have upon the earth and her goodwill and generosity.

DECK USED:  WEIRD CAT TAROT

 

Synergy

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and took place in the bottom of my shower with paced rhythmic breathing exercises and the trailing of water drops along the side of the tub as the water rained down.   I needed a moment’s retreat, as it’s the third day in a row that I’ve woken up with that tight fissure of anxiety threading through my veins.

It actually felt so good I wish that I’d had some time to take a nap there. I didn’t, of course.  But I have in the past and regardless of the hard surface of the tub beneath me?  It’s some of the best napping I’ve ever had.

Majestic Earth TarotToday’s draw is a double without a jumper, which means the two cards came out together as one instead of individually.  The cards in today’s draw are The Magician and the Creature of Clouds.

The Magician is a message of capability and control, while the Creature of Clouds is about precision and keen mind.    The combination of the two in today’s draw is a message about not just having the tools to accomplish my goals, but also the judgement to use them to their best purpose and control their use to the best timing.

When you combine decisive and cunning thought with skillful expertise, it creates a synergy.   A harmony that’s rich in potential and promise.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I foster a better relationship with my spirit?

The Stretch Tarot

Reading Summary:  Better balance (Two of Pentacles) and a long term view (Judgement) in relation to looking at what I need to accomplish (Page of Pentacles) so that I can foster better “flow” between the different elements of my life (Temperance)

Take Away:  Balance brackets the matching cards in the middle.  Two different kinds of balance.  One is the juggle and struggle of keeping things together and up in the air.  The other a flowing balance of elements, like musical notes flow together to create a song.   In order to move from the jagged effort of juggling into the smooth flow of energy my spirit seeks, I need to stop falling into the trap of “everything has to be done now” and take a longer view.  I’m not on a time table.  There is no clock.  No punch card.  No deadline. 

DECK USED:  STRETCH TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where in my life do I need to set stronger boundaries?

Sola Busca Revisited Tarot

Reading Summary:  My mother’s (Empress over Page of Swords) bullshit manipulations (Fool) using good memories (Sun over Six of Cups).

Take Away:  My mother is usually represented by the Queen of Swords reversed.  She is currently being represented by the Page of Swords and the Empress because at this moment she is looking for a new foothold with which to “work her will” into my life after the mess I made of her social standing.   The cards are both an indication of where I need to set stronger boundaries, and also a warning of how she is going to eventually approach once her silent treatment of me has ended.

DECK USED:  SOLA BUSCA REVISITED TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: Where am I slacking? / How can I motivate?

Golden Tarot of KlimtWhere am I slacking? – Progress.  I am lacking in progress.  Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.  Although I’ve begun to get a fresh breath from the fog of fear and uncertainty that had been so stifling through the end of December and all of January.  I’ve yet to hit my stride since digging out that fear and uncertainty.  Part of it is just that these things take time, but another part of it is that I feel like I need a break.  I took a few days off to go to my mother’s at the beginning of the month, and yet I just don’t feel like I got any rest out of the time off at all.

Take Away:  This ties into the Tarot for Growth reading I did today.  It speaks of needing to take a long term view and accepting that everything can’t be done right now.   That mindset of everything having to be done right now is holding me back from getting anything done at all.  When you plant seeds, they don’t just miraculously sprout into towering trees.  It takes time… everything takes time, and I need to stop being so hard on myself about that fact, because it has nothing to do with me.  It’s just the nature of how good things grow.

DECK USED:  GOLDEN TAROT OF KLIMT

 

Connections and Longing

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IMG_2375Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long and focused on finding happiness not through all of the consumerism and excess in the world, but by moderation.  And how moderation assists in setting the soul free because there is less to weigh you down.

Honestly?  Moderation is not usually my strong suit.  It’s something that I struggle with a lot, in fact.   And the message in today’s guided meditation was well needed, even if this particular topic is one that I feel  I fall short on pretty regularly.

The Moon - Tarot of the Hidden RealmToday’s draw is the Moon card of the Major Arcana, which is a representation of uncertainty.  The thing is, though, that I see more in this card than just illusion and confusion.

To me, the imagery of this card speaks to me of an inherent need to connect with the earth, and that sometimes that’s not always possible.   Heading back home means that I have to work a little harder to get into the forests I love so dearly, and it creates a longing within me.

The appearance of today’s card is a reminder that it’s okay.  Even at times when you can’t be as close to those things you love as you want to be… it’s okay.  That connection is still there, and will be there whenever I need it.  I just have to make the effort of seeking it out.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with my spirit?

The Guided Hand Tarot

Reading Summary: I’m putting a good deal of effort towards learning (Eight of Pentacles atop Page of Pentacles), but I need to set aside the dance and relax a bit (Judgement crossed over the Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  My relationship with my spirit of this time is one of seeking and learning.  The problem lies in the fact that I’m trying to do too much juggling of different responsibilities and endeavors, which causes tension instead of just relaxing and allowing things to flow.

DECK USED:  THE GUIDED HAND TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Over what element of my life do I need to release some control?

Regretsy Tarot

Intuitive Interpretation from Imagery:  I can’t control everything all the time. I’m going to have to ease up on controlling every little thing and let things flow instead of trying to fit more and more shit on my plate.

Take Away:  The element of my life I need to release some control over is the fact that I’m trying to fit so much on my plate and control every little piece of everything.  I don’t need to monitor everything.  I don’t need to control every little thing.  It’s time to discern which things I can ease up on and that can take care of themselves without my constant monitoring and meddling.

DECK USED:  REGRETSY TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: Open / Close

Tarot of the Hidden RealmOpen: It’s time to reconnect with my passions (Ace of Wands) concerning my artistry and expertise (Three of Pentacles).  During the month of January, I had to put my passion for creativity on the back burner because I was struggling under that cloud of self doubt and fear caused by the letter I’d gotten in the fall.   Now that we are dealing with that fear and self doubt, it’s time to reconnect with my confidence in my work and the passion I have for what I do.

Close:  It’s time to release my negative thoughts concerning that letter and the emotions involved with it.  The Queen of Swords makes it clear that I’ve allowed the effects of that letter to go on for too long and cut too deep.  I need to let it go.  I know that’s going to take time and is not an immediate thing, but I also feel I’m well on the way to that outcome.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM

Stand Strong

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and attached to the end of my yoga/physiotherapy practice.  After a handful of days away, getting back into a full practice is really important, and even in just those few days, I can feel the difference in my body from not doing my full routine.  There is a decrease in flexibility, and a tightness in my hips and shoulders that will take probably about two weeks to work out probably.

I used the meditation at the end of my practice to do some deeper stretches and focus on my breath as a way to breathe through the pain and keep my body relaxed through the process.

Nine of Trees - Majestic Earth TarotToday’s draw is the Nine of Trees, which is a representation of resilience and strength.  I really like the little caption in the book for this deck, to be honest.   It speaks about a tree standing strong through the elements and the struggles of harsh environment and harsher weather.  And yet, even on the edge of a cliff in the blowing wind with the weight of snow on it’s boughs, the tree stands straight and tall, a figure of endurance.

This is a beautiful message and I love the use of the tree to convey it.  It speaks of standing strong through adversity, and is something that I need to hear right now when I’ve made my own stand so recently and a hint of guilt teases back in the shadows, not quite reachable or visible, but there all the same.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I foster a better relationship with my body?

Lion's Gateway Tarot

Reading Summary: I need to make time (Two of Pentacles) to go to the gym with Jer (Three of Cups), something that will not just help me physically, but emotionally as well as being a bonding experience for my friendship (Nine of Cups).

Take Away:  January was so confusing and I can’t even be sure where all the month went.  I feel like I went through the month in a fog of confusion and fumbling in the dark.  But it feels like I’m pulling out of that now since we confronted my fears concerning that letter.  So maybe now that clarity is coming into play, it’s time to start looking at scheduling that time at the gym.

I need to start going again, as the weight I dropped five years ago during my chemotherapy never really came back.  Since then I’ve managed to gain a few pounds, but as soon as I get sick?  I lose them again.  Hell, those purple leather pants from Sunday were from back when I was sixteen.  I need to get some weight on me, and the only way to do it is to get my ass to the gym. 

DECK USED:  LION’S GATEWAY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I best work at improving that skill?

Hide Tarot

Intuitive Interpretation:   I need to stay the course concerning finding those connections I need for a more stable and protected mediumship experience. This is about going slow and steady, but also staying focused.  If I want to improve my abilities with both grief readings and mediumship, that connection to my guides is going to be necessary, and after having ignored them for so long and leaving them to “do their own thing” and essentially do all the work in communication with me, it’s now my turn to show that I am also willing to work at it.

DECK USED:  HIDE TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: What to attend to / What to leave behind

Majestic Earth Tarot

What to attend to: Optimism.  I need to work on my optimism, which includes working harder at holding each day’s positive message with me throughout the day.  It’s great to have that positive message in the morning, but sometimes I lose sight of it through the day.  I saw an idea lately on one of the Discord servers where someone uses the card for their COTD as their phone’s wallpaper each day.  I think I might give that a try as a way to help me keep in touch with each day’s positive message throughout the day.

What to leave behind: It’s time to take a step back from my more analytical mindset and allow my emotions to have a piece of the action.  Sometimes decisiveness and analytical thinking just isn’t enough, and you have to reach for more.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

You’ve Got This

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Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long, and was not a guided meditation.  Instead, I used the time as an opportunity to center and calm from the burst of anxiety I woke up with first thing this morning.

The meditation involved some breath counting exercises, and a body scan that went from head to toes and then slowly back up again.  It was relaxing, and actually did help a bit in getting that tight anxiety knot in my gut to ease up some.

Prisma Visions TarotToday’s draw is The Magician card of the Major Arcana.  This card is an indication of being resourceful and having all the “tools” you need to manifest what you want to come into being.

The appearance of The Magician in today’s draw is as a cheerleader.  The Magician has appeared to essentially tell me “You’ve got this”.

After my exploits at mother’s club yesterday, I woke up today feeling a bit awkward and out of sorts.  Sort of like a hammer might be about to drop at any moment. The Magician’s appearance is a reminder that IF a hammer drops (or even if it doesn’t and it’s just me having a bit of a tweak at what I did in humiliating my mother) that I have everything I need to deal with any issues that arise as a result.

DECK USED:  PRISMA VISIONS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with my body?

The Binding of Isaac Tarot

Reading Summary: I really want to be good to myself (Queen of Pennies) and have lots of ideas on how to do so (Page of hearts), but when it comes to the doing part of the equation, I’m just not following through with the skill and solid dedication that is needed (King of Keys).

Take Away:  Essentially, the cards are saying I’m “all talk and no action” when it comes to the self care of my body.  And they aren’t wrong.  A lot of my self care focus rests not on my body (other than the need for rest), but on my emotional and mental well-being instead.

DECK USED:  THE BINDING OF ISAAC TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What skill in my tarot practice needs improvement?

Gay Tarot

Reading Summary:  Providing a sense of stability and uplifting messages (Four of Wands) in times of grief and loss (Three of Wands and Five of Coins).  There is also a modicum of conflict in these types of readings where I am concerned (Five of Wands).

Take Away:  Even before I was mute, I didn’t do too great with grief readings.  My delivery is a bit too blunt at a time when most people need a gentler approach. The conflict in these cards has to do with me avoiding mediumship in readings. If the reading from last fall is any indication, there’s clearly a latent ability here that I have been actively avoiding.

DECK USED:  GAY TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: Morning message / Nighttime reflection

PrismaVisions TarotInterpretation:  It’s not surprising at all that I would receive the same card for this reading as I got for my morning COTD.  The Magician’s message is that “You’ve got this” and the reiteration of the message means that there is more.  The second appearance references not just my trepidation concerning yesterday’s escapades, but also today’s game of “catch up” as I try to get orders ready to go out tomorrow after having spent some time out of town.   The nighttime reflection message has to deal with

The appearance of the Devil card as the nighttime reflection has to do with the amount of distraction that I allowed into my day.  I couldn’t really afford any distractions at all, but I did.  As a result, I ended up more behind than I’d like and needing to carry some of my work for tomorrow’s shipments over into the morning, which will in turn set me behind in my trip to the post office, and cause me to be later in getting home from that trip.  Repercussions and consequences from the bit of distraction I allowed myself earlier in the day.

DECK USED:  PRISMA VISIONS TAROT