#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025

Energy Leaks and Replenishment

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the Calm app.

The topic of today’s session was about what the neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett calls the body’s “energy budget”. It delved into how our bodies only have so much energy to work with each day, and how even something that seems as simple as talking on the phone can at times leave us feeling drained due to what kind of budget our body has for the day and how much of it is spent in the conversation.

The session spoke upon how its important to take times of quiet and peace for yourself on days you are feeling tired in order to “top up” our energy stores, and how meditation can in this way be seen as a “dose of replenishment” for when feeling drained.

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Gendron Tarot's Justice CardToday’s draw is the Justice card, which is traditionally a representation of balance, cause and effect, repercussions and consequences, give and take, and can often indicate the law or legal system.

Life is always about balance. You get what you give. This is true in all areas of life from how we act to how we treat ourselves, and even the little every day actions we take for granted. The universe seems to be built upon the premise of cause and effect… otherwise known as “balance”.

I feel that this is important to understand, as it effects so much in our lives including our own bodies and our energy levels. If we push and neglect our needs, then our bodies react by breaking down or running out of energy.  We are bombarded day in and day out by little energy leaks from the news, our phones, social obligations… even niceties.  It’s no wonder that we feel tired so often, and refreshed so rarely and fleetingly.

The card for today and meditation combined with it hold a reminder that we all need to do more to replenish our energy stores in order to combat all those little (and sometimes big) energy leaks in our lives. Whether that’s through creative pursuits, having fun, meditation, or just taking a few minutes to ourselves once in a while to breathe.

DECK USED:  GENDRON TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April 30 : Grab a spread of your choice you’re curious about… and give it a go!
@Lionharts #TheAprilTarot Equinox Threshold Challenge
Prompt for April 30 : The Huntress’ Mark Tarot Spread

The Huntress Mark Tarot Reading with the Bird King Tarot and Growing Oracle

What instinct within me is calling to be honored?

Four of Wands and Energy – The desire to savor, or even celebrate, the time spent at home is an instinct within you calling out to be honored. That moment when you step through the door and take a sigh of relief as you take your shoes off is a moment that needs to be leaned into and acknowledged, savored and enjoyed. Focus on letting the bad parts of your day slough off at the door, so that you step through into your home with a greater sense of peace than when you’re outside of it.

How do I close the distance to what I seek?

The Lovers; Freedom atop Differences Rx – There’s always going to be differences of opinion concerning what you should be doing with your spare time. The great part is that it’s your spare time to do with as you please, so make sure that you were doing things that are good for you during this time… and not for others. Your spare time needs to be about you.

What lasting imprint will my pursuit leave behind?

The Magician and Worthiness – Working on these boundaries concerning your spare time will help you in combating those feelings of “not enough” that you often feel in relation to what you provide for others. It will help you develop the tools you need to see yourself as worthy of your own self-care and good regard, creating a better balance between the energy expended on others and what you keep for yourself.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Serpentine Dragon to Bolster Heart and Emotions
Ammonite for a Sense of Stability During Times of Change
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: BIRD KING TAROT AND GROWING ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

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

Dreams of the Past

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The Naked Truth Tarot's Nine of Pentacles and Once Upon a Time CardsToday’s draw is the Nine of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of solitary satisfaction, a job well done, self-sufficiency, abundance, financial independence, and luxury earned through hard work.

The dreams that we had for ourselves earlier in life should not be what we now use as the standard against which we measure out current selves, life, and accomplishments.

Whether those dreams are realistic (or, more likely, unrealistic), easily obtainable, or pie in the sky, they were in essence merely ideas on where we thought we would go.

Life is done through living… and life happens while we are living it. Therefore plans change and new ideas replace old ones. We adapt and react and plot our course one step at a time along our path… not at the beginning with rigid focus. There needs to be room for the unexpected, for curiosity, and for growth.

Today’s cards remind us not to measure how far we’ve come by an impossibly rigid past idea, but by our accomplishments made along the way.

DECK USED:  THE NAKED TRUTH TAROT AND ONCE UPON A TIME CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April 27th : Do Spread 2
Question for April 26th : What do you need to focus on for self-care for this month’s new moon?

Tarot Reading with The Whimsy Tarot and Insight Enlightenment Cards

Reading Summary: The figure in the Justice card correlates with the patiently waiting figure with cross legs in the Anchor card. In the Anchor card to the figure looks a bit impatient, and bored, in the Justice card, the figure is content. The speaks of a need to not just “wait and see”, but to do so with faith while holding your impatience at bay.

In the Hierophant card, the chaos of the heads reflects strongly with the chaos of clouds and spherical figures around the person waiting in the Anchor card. This is a reminder that you have the tools necessary to combat the chaos of thought that comes with standing still when you actually want to move. Use meditation and other breathing techniques in order to combat your need to do something at this time.

The color in the background for the Three of Pentacles connects with the color in the background on the title of the Anchor card. Don’t let your friends jump the gun either. They may think they’re helping, but you all need to wait together at this time.

Take Away: Instead of focusing on what needs to be done and taking an action to do it, at this time you need to focus on working on your patience and encouraging those around you to work on their as well. Use the tools at your disposal such as meditation and breathing exercises to help you keep your brain in check while holding back. An overactive imagination will take you for a wild ride if you let it. Don’t let it.

Other elements included in this reading:
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Yellow Aventurine Dragonfly for Confidence During Change
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE WHIMSY TAROT AND INSIGHT ENLIGHTENMENT CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompts for April 28th and 29th

Oracle Reading with the Wild Woodland OracleTheme Card – Follow your dreams

What area of your life is requiring too much sacrifice?

Courage and Focus – You are putting too much focus and effort into getting where you want to be or where you think you need to be. Not everything has to be a struggle to be a value.

What would be a better option or path?

Magic and Desire – Let yourself believe that good things will come to you even when you aren’t breaking your back trying to achieve them. Life often has a way of manifesting for you what it is you want most or need most, plays it on your path to accept, rather than it being something you worked toward.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: WILD WOODLAND ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

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

The Challenge of Easing Up

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, self-directed, and based upon the graphic by @twinkling.toad shown below and its words “If being hard on yourself worked… it would have worked by now.”

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Neo Tarot's Eight of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Eight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of hard work, expertise through practice, honing a skill, quality craftsmanship, handicrafts, and manifestations through skill and hard work. The card is often  the embodiment of the “practice makes perfect” adage.

I am spectacular at self-degradation and abuse. It’s a skill that was developed early, practiced often, and grown over a lifetime of practice and reinforcement.

These days I’m working on some new skills. Skills geared toward self-kindness and appreciation. I’m not going to lie… it’s hard going. But maybe, if I put as any years of effort into it as were put into self-recriminations and cruelty, I will become just as skilled at this new path as I have become at the old one.

Because, that old path? It’s just not working for me anymore. I came to that understanding a few years ago, and realized it was time to start breaking those long-ingrained habits, and to replace them with healthier ones.

What long ingrained unhealthy habits are you holding onto that aren’t working for you? Today’s card and meditation prompt ask if it isn’t time to start working on changing them into something healthier.

DECK USED:  NEO TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April 21st, 22nd, 24th, and 25th :

Oracle Reading with the Human Spirit OracleWhat difficult truth do you need to acknowledge?

Baby I’m a Star – You are far more capable (and interesting) than you realize. It’s difficult to set that ingrained modesty aside, but others can see you shine even when you cannot.

How can you accept this truth more fully?

Master of Destiny – Look at all you have accomplished and acknowledge that you have the skills, experience, and thirst for knowledge needed to tackle any obstacle that may come your way.

What illusion is clouding your perception?

Bound for Boundaries – Your boundaries are are being tinkered with more than you realize, and therefore not as stable as you think. Take care not to allow little everyday things to stretch your boundaries even in small ways right now, because bit by bit they’ll end up stretched out of shape if you do.

How can you break free of this illusion?

Any Way (the Wind Blows) – Be flexible, but only within the scope of what feels right for you. Don’t ignore your niggles of discomfort, for they are telling you something you need to hear.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Mugo Pine Cone for Resilience and Longevity
Pressed Pansy Flower for for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: HUMAN SPIRIT ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I took time to actually make a grocery list instead of just “winging it” as I have been doing lately, which always ends up with me forgetting something.

Movement Needed

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Once Upon a Time Cards, and Dawn of Dreams Tarot - Two of CoinsToday’s draw is the Two of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of juggling responsibilities, work/life balance, and prioritization.

There is always movement in the Two of Coins (Pentacles), no matter the tarot system you use. (This particular card is of the Marseille variety.) This is because balance isn’t stagnant, but a constant shift of adjustments.

Sometimes we forget that balance doesn’t always apply just to the physical world it’s not all about work/life balance, or the things that we do and don’t do in our lives. It’s also about thoughts, intentions, and emotions.

When we try to balance these things out, whether through efforts toward optimism to balance out natural pessimistic inclinations, or instilling more kindness and understanding to balance out our self-judgements, it’s important to remember that what works today may be either too much or not enough tomorrow.

We all have a storyteller in our heads that likes to speak to us of our shortcomings and spill out “what if” scenarios with worrisome endings. Instead of sticking to a rigid plan or practice, we need to be able to adapt foster that balance as the storyteller in our head adapts to try and upset it. In this way, movement becomes a dance so that the balance can be maintained.

DECK USED:  DAWN OF DREAMS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompts for April 17th thru 19th:

Oracle Reading with the Spirit Animals Message CardsWhat in life weighs you down?

Echidna – One of the things that weighs you down in life is the assumption that just because you need to remain vigilant and cautious for your safety means that you can’t be adventurous and explore new ideas. Stagnancy is not the protection that your fears and emotions tell you it is. Instead of trying to resist change and developments, work at adapting to them.

What in life lifts you up?

Rabbit – you are uplifted by your creativity and the ability to be inspired by new ideas at the drop of a hat. This is a sign of an agile mind and a healthy creative spark, and you need to make sure that you are remaining flexible to the world around you so that you can foster these qualities within yourself.

In what aspect of life do you need a new perspective?

Condor – Holding grudges gives people space in your mind and emotions rent free. Look at those that you continue to hold resentment towards and consider letting go. In purging these emotions and resentments, you can then allow yourself to move forward with a much healthier inner space.

What would this new perspective look like?

Mouse – This new perspective would allow you to turn your attention to a more mindful outward view as your inner space would feel more comfortable and less defensive. This in turn opens you up to a wider range of perceptions around you.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Cedar Heart with Feather Moss Sprout for Protection of Understanding
Citrine for Energy Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: SPIRIT ANIMALS MESSAGE CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I shared with Gid my concerns of a new stalker development that I’ve been worrying over last night, and today, I made sure to put some thought into his responses and concerns. I also did a few precautionary activities to make sure this person will find it harder to find my exact location.

Emotional Intelligence and Growth

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

Today’s session was on the practice of observing one’s breath during meditation practice.  This is one of those things that I really struggle with during meditation.  As soon as I focus on my breath, I begin altering my breath.  I’m not sure why that is, but it’s not just during meditation but at any time.   I pay attention, and begin to breathe deeper, more even breaths.

This makes the practice of observing the breath without altering it nearly impossible for me, but I continue to try. One of the techniques mentioned in the meditation might work for me with a bit of practice, I think.  That is viewing the breath as the ocean waves lapping at the shore.  I’ll have to work with it a bit and see how it goes, but it felt like it might actually lead to some success.

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The Chibi Tarot - Ace of CupsThe @GlitterbyInk #AprilFinds25 Challenge
Lost and Found Prompt for April 20 : Gratitude

Today’s draw is the Ace of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.

As someone that has spent a large portion of their life avoiding their emotions and burying those that couldn’t be avoided, I find getting in touch with them (now that I’m trying to treat my emotions in a more healthy way) often confusing and overwhelming.

I often find that I know I’m feeling something due to physiological responses, but have no idea what that something is or where it came from until Gideon sits me down to poke and prod at it and talk it through with me. During these discussions, when we finally hit the nail on the head, I feel a physiological sense of relief that I’ve begun to understand is my emotions finally being heard and seen. Validated as real.

This is how I’ve come to learn about my emotions, and my willing participating in this process is my efforts toward emotional growth and a greater sense of self-understanding.

Today’s card and prompt combo reminds me of this process, how grateful I am to be able to learn these things that I was so intent on neglecting for so long, and how grateful I am to have understanding participants in my life willing to help me in this journey.

The prompt and card today, therefore, are asking us to look at where each of us is beginning a new emotional journey, and to connect with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the ability to explore ourselves in this way, and sometimes even bring others along with us on the journey.

DECK USED:  THE CHIBI TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2025 Challenge
Prompt for April : Do Spread 3

Dragon Scales Oracle Reading

You – Spiked Snatcher

Like a greedy dragon, you’re gobbling up everything you can grab that you think may be relevant or needed, regardless of its actual suitability.

Your Goal – Pine Drakes

A hoard that better represents the themes and aesthetics you connect with most strongly and truly enjoy.

What’s Holding You Back

Island Dragon – There is a very clear color coordination between the Spiked Snatcher (you) and the Island Dragon (the obstacle), speaking of a fundamental issue concerning how you’re going about things and the methods that you’re using.

Fomo is driving you to collect more than you really want.

Advice to overcome what’s holding you back.

Nano Drake – It’s time to start purging, but just a little bit at a time. Don’t go overboard.

Take Away – Well, little did I know that when I did this reading today, I would be doing a reading on my deck collection, but there it is. Although, I think this also could be applied to a couple of other places in my life as well, the deck collection being just the most glaring example.

Over the past year, I have been cutting back significantly in adding to my collection, but there’s still a good way as I can still go in this, and I could definitely be more proactive about purging those decks out of my collection that just aren’t suited to either my practice or my professional readings.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Bay Leaf for Protection From Negativity
Foraged Ponderosa Pine Needles for Resilience and Adaptability
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On One’s Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: DRAGON SCALES ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I feel like I didn’t really collect my thoughts well on the card of the day for today, but I let it go instead of futzing with it.

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.