#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020

Revisit of the Five of Wands

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the benefits of meditation in helping keep mental clutter in check.  This has been one of the largest benefits of my meditation, to be honest.

I know that, like most people, I struggle with concentration while in the middle of my meditation practice, but the effort does seem to assist in building the mental “muscle” needed to focus better in the day to day, and by doing so, not allow overwhelm to get the better of me.

The thing is that with meditation it’s about slow progress and small gains.  You only start to see those gains once they’ve begun to add up like grains of sand in a glass.  One grain of sand or even a thousand of them, seems inconsequential.  But over time, they become something substantial.

Five of Wands - Spacious Tarot Today’s draw is the Five of Wands (again) which, as I mentioned before, is about tests, trials, and conflict in the area of one’s ambitions, drives, and passions.  And I’m just saying, but when this card shows up twice in a week and it’s only Tuesday? It starts to feel a little ominous. I know it’s just the cards saying, “You didn’t get it… Try again,” but still.

I still feel that this message is about what can be benefited from conflict.  The sparks still stand out to me the strongest. In that message, though, is also the indication that you have to go through the conflict in the first place.

As the purpose of my daily draw is to find the positive in each day’s card for mental health reasons, today’s appearance of the Five of Wands is a message of hope, indicating that no matter how hard  the conflict might be, there is a reason for it and an in to it as well. Because after every upheaval comes the calm, and in that calm a newness.

DECK USED:  SPACIOUS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What can I do this year to be of service to others?

Jeremy Miranda Oracle Cards

Reading Summary: Provide a sense of stability and security (Card 1) and a calm center (Card 2) for others in the storm (Card 3).

In the first card, the house and garden communicate to me a sense of peace.  There’s a sense of providing what is needed in the healthy garden out front, and security and stability in the house itself and how well cared for it is. 

In the second card is a depiction of a beach and calm sea.  To me this imagery is very soothing.  There are stones well seated in the scene that speak to me of solidity and stability as well, reinforcing the first card and further indicating a sense of calm.

The third card depicts a roaring fire, and my first instinct when I saw this was the phrase “trial by fire” and the chaos and transformation that is involved in the process.

Take Away: Friends often come to me for an ear or guidance when they’re feeling lost.   For these friends, I represent a safe place and an open mind, a place they can come to confide in someone and find perspective.  The cards indicate that this is a good thing, and a way that I can contribute to others in the year ahead, just as I have in the years past.

DECK USED:  JEREMY MIRANDA ORACLE CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is a really great idea you had but then forgot about?

Ember + Aura Tarot

Reading Summary: A new investment (Ace of Coins) in my passionate endeavors (Daughter of Wands) that will take me to the “next level” (The World).

Take Away:  There are a couple of creative classes I’ve been wanting to take.  But over the past year I’ve not even been able to entertain the idea, let alone look into doing something about it.   The classes in jewelry design techniques and photography have the potential to elevate my work both professionally and creatively to a new level if i can find a way to fit them in sometime this year (or even beyond this year if that’s the case).  This is definitely something I had forgotten about over the past year.

DECK USED:  EMBER + AURA TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: Pull three cards for a career/life meaning goal.

Cat's Eye TarotReading Summary: The career/life goal that I focused on was a general outlook on the business over the next year.   From the cards pulled, business over the next year is going to be crappy (Seven of Swords… look at that cat pissing on the wall!  Jesus.  Seriously.) and uncertain (The Moon). Just remember to stay calm and centered emotionally (King of Cups).

Take Away:  That is not something I’m particularly good at since the awakening of my emotions has gotten more intense lately.  I’m referring to the whole “stay calm and centered” during personal crisis and uncertainty, yeah?   I mean I can?  But it takes a lot more effort these days than it used to when I could live in a state of detachment. 

That said, the cards are a good reminder that it’s going to be needed moving forward into this year, as there will be hurdles involved that are going to try my patience and effort to stay calm and collected.

DECK USED:  CAT’S EYE TAROT

Lacking the Oomph

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Today’s meditation was fourteen minutes long, and I tried again to do the spirit guide meditation.   I think that perhaps I need to find a different guided meditation for this.  I’m not sure if it’s the guide’s voice or the background music or something else entirely, but there’s something in there that is not allowing me to relax and focus as I’d like.  Maybe there’s just too much audio stimulation going on.

The Efflorescent Tarot (Color Edition)Today’s draw is the Three of Pentacles, which often for me is a representation of collaboration, but that is not what I pick up from this card.  In fact, if I were to take the image alone and fit it into the tarot, normally I’d have fit this in as the Eight of Pentacles rather than the three.

As an intuitive read, though, I see something else entirely in this card.

I see boredom.

The message in today’s card speaks the fact that no matter how good you get at something and how beautiful the end results are, sometimes it’s still just a job.  It might be your greatest passion.  It might be your most favorite hobby of all time.  You might absolutely love your job and everything about it.   But sometimes?  It’s just a job.  Sometimes you have a period of boredom and lack of inspiration, and that’s okay.

It’s okay to feel that way.  In fact, it’s perfectly natural.  And that reassurance is what I get out of today’s card.

DECK USED:  THE EFFLORESCENT TAROT (COLOR EDITION)

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What do my ancestors/spirit guides/the cards want me to know about 2020?

Golden Art Nouveau Tarot

Reading Summary:  There’s that King of Wands again.   Stop overburdening myself with brilliant inspiration and creative spark (Ten of Wands). New creative inspirations are great (Ace of Wands), but you need to take a more structured and grounded approach (King of Wands).

Take Away:  I’ve been getting this message from the cards a lot lately, and… clearly I’m not listening.  Or maybe I am, but I’m just not allowing it to actually absorb and sink in deep.   This is actually my very first “spirit guides” reading (for myself or for others) and… it makes me wonder if they haven’t been speaking through the cards all along actually.

DECK USED:  GOLDEN ART NOUVEAU TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do you actually deserve? (Built off yesterday’s cards.)

The Circle - Inner Animal Tarot

Reading Summary:  The Six of Swords is a repeat from yesterday’s read, indicating that I do deserve a change for the better (Six of Swords), but that it won’t come from changes to who I am or a personality/outlook adjustment.  Instead it will come from a more organic source that has been a long time coming (Death), and create a period of feeling overwhelmed and overburdened (Ten of Wands) while I move through the adjustment period.

Take Away:  Change is coming… and it sucks.  It’s going to feel heavy and like it’s too much.  It’ll be a struggle.  But, once I’ve made it through the gauntlet?  I’ll be in a better place on the other side.   I have deliberately chosen not to ask the cards -what- this upcoming change is, at least for the time being.

DECK USED:  THE CIRCLE – INNER ANIMAL TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: Three cards for guidance on a personal goal. (Rephrased for specificity.)

Jeremy Miranda Oracle Cards

Reading Summary:  Stay on track (Card 1), stay grounded while looking forward towards what I want (Card 2), and invite others along the way to help me get there (Card 3).

Take Away:  I know that to a lot of people image-only cards are difficult, but they appear so very self explanatory to me.  It’s like my brain says “do I need to flesh this out?  Because it’s so obvious” but I know it’s not.  It’s just obvious to me.

My goal for this question are centered around stability and security concerning home and finances.   The shades of blue combined with hints of water threaded throughout all three cards is a reminder to stay calm and not allow emotional disruption to influence my outlook.

The first card speaks of staying focused on my goals rather than allowing different interests and distractions to take me off track.

In the second card I see a seaweed draped rock sitting before a painting of the sea, staring at where it wants to be, representing my need to focus upon the future and my goals and stay grounded in the moment while doing so.

The third card is an invitation.  A dinner party waiting for guests to arrive.  The card is a reminder that there are others in my life happy to step in and help, all I need to do is reach out to them and invite them in.

DECK USED:  JEREMY MIRANDA ORACLE CARDS

Creation Through Conflict

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on a full body scan for the most part.  It was not a guided meditation, and although I had intended on going for a full fifteen minutes, I was interrupted by a phone call from the doctor’s office and couldn’t get back into it after I’d hung up.  (Everything is fine, it’s just bloodwork related.)

Spacious Tarot Today’s draw is the Five of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of tests, trials, and conflict in the area of one’s ambitions, passions, and drive.

What I see, though?  Is spark.

The message contained in the Five of Wands in today’s draw is that sometimes conflict actually has the potential to create.  It has the ability to get the juices flowing and, although conflict and trials can be a struggle, they can also provide a much needed clearing of air and energy, which makes room for something new and better.

DECK USED:  THE SPACIOUS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What does my mind want me to know about 2020?

Lost Forest Tarot

Reading Summary:  I need to take time to examine what I’ve done and what I can do better (Judgement), especially in the area of what I want from my business (Queen of Fire), and in which direction I want to push it in (Knight of Fire).

Take Away:  I very often associate my creative business with fire, as that is a huge part of where my inner spark and drive are directed.  It’s no different here, where the answer to what my mind wants me to know for the year ahead focuses upon that business.  This is a reminder to look back at the time that has passed and base my future momentum upon what has and has not worked rather than constantly focusing on what I want in the future.

DECK USED:  LOST FOREST TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do you feel you deserve?

Beautiful Creatures TarotReading Summary:  The desire for something better (Six of Swords) obtained through a combination of optimism (The Sun),  self possession and strength (The Emperor), collaboration with others (Three of Coins), and a nurturing warmth towards myself and others (The Empress).

Take Away:  What I see here are the elements that I feel I am not strong enough in.  Elements that are building blocks to a change for the better, but are not my strongest qualities.  Considering the question, the cards indicate I believe I deserve to be better at these particular qualities and, as a result, deserve for things to be better in my life because of them.

It is not realistic, of course, as you do not miraculously develop such qualities… you learn them and work at them.   They are something to strive for, not something to simply obtain.

DECK USED:  FOREST CREATURES TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: Three cards that pertain to my goals.  (Rephrased for specificity.)

The Arcana Tarot

Reading Summary:  Lots of appearances of the King of Wands over the past few days for me.   If I want to find a sense of balance between my struggle for security (Nine of Wands) and a sense of contentment (Nine of Cups), I need to work at embodying a more controlled attitude toward my passions and drive (King of Wands).

Take Away:  A lot of times my passions and drive, both for the creative aspects of my business as well as my business as a whole, cause me to push too hard.  This creates a sense of imbalance and defensiveness that does not at all foster a sense of contentment.  If I apply more control and mediation to my drive, I can find a better balance and feel more satisfaction with my work.

DECK USED:  THE HYDRA-NIX ARCANA TAROT

 

Transitions and Changes

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Today’s meditation was just under fifteen minutes long, and I tried something new today.  As a part of my steps towards mediumship during my tarot practice, I settled in with a guided meditation concerning getting in contact with spirit guides.

This is something that many have made clear is an important step in the process, especially as a part of personal safety.    The problem?  I couldn’t focus.   I tried, but I just couldn’t do it.     I will try again another day, though.

Six of Swords - The Efflorescent TarotToday’s draw is the Six of Swords, which traditionally is a representation of transition, change, and letting go in the areas of intellect, communication, and challenges.

What I see here is sorrow.   I see the sharp and jagged teeth of the landscape behind her and the child in the boat, and the rough waters.  But she is moving away from these things.  Her face is filled with sorrow as she steers the boat upon its coarse

The appearance of the Six of Swords in today’s draw speaks of how difficult making the choice to make a change can be.  Change isn’t always something that falls in our lap or is inflicted upon us, sometimes it is a choice that requires leaving some people, places, things, or ways of thinking behind in order to move on to something better.

Today’s card is an encouragement concerning the renovations I am in the process of making to how I run my business this year.  It says… change is hard, but it will be worth it.

DECK USED:  THE EFFLORESCENT TAROT (COLORED EDITION)

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What does my body want me to know about 2020?

The Prediction Tarot

Reading Summary:  Stop allowing (The Emperor) my emotions and need to succeed (Queen of Cups beneath Page of Staves) hold me back from (The Moon) extending self care beyond the emotions and into the physical (The Empress)

Take Away:  The cards indicate that my body wants to elevate the way in which I care for it.   I spend a lot of time rounding out my self care in the spiritual and emotional side of things, but there is an aspect that I have not been focusing on, which is the physical side of things.  This is a request for more attention to be paid to how I treat my body and what my body needs.  In other words, “get off your ass and start eating healthier and going to the gym again”.

DECK USED:  THE PREDICTION TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: How have you grown over the past year?

Tarot Cats

Reading Summary:  A deeper emotional connection (Two of Cups) and a new way of looking (Ace of Swords) at my struggles (Five of Wands) of the past (Six of Cups).

Take Away:  A lot of times when “past year” reflections come about I find that I have repeated the same lessons over again, either because it didn’t stick the first time or because I just didn’t grasp it the first time around.   This year I’ve done a number of things differently, including beginning to share my spirituality with Gideon, which has brought us much closer, as well as much deeper understanding of how past events in my life (negative experiences) have influenced my life and development.

DECK USED:  TAROT CATS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: How can I set realistic goals?

The Textured Tarot

Reading Summary:  Remember to stay stable and grounded (The Emperor) when change comes (Death) because… there’s going to be a whole lot of ups and downs and change this year (Wheel of Fortune).

Take Away:  Hello Wheel of Fortune once again.  As mentioned before, this is my birth card for the year.   The Emperor and the Death card indicate that it will be important when setting goals that I keep in mind just what kind of theme (ups and downs) this year has in store for me and create room in my plans for that possibility to manifest along the way.

DECK USED:  THE TEXTURED TAROT

 

Hopes, Dreams, and Manifestation

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the need for having hopes and dreams to drive us forward, and how there is always potential available to us to reach for and obtain our dreams as long as we keep that hope alive.

I really liked something that the guide for the meditation said during the session.  She said, “Every breakthrough, every discovery, every solution of every problem ever solved came from a place of possibility.”

I really like that.  I like the reminder it provides concerning where success and accomplishments come from. They just don’t “happen” but are created by real life everyday people from that place of potential and possibility.

Spacious TarotToday’s draw is the Ace of Pentacles and The Magician, and fits in perfectly with the theme of the meditation.  There is so much here about the potential and possibility in the Ace of Pentacles and the empowerment behind The Magician.

The Ace of Pentacles in today’s draw is all about manifestation. It’s about taking those things like the passion of inner spark, the bubbling bursts of emotional investment, and the bright flashes of ideas… and making something of them in the physical world.  Creating something from them that is real and solid and tangible.

Yesterday I expressed my anxieties and worries about the changes I’ve been planning to make in my business, and I feel that today’s draw is a response to those worries and fears.  The cards say that I have all that I need to not just begin upon this fresh start, but to make it work and grow and thrive.

DECK USED:  SPACIOUS TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: What does my spirit want me to know about 2020?

Accurate AF TarotReading Summary:  Stay focused upon my goals (King of Rings) and do not allow my hoarder’s nature (Four of Rings), addictions (The Devil), and occasional interpersonal struggles (Ten of Cups) distract me from those goals.

Take Away:  Sometimes you have to put responsibilities above wants and desires.  That’s what this reading is about.  It’s not something I need a huge reminder of, but it is something that my spirit wants me to keep in mind (as was the goal of the question).  There’s a good possibility there will be times that this reminder will rise up in my memory over the next year, the reading having brought it to my attention and allowing it the freedom to be there and available to me when I need it to be.

DECK USED:  ACCURATE AF TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What could I use less of in my life?

Vintage Oracle Tarot

Reading Summary: This is an intuitive read off the cards and has nothing to do with the traditional meanings.  What I see in these cards is pessimism and inner dialogue that focuses on the train of “you should” do this or “you should” have done that.

Take Away:  The Wheel of Fortune makes another appearance in my readings today, this time to again remind me of the ups and downs coming up in the year ahead, and to let me know that with some forethought and planning, I can avoid falling into the pitfalls of being overly pessimistic or a “you should” mentality.

DECK USED:  VINTAGE ORACLE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: What are my life dreams?

Jeremy Miranda Oracle Cards

Reading Summary: A house in the middle of the rainforest with lots of peace and quiet and the freedom to travel as I wish and explore new experiences at my leisure.

Take Away:  The first two cards are pretty much what I expected to come up, but the last one is a bit of a surprise.  It’s true that there are a lot of places I would love to visit, but the thing is?  Not right now.  Not when I have to come back to a city.. a condo… and so many people everywhere.   IF I could have my dream of the kind of secluded home in the rainforests that I want though?  Then I know the urge to travel and explore would awaken, as I would have that type of ultimate sanctuary to return to in which to recover.

DECK USED:  JEREMY MIRANDA ORACLE CARDS

Ups and Downs… It’s All Temporary

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Today’s meditation was non-existent thus far, as I was late making it home from the farm, which meant that the housekeeper was here waiting for me when I got home.  I will do a meditation tonight when I go to bed, which will probably result in me dozing off.

I don’t get the same benefits from bedtime meditation as I do when I do it in the morning, but I also recognize that I can’t always manage the mornings, and there are still benefits even if not as noticeable.

Wheel of Fortune - Efflorescent TarotToday’s draw is the Wheel of Fortune card, and as one would suspect from this card, it represents good luck, but also the bad luck.  It represents the ups and the downs of life, and like all Major Arcana cards, deals with an overall outlook rather than any one aspect of the human experience.

This is my birth card for the year, and it is one of two cards that have been spending a lot of time stalking me over the past two weeks.   This one, I understand as there is a theme to the beginning of the year and the new year’s birth card.  Clearly this year is going to be filled with ups and downs.

The lesson here?  It is in the hands in the water.   The Wheel of Fortune is here to remind me to appreciate the good times, because they don’t last forever… and to hold on and keep treading water in the bad times… because they are also temporary.

DECK USED:  EFFLORESCENT TAROT (COLOR EDITION)

#TarotForGrowthJanuary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I make the most of that energy (from yesterday’s read)?

The Fey TarotReading Summary:  Instead of allowing the daunting task before me to intimidate me (Seven of Chalices), I need to concentrate on putting my energy into the planning and organizing side of things and taking things one step at a time (Knave of Wands).

Take Away:   There’s a lot of elements involved in figuring out the best way to move forward.  It’s not so much the path before me that’s changing as I restructure things with my business, but rather how I walk. With so many elements involved, it feels a bit overwhelming and intimidating, but as with most things of this nature, I know that if I just take thing one very small step at a time, the progress will begin to add up.

DECK USED:  THE FEY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What could you use more of in your life?

Ethereal Visions Tarot

Reading Summary:  Authority (King of Wands) and ownership (The Empress) over my fear of things falling apart (Five of Pentacles).

Take Away:  All decisions to make a change have the potential to create anxiety for me, and the thing is that with the changes in my business that I’m making?  I have a LOT of anxiety that I might screw things up and end up tanking my business as a result.  These fears are a bit irrational, and I know that, but they bring about a need for a far more self possessed and grounded energy than I’ve been riding on of late.

DECK USED:  ETHEREAL VISIONS TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt
Question: Who would I like to be?

Wheel of Fortune TarotReading Summary:   Someone who is centered and self assured (Queen of Pentacles) in their abilities and able to have the stability of good fortune on my side (Ten of Pentacles) in life as I make difficult choices (Two of Swords) that normally create within me a sense of uncertainty.

Take Away:  This read is about wanting to feel more stable and grounded during situations that would normally create a good deal of anxiety for me.

DECK USED:  THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE TAROT