dark mansion tarot

Appreciation and Gratitude

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Today’s meditation was a little over ten minutes long, and focused along the thread of yesterday’s pull of the day and bonus reading.   It focused on the practice of kintsugi, which is a Japanese practice of using liquid precious metal (gold, silver, or platinum) and/or lacquer dusted with powdered precious metals to repair broken and cracked pottery.

It discussed how even when you are feeling at your most broken, it is possible to pick up the pieces from these experiences and create something beautiful with them.

Ten of Cups - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Ten of Cups card, which is a representation of completion, ascension, regeneration, and renewal in the area of creativity, emotions, relationships, and the intuition.  This theme often portrays itself as harmony and bliss in one’s relationships.

Today’s card is a reminder to acknowledge and consciously value the good times.  Be grateful for them, because like all cycles, that time of bliss and harmony doesn’t last forever and should be wallowed in and celebrated while you have it in your grasp.  I have very much enjoyed all of the extra time I’ve been able to spend with you lately.  I know that the holiday rush is about to start, and that is going to change for about six weeks or so, but I want you to know… spending this time with you is amazing and I am grateful for every single moment we have together.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: How can I better release self-doubt?

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Reading Summary: Be active in focusing on what you really want (Four of Wands and Knight of Cups), don’t allow yourself to get bogged down by material concerns (Four of Hazards), because when you focus to hard on financial concerns it puts you in a bad place emotionally (Page of Hazards and Five of Cups).

Take Away: There are times when I get really wrapped up in my finances and how I feel things -should- be going.  I lose track of what’s really important to me as my focus narrows down to numbers, bank accounts, bills, and my drive to pay off my mortgage.  All of this focus on these areas creates a good deal of stress and self-doubt concerning my capabilities to thrive and my self worth.  If I want to release that self-doubt, I need to let up on how hyper-focused I become on that area of my life.

Deck Used: Zombie Tarot

Inner Strength and The Past

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was not a guided meditation.  Instead I put on some YoYoMa and settled in to a lazy body scan that started at the top of my head and worked slowly down to the bottoms of my feet.   I then switched over to a few minutes settling into sounds as had been practiced in a previous guided meditation.

On the whole, it was very relaxing.

Six of Cups - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Six of Cups, which I pulled an intuitive hit off of that deals with taking some time to not just examine my memories, but appreciate how my past has created who I am today and the life I have.

This is something that I think a lot of people take for granted.  I personally never wish that anything I’ve experienced had happened differently.  I’ve gone through a good deal of bad experiences, and a significant amount of trauma.  But, each of these things in my past has made me into the man I am to day, and I am proud of the man I am today.

Yes, I am hard on myself, but that doesn’t change the fact that I feel I have good ethics and good moral values, and that I follow those guidelines and live them every day.   I am also very happy with my life.   Yes, things could be better… but they could also be a lot worse.  One small change to my past and my experiences, and maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now.  Maybe I wouldn’t have a wonderful partner, a loving sister, a trusted friend.  Maybe I wouldn’t be in a stable home that I’ve created for myself.

So when looking back at your past and experiences, be sure to remember that these things are a part of what make you who you are.  Without them, you might have turned out to be an entirely different person in an entirely different position… and not necessarily a better one.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: How can I better navigate through fear?

Ludy Lescot Tarot Reading Summary:  Sink into your inner strength (Strength card) and value the trials you have gone through and recovered from (Ten of Swords), and you will find yourself in a better place to deal with what comes (Nine of Pentacles).

Take Away:  This is a continuation of the daily draw from above, which surprisingly fits in really well with the question for today’s challenge. (Surprisingly because I wasn’t expecting them to correlate.)

The fact is that I am strong.  My strength is built up over all of the things I have survived and moved on from, whether that’s my father and family’s treatment of me growing up, the attacks I have survived through, the car crashes I have been in, the cancer and treatments for it, and the physical damages from everything I’ve mentioned that I have sustained along the way.   All of these things have built up my strength, and taught me how to survive and thrive in difficult (or seemingly impossible) circumstances.

I am proof that you can survive through things you did not believe were possible, and I’m proof that you can adapt to the changes that these experiences create, and learn to thrive because of and despite them.   Remembering this when fears get the best of me is how I can (as the question asks) better navigate through that fear.

Deck Used: Ludy Lescot Tarot

Confidence and Perspective Changes

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on how sometimes gifts come in the form of what you shed or release, rather than what you gain, and how that is one of the things about meditation practice that is of great value.

What they mean by this is that the gift that meditation gives you isn’t always an increase in focus or an advancement of some kind, it’s in the releasing of stress and the decrease of anxiety, etc.

I think that this view is a lot like the view that I have of the negative incidents and people in my past.    It’s a “look for the silver lining” approach.   This is not to negate though, as I think it’s a very good point and good practice to get into.  Life is better and there is better perspective within it when you can accept that even the bad things that happen to you have value.

Queen of Wands - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Queen of Wands, which is a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s passions, drive, and ambitions.  This theme portrays itself with independence, confidence, and determination.  The Queen of Wands is ambitious and knows how to get what she wants and go after what she believes is hers.

What I see in today’s card is encouragement.  It’s appearance today is there to boost my self confidence, which wavered a bit when the less-than whisper came during the recent drop.  The Queen of Wands has arrived to remind me that I am strong and passionate, and if they don’t like me?  Fuck’em.

I’ll try to take her message to heart, although I’m not quite far enough out of the post-drop tenderness for it to really sink in at the current moment.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: Where may I need to shake things up?

Tarot of the Sweet Twilight Reading Summary:  I need to look recently occurring new perspectives (Hanged Man) concerning the drop (Eight of Swords) and the emotions that stem from it (Ace of Cups).

Take Away: Ok, so I had a really hard time with this last drop.  Yes it was massive, but it went beyond that, because for the first time in a long time, I completely shut down rather than allowing myself to deal with it.  And honestly?  My perception and feelings about it were different this time too, leaning far more to the negative.   I focused on those negatives rather than on the vulnerability and inner worries and fears, which didn’t help things.

This new perspective isn’t a healthy one, and isn’t healthy for me at all.  This isn’t the first time I’ve drowned so deep, or had such a massive drop afterward.  But I didn’t handle it well at all this time, and I need to look at approaching the drop and the emotions surrounding it from a different mindset in the future so that I don’t go back there again.

Deck Used: Tarot of the Sweet Twilight

Surrender and Change

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Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long and focused on surrendering to change.  That is to say, not fighting against it but allowing it to take you along and flowing with it, and thus reducing stress through an attitude of acceptance and surrender.

World Card - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is The World card of the Major Arcana, meaning that it deals with an overall picture rather than one specific facet of the human experience.

The World card represents completion and the ending of a cycle as well as the movement of stepping through the end of a cycle into the next.   The World Card also holds within it the representation of one’s ascension from one level of development on to the next.

The message in today’s card is an echo of the meditation I did this morning.  That is to say, to not fight change.   Change is the birthplace of learning and growth.  Without it, the world sits stagnant.   But, when you relax into change instead of fighting it, you move forward and, along the way you “level up” in your growth.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: How can I bring more balance into my life?

Tarot of Haunted House Reading Summary: Surrender is again in the theme for this reading as well, with mention of surrendering (Ten of Swords) to a new way of experiencing my emotions (Ace of Cups), and making wise choices (intuitive hit off the imagery of the Seven of Pentacles) that will foster sustainable growth (also Seven of Pentacles) and stability in the area of my finances and resources (Four of Pentacles).

And can I just say?  I really love the imagery in this deck.

Take Away:  With the shadow work I’m beginning and all of the drowns and closeness lately, I feel more open and tender lately, which is very difficult for me not to fight against.  This openness leaves me a bit more vulnerable to my worries concerning my finances and stability, but if I stay on track in saving the money I need to get saved for the financial obligations I have coming up at the end of the year, my worries will ease up and everything will be fine.

Deck Used: Tarot of Haunted House

Aces, Aces Everywhere

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was not a guided meditation.  Instead, I did a body scan to some quiet music to follow along.  Although not as perfect (for me) for meditation as the background music in the meditation app, it was very soothing and relaxing.

Ace of Pentacles - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Ace of Pentacles, which is a representation of seeds of potential, new beginnings, and opportunity in the area of resources, manifestation, finances, and the physical world.

The message that I get from the appearance of this card today is that its important to pay attention and watch out for the appearance of these things.  If you’re not paying attention, these sparks of new opportunity can pass you by.  Sometimes seedlings break free from the seed and stretch up for the light only to be trampled by a careless boot.

Don’t be the careless boot.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What is transforming for me at this time?

Twisted Tarot TalesReading Summary: This is all about my passions (Wands).  It’s about finding the places within my passions and ambitions where I am struggling (Nine of Wands), sorting through what they entail and finding what holds value and what doesn’t (Judgement), and then moving forward with renewed passion in a new direction with what’s not been discarded (Ace of Wands).

Take Away:  What is transforming for me at this time is that over the week while I’m supposed to be taking the time to rest and prepare, it is going to give me time to “switch gears” essentially.  It will allow me to return with vigor for the busy time to come.

Deck Used: Twisted Tarot Tales

New Outlets and Old Habits

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Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and once again I managed to fall asleep in the middle of it.  That’s okay, though.  I think it just means that it was super relaxing, because I wasn’t particularly tired at the time.

Funny thing?  I woke up with the labradorite stone still on my solar plexus and the smoky quartz still on my forehead.  Didn’t fall off or get knocked off in my sleep, regardless of the weird dreams I was having.

Ace of Cups - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Ace of Cups, and my immediate focus on today’s cards was on the dragonfly and the jewels in the cup. The meaning of the card in today’s draw is that I need to remember that my creative process for designing jewelry includes emotion. I need to acknowledge this, and work on moving more toward incorporating that into the designs, while taking inspiration from the emotions I feel, rather than trying to set them aside or push them away.

Emotions are not really my strong suit, and so this is something that’s difficult for me to incorporate into my work.  It does, though, create a greater depth to my pieces when I do this.  The appearance of today’s card is a ‘heads up’ that it’s time to start with this again with an open heart.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: Where may I be blinding myself to the truth of a situation?

Devil Card - Dark Grimoire TarotReading Summary: Well first off, I tried to get more cards for this reading, but the deck refused to give me anything more regardless of how long (or how sloppily) that I shuffled the cards.  So there you go.  The Devil is a representation of self-inflicted addictions, restraints and road blocks.  There are, of course, other interpretations.  But, today?  That is the one that sticks out to me for this card.

Take Away: I am limiting myself and I need to look at in what ways I am doing that, and in what ways that is affecting my life.  This is something that I need to delve deeper into, and take time to really think about.  Especially, I need to look at places where i am brushing off concerns as nothing to worry about.  These tendencies aren’t serving me and need to be dealt with.

Deck Used: Dark Grimoire Tarot