daily tarot

Smell the Roses

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Tarot Maregician - Knight of Diamonds, Knight of PentaclesThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 16 : Beauty

Today’s draw is the Knight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of an active, projective beta energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, home, labors, and manifestations. This often translates into a slow moving but determinedly forward moving energy, personality, or person that has their eye on the prize regardless of the slow and steady speed they may be moving at.

Move more slowly and smell the roses along the way. You’ll get where you’re going just fine at a slower pace. It doesn’t have to be a race to the finish line all the time.

The Knight of Pentacles with “beauty” as the prompt for today is a reminder that life is about the journey… not about the destination. That is why death lies at the end of life, so that we’ll take our time and enjoy getting there first.

So make sure that you are stopping along the way to “smell the roses” and dawdling on your journey in order to enjoy more of the beauty that life has to offer you.

DECK USED:  TAROT MAREGICIAN

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Philosophical Questions for April 16th and 23rd

Alfons Maria Mucha Oracle and Compos Mentis Tarot - The Hierophant and The EmpressWhat existed before our universe was created?

The Hierophant and Release Spirit – Death and destruction, followed by the need to start a new in an effort to not just direct life in a new direction, but with values and purpose.

These cards pose the idea that perhaps this universe was created (by whatever sentient process you wish to ascribe to it) in reaction to having done so before without providing “proper guidance”, and that this prior effort ended in destruction.

What is Divinity?

The Empress and Understand Limitations – Divinity, as defined with these cards, is ancient wisdom combined with the energy of nurturing creativity.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosehips for Releasing Stress and Negativity
Foraged Red-Stemmed Feather Moss for Attentive Understanding
Ammonite for a Sense of Stability During Times of Change
Kambaba Jasper for a sense of Peace and Tranquility
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: COMPOS MENTIS TAROT AND ALFONS MARIA MUCHA ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

This is a catch-up post, which means I have no idea what my self-kindness was on this day.

Finding the Positive for April 13 – 15

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Lazy Afternoon Tarot's Six of Wands, Apostle of Destiny Tarot's Six of Pentacles, 1940s WPA Posters Tarot's Six of Pentacles

April 13 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app.

The session for today discussed how when we meditate, we find over time that we are more easily able to connect authentically with ourselves, and through that increase in authenticity, connect more authentically with others as well.

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The @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 13 : Wonder

Today’s draw is the Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of public accolades, societal expectations, people pleasing, and peer pressure.

Take pride in yourself not because others admire you, but because you acknowledge your own accomplishments.

It’s easy to fall into a pattern of looking to others for approval and praise. What’s harder to do for many, myself included, is taking time to look at and truly appreciate our own accomplishments instead of mentally picking them apart or looking at them through a skewed perspective of “not good enough”.

Today’s card invites us to look at our accomplishments (big and small) with the same lens of wonder and celebration with which we view the accomplishments of others, instead of holding ourselves to a higher (and always just out of reach) standard.

DECK USED: LAZY AFTERNOON TAROT

April 14 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app.

The session for today dealt with the idea that when we look at others, we see not their true selves, but our perception of who they are. It was an exercise that included looking intently at a photograph of a person and seeking to see beyond that perception to reach for more.

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The @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 14 : Clarity

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of charity, generosity, sharing the wealth, asking for or accepting help, and balancing the scales between the “haves” and the “have nots” in life.

It’s hard to look outside our own experiences and circumstances. If one has always been rich, it’s nearly impossible to accurately imagine what its like to be poor and how poverty shapes one’s views on… everything really. The worries and fears, the struggles and small hardships of everyday, the emotions involved, etc. Someone that has not experienced these can only guess or try to imagine, but it will only be a small and shallow simulation of the real thing.

This is also true of the poor imagining the lives of the rich. It’s true of many various facets of life… male vs female, rich vs poor, healthy vs ill, neurodivergent vs not, etc.

Today’s card combined with the “clarity” prompt for today is a reminder that we need to be generous with each other and our judgements of others. We can’t know what they are experiencing or what all in their life has created their views and expectations. We can’t see things clearly from their perspective no matter how hard we try.

So maybe we need to cut them a little slack and accept perhaps they’re coming from a perspective that we aren’t quite able to relate to, even if we think we can.

DECK USED: APOSTLE OF DESTINY TAROT

April 15 – Mental Health Card of the Day

The @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 15 : Wisdom

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of charity, generosity, sharing the wealth, asking for or accepting help, and balancing the scales between the “haves” and the “have nots” in life.

Sometimes, you need to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Learn from history and the past experiences of others so that you don’t fall victim to their follies. If they have had bad experiences with others? be wary instead of giving those same others the benefit of the doubt.

There is truth to the adage that leopards cannot change their spots. Once a predator… always a predator. And when that predator comes calling with a newly polished halo and a gift of some sort as a peace offering? You absolutely should be wary of that generosity and take a closer look at their motivations instead taking everything at face value.

These daily messages are about instilling positivity and optimism into everyday life. Today’s card and prompt combo is a reminder that due diligence is not you failing at this effort, but rather practicing balance and practicality.

DECK USED: 1940s WPA POSTERS TAROT

Balance In All Things

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Pastel Rider Waite Smith Tarot - Two of PentaclesThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 12 : Creativity

Today’s draw is the Two of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of juggling responsibilities, work/life balance, and prioritization.

I struggle with balance. Work vs life balance. Action vs stagnancy balance. Introvert vs social responsibilities balance. Good foods vs bad foods balance.

It always feels more like juggling than a form of balancing scales, and like it’s far more effort than it feels like it should.

In my life, creativity is one of these places that I also struggle with balance. I have a tendency to sink into creative projects. When my creative spark is flaring, the rest of the world has a tendency to fade away. All attention… all focus trains on this one thing to the detriment and neglect of everything else.

Today’s prompt of “creativity” combined with the Two of Pentacles is a reminder that balance is necessary. Too much focus on non-creative things smothers the creative spark. By the same turn, too much sinking into the flow of creativity will result in the withering or running astray of other aspects in life. Balance is needed.

DECK USED:  PASTEL RIDER WAITE SMITH TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April 12th and 14th :

The Herbal Tea Magic for the Modern Witch OracleWhat kind of person do you truly want to become?

Yerba Mate – You want to become an original soul that is able to offer good advice when needed, and has collected a small group of trusted long-term friendships.

Revisit This – Cornflower

Reconnect with your “know thyself” focus. Only you can truly know how you work and how your body, intuition, senses, and outside input interact to communicate with you. This “language” is unique to you personally, and can only be learned through personal exploration and creative thinking.

Steer Clear of This – Passionflower

If you go soft in the wrong places you will be perceived by others as weak and an easy target. Make sure you are being tenacious in your values and boundaries. Remember that it’s important to not hold too tightly to what helps support your climb toward the sun, or you might smother it in the process.

A New Way Forward – Fennel

Start steering your tea intake toward treating your IBS symptoms. When your stomach feels better, everything else feels better too. Treat your body wit the kindness it needs to feel better.

Other elements included in this reading:
Raw Amazonite for Self Awareness and Facing Truths
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE HERBAL TEA MAGIC FOR THE MODERN WITCH ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I haven’t been feeling well the past few days and, as this is a catch up post, I can’t remember what my self-kindness was for today.  I know that I slept a lot, though.

Balancing Hope and Practicality

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app.

Today’s session was called “Breath; in three acts” and took the listener through an activity where you observe the breath for a full minute, counting how many breaths you take within that 60 seconds in time.   Then, for the “second act”, you take a full minute where you control your breathing to take full, deep breaths slowly in and out, filling your lungs all the way full with each inhale, then slowly easing the breath out on the exhale.  Then, for the “third act” you do another minute where you breathe naturally and count your breaths again for the full 60 seconds.

The notation is that you take less breaths in the third act than you did in the first, demonstrating that in having taken time to do some deep breathing, it helps ease your central nervous system and thus your breath and your body as a whole.      For me in this session, the difference was 10 breaths in the first act, and 6 breaths in the third act.

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Soul Creatures Tarot - Seven of Cups - Will o' the WispThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 11 : Hope

Today’s draw is the Seven of Cups (Will o’ the Wisps), which is traditionally a representation of themes having to do with having a plethora of options to choose from, all of opportunity’s doors being open upon one’s path, and at times being overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available in the moment.

The message in today’s card when combined with the prompt of “hope” is to remember not to let hope overshadow your good sense.

Hope is an integral part of being human, but its important to balance hope with practicality, especially when making important decisions.  If we don’t stay in touch with practicality and common sense during these times, hope can lead us astray into the land of unrealistic expectations.  This, in turn, can cause us to make bad choices when there are better ones on offer to us.

Don’t get me wrong. Hope is important. The key is in balancing it with unbiased practicality (not to be mistaken for negativity or pessimism, which are not unbiased), so that we don’t end up lead astray.

DECK USED: SOUL CREATURES TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April 11 : What do you need to focus on for self-care for this month’s full moon?

Éclosion l'OracleReading Summary: It’s time to take a look at your trapped (enfermement) shadows (ombre) in a new light (évolution).

Take Away:  You (and to be fair, many) view shadow work as something that’s a trial, sometimes a trial through fire.  Hard and painful, an uphill slog through difficult emotional and psychological terrain.

Shadow work does not always have to be difficult, though. Sometimes it just means setting free to let breathe a part of yourself that you have been hiding from the world.

Owning a part of yourself as you own your mistakes and flaws, instead of judging that part of yourself so harshly and trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.  Looking inward with honesty doesn’t have to be torturous or painful.  It just means being honest with yourself, no matter what.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Red Maple Leaves for Adaptability and Connection
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Cedar Heart with Feather Moss Sprout for Protection of Understanding
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: ÉCLOSION L’ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I spoke with Gid about how I was feeling and what I was worrying about concerning new writing characters we were working on creating, rather than keeping it to myself as I wanted to do. It turns out I was misinterpreting his creative block as something it wasn’t.

Defensiveness and Fear

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Forest Realm Tarot - Nine of SwordsThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 10 : Regret

Today’s draw is the Nine of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, and negativity in one’s thoughts and inner narratives.

How high are your walls? How defensive are you to advice or suggestions that you immediately jump to taking them as criticism or cruelty?

When we misinterpret others input in these ways, we push people away and keep them at arms length. They didn’t have to take the time to bother with you, but did. Why? Could it be because they care either about you, or about the end results of something that you also care about?

If so… why push them away in such a manner when they could instead prove useful or of value to you in the long run?

Today’s Nine of Swords encourages us to not hold people at a distance just because of feelings of unwarranted fear or defensiveness.  You could end up regretting it in the end if you do.

DECK USED:  FOREST REALM TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompts for April 7th and 8th

Oracle Reading with The Flower Speaks OracleWhat is your greatest weakness?

Lady’s Mantle – Self-forgiveness and self-compassion are themes that you find difficult to connect with, let alone act on.

How can you release/relieve this weakness?

White Clover – Continue to work at focusing on a more optimistic viewpoint and practicing those things that further this lean into positivity. Activities such as your meditation, connecting with gratitude, and focusing on the present to savor the moment and those things within it can help you to connect more effectively with themes of self-forgiveness and self-compassion.

What is your greatest worry?

Sage – Your greatest worry is that you will miss the signs of approaching trouble, and thus give that trouble an “in” to disrupt your life and your sense of stability.

How can you release/relieve this worry?

Stem – Sometimes protection is less about vigilance and more about the energy you project. If you project the energy of a victim or an easy target, you will be made the victim. On the other hand, when you project strength, you warn off danger even in times when you may not see it coming.

What is your greatest fear?

Black Iris – Your greatest fear is  in being helpless during difficult struggles that escalate from a time of organic change that even though difficult is not destructive, into a full-on mass destruction type of chaotic change.

How can you release/relieve this fear?

Black Cohosh – Allow yourself to accept that changes (even the destructive chaotic ones that feel like the end of the world) are a natural part of life, and something that we all must go through again and again as a part of life’s cycles. Focus on what comes after the end, instead of the end itself.

Other elements included in this reading:
Cedar Smoke Cleansing Bundle for Protection
Foraged Pin Oak Leaf for Strength and Endurance
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Foraged Norway Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Aventurine Goddess for Harmony and Balance of the Heart
Selenite Tree of Life Disk for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE FLOWER SPEAKS ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I rested today instead of doing a full orders day in an effort to kick out this cold or whatever it is before it can actually take hold. I’m not sure how well it worked yet, but I’ve definitely gotten a lot of rest.

Know When to Walk Away

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Wisdom of the Depths Tarot - Eight of CupsThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 9 : Trust

Today’s draw is the Eight of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of withdrawal, abandonment, or letting go of things, situations, or people in your life that are just not working out for you emotionally.

Trust your gut to know when it’s time to walk away is the message offered in today’s card.

Casinos are the bane of my existence.  They are one of those places that I’m “required” to visit now and then for the enjoyment of others in my life, but that I personally despise.

To me, they are the land of overstimulation and desperation that I must wade through while watching again and again as people “win big” and then lose it all. Sometimes within minutes.

The message in today’s Eight of Cups is a reminder of that addictive cycle between ego and despiration. It says… Don’t be greedy. You aren’t invincible. Know how to walk away while you’re still on top.

DECK USED:  WISDOM OF THE DEPTHS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Philosophical Questions for April 2nd and 9th

Gentle Chaos OracleWhat does it mean to live a good life?

The Wedding Day Roses and The Ocean – To live a good life is to love well and often, with an inconceivable vastness; so that when we look back on our lives at the end of it, we see a great sea of love stretching out into the past.

Is personal growth required to live a good life?

The Path and The Moon Pie – Personal growth is part of living as a whole, touching us on each step of our path while still allowing us to retain bits of our past along the way.So, no, personal growth is not required to live a good life, but instead is simply an inevitable part of living.

Other elements included in this reading:
Small Scallop Shell for Connecting to One’s Emotions
Aragonite for Fostering Truth, Understanding, and Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: GENTLE CHAOS ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I have felt exhausted and run down all day today.  I’ve tried resting and have begun taking Cold FX to help boost my immune system, as I’m starting to wonder if I might be coming down with something.