#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020

Abstinence is a Strength

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was… well… it kinda turned into nap time.  I actually took a grand total of two naps today. So although I didn’t really get in a decent meditation, I did manage to get well rested.  It was actually really nice, to be honest. Although, I have to say…  satin pillowcases are way too comfortable and make it so tempting to just nuzzle in and go back to sleep. Dangerous stuff right there.

Hush Tarot - Five of WandsToday’s draw is the Five of Wands is traditionally about trials, tests, and conflict in the area of one’s passions and drive.  The word “passions” in this instance is not about sex, but rather about the interests that light that spark within you and create an inferno of interest that needs to be followed and/or obtained in order to be sated.

I really like the imagery on this card.  I mean at first it just looks like a tangled mess with some spears added in, but when you really sit down and look at it, what you find is three snakes, two of which are in conflict concerning something they are both passionate about, while the third is caught in the crossfire.

That is how conflict goes sometimes, right?  It’s not always clear cut.  Sometimes people get caught in the crossfire and are forced to either choose sides or end up tangled up and embroiled in a mess not of their own making. That third snake in the imagery clearly just wants to get out.  It wants no part of this quarrel, and yet it is stuck in the middle and unable to get free.

The message in today’s card is to take care not to become tangled up in conflicts that you really don’t want to be in.  Sometimes? It’s okay to take a step back and abstain.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: Where to love more?

WilderWoven Tarot

Reading Summary: It’s OK to take things slow (Tree of Life and Knight of Pentacles both depicting long, slow journeys), just don’t give up (Eight of Cups).

Take Away:  This is about self-love.  It’s about the impatience I feel towards myself when I feel that I am not moving fast enough or progressing quickly enough.  It’s about that “Not Enough” shadow deep inside that is always nitpicking at everything I do and telling me it’s not enough.  The love that is needed is a love of self, and the understanding that it’s okay to take my time and not to let that inner voice cause me to say “fuck it” and walk away.

DECK USED:  WILDERWOVEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this new moon?

Joe Sparrow TarotReading Summary:  Preparation (Page of Wands). Self Care (The Empress). Streamlining (Ace of Swords).  Note: Color combinations between the Page of Wands and Ace of Swords connect these two cards into a singular theme.

Take Away:  As this week is my week off and lands right smack dab upon the new moon, this is the ideal time to give myself a little rest and nurturing recuperation that is suggested in the Empress card, the placement of which in the center of this spread indicates its priority and how its theme should permeate through the rest of the reading.

My self care this new moon needs to be a combination of taking care of my need for rest and nurturing activities, joined with the needed preparations necessary for the holiday rush that is right around the corner.  Part of that preparation requires the streamlining of certain processes, as well as the progress of actually stocking up on supplies for my business and it’s needs.

DECK USED:  JOE SPARROW TAROT

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: What could further support my partnerships?

Brady Tarot

Father of Feathers atop The Empress Rx – Although being kind to yourself and others is all well and good?  It isn’t always the answer and sometimes tough love is needed. Lighting a fire under someone’s ass to get them motivated is sometimes the only way you’ll be able to get them motivated.

Five of Horns atop The Hierophant Rx – Don’t allow times when you’re feeling down to influence how you interact with those that come for your help. This isn’t about having eased up on the teaching schedule to give yourself space for your own personal growth, but rather it’s about your current influences on others.

Five of Feathers atop Death Rx – Being competitive has its place… be sure to keep it there. Being competitive is not really in my nature, but like everyone else… sometimes it sparks up when I’m least expecting it. This is another “choose your battles wisely” message like so many I have received from the cards lately.

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT 2ND EDITION

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What needs to be different in my life?

El Goliath Tarot 2nd EditionReading Summary:  Too much juggling (Two of Pentacles) leading to burnout and a resulting apathy (Five of Cups) that then smothers out my natural creative spark (Ace of Wands).

Take Away:  This is what I have been working on so intently over the year thus far. I’ve come a long way toward giving myself more space and allowing myself more rest along the way.  As a result, I experience less burn out.   The cards here are a warning that these tendencies are very likely to try and rise up and repeat as I get closer to the holiday rush.  It’s something I need to watch out for and work at being conscious concerning so that I can catch these bad habits and course correct along the way.

DECK USED:  EL GOLIATH TAROT 2ND EDITION

Don’t Forget to Anchor

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6518Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer again.  The topic of today’s meditation was an introduction to the act of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), which is in its essence, a form of nature therapy.

This is something that I do quite often.  In fact, the majority of the time when I say that I’m “going for a hike”?  You can bet that there is a bit of shinrin-yoku going on in there at least part of the time.

Forest bathing is different than hiking, though, as instead of moving at a steady pace that exercises the body, you move at a slower, meandering pace and your focus is upon the surroundings and “smelling the roses” as you move through the forest. The Pacific rainforests where I live have always enchanted me, and I have done this sort of activity since I was a very young child.

Botan Tarot - Eight of WandsToday’s draw is the Eight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of movement, action, speed, and rapid changes.  Many people have trouble seeing this card as a stand-alone card and feel that it is more of a support card to others, much like an adverb or adjective would be added to a sentence.

I see a lot of things in this card that indicate speed.  A shooting star streaks across the sky while bamboo grows at a fast pace below, stretching upward and flourishing.   But I also see constancy in the sky itself.  Stars sparkle in inky darkness, moving at a much slower pace that sailors and explorers alike have used for centuries as tools of navigation and inspiration.

The message here in this card is about the whirlwind of moving fast, but it is also about the steady purity of having an anchor in the storm.  Unleashing energy into the wild maelstrom of inspiration and intent is  empowering and can feel wild and freeing, but make sure that you don’t follow that wild feeling so deeply into the storm that you lose your grip on the safety and security of those things that give your life stability.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs healing on my heart chakra?

Tarot of Alexander Daniloff 2012

Reading Summary: No matter how much you give (Six of Coins) or how hard you work and how skilled you become (Eight of Coins), you never feel like it’s enough (Seven of Swords).

Take Away:  It’s that “Never Enough” shadow eh?  It lives right there in my heart chakra, whispering insidiously in my ear from time to time, making sure I’m not going easy on myself or slacking off.  I knew that it would probably come up eventually as we went through the chakras on this month’s challenge, and it doesn’t surprise me that it shows up in this one.

I had planned on doing shadow work this year concerning this particular shadow, but it turned out the shadow work I did instead was about allowing myself to feel my feelings and finding a new balance for my self care and work methods.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF ALEXANDER DANILOFF 2012

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: What are the 3 major weaknesses of humanity?

Archeon TarotSeven of Swords – Envy / Covetousness – So many fights, battles, wars, and horrible acts stem from this weakness. Coveting what others have and giving into the envy we feel moves our inner conflict from these feelings to spill out into violence against others, whether that violence be emotional, verbal, physical, economical, or otherwise.

Herald of Pentacles – Intolerance for Differences – This is less about the “Herald of Pentacles” and more about the imagery. It’s from the clash of colors in the image as well as the expression on the herald’s face.  The thing is that intolerance of differences is a huge failing for the human race. On the average, when humans are confronted with differences they react with fear, disgust, and/or morbid curiosity.  Although this is an evolutionary reaction developed over centuries of survival instincts, it is also hurtful and, in today’s society, so very closed minded and wrong on so many levels.  Although understandable, it is also a weakness that is time to begin overcoming.

The High Priestess – Disregarding Intuition – So many in the world consider intuition to be “a bunch of woo” instead of a real quality of humanity meant that all people possess.  This quality is a skill that we all have and has been developed over millennia of evolution to help us navigate life. It is given many names from “gut feelings” to “inner compass”, but whatever we call it, the fact is that it is there to help us make good decisions.  Ignoring it is misguided and self-defeating behavior that helps no one.

DECK USED:  ARCHEON TAROT

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question:  Am I currently in the right romantic partnership to fully flourish?

Tarot of Reincarnation

Reading Summary: When I’m a mess (Nine of Spades) he provides me what I need (Ten of Hearts) to continue on and improve (Eight of Diamonds).

Take Away:  Yes.  He is the counterweight that keeps me balanced.  When my inner dialog turns into a slaughter house of cruelty, he is there to make sure that my emotional fulfillment with him is able to heal what my mind is trying to tear apart.  He supports me and my ambitions to be the best I can at all that I do, giving me his unconditional love each and every day.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF REINCARNATION

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I silence my inner critic?

Sasuraibito Tarot

Reading Summary: Focus on your growth beyond what has tried to hold you back in the past (Page of Pentacles), accept you are strong enough to overcome that voice (Strength), and be kind and accepting to yourself (Nine of Cups).

Take Away:  My inner critic’s voice is one of pessimism and beratement.  In order to overcome it, the cards here indicate I need to take stock of all that I have done and accomplished in growing beyond what my past tried to lay upon me, and to allow those experiences and my triumph over them to foster my feelings of strength so that I can then use that strength to fight back against my inner critic’s voice and what it whispers in my ear.

DECK USED:  SASURAIBITO TAROT

Self Care for Sustainability

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6456Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long and was another of the guided meditations with interval timer.   This guided meditations was one of my favorite types.  That is to say, it was one of the yoga nidra full body scans that starts at the top of the head and slowly moves through each of the body’s parts from head to toe, focusing on sensation and relaxation one body part at a time.

These meditations are very relaxing for me, and they also have the added benefit of allowing me to find problem areas in my body that need a little extra stretching or care.

There was also a small speech at the end about how to increase one’s focus so that you can tune out distractions, but… to be fair?  I wasn’t really listening to what she was saying, because I was enjoying the music that was playing in the background.

Hush Tarot - Queen of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Queen of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, and manifestations.  This often translates into themes of nurturing energy that holds the weight of responsibility for others.

In the imagery of this card today, what I see is the “bride of dandelions”.  A beautiful and earthy queen that does not have time to dawdle but will make the time to care for and support those that are important to her.

The dandelions are a reminder that when you take care of others, you must also care for yourself, and that is the message in today’s card.  Without caring for yourself, you are unable to care for others.  Don’t forget that.  Self care sustains us and helps us in everything we do and everything we want to do… not just for ourselves, but for others as well.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How to strengthen my personal power?

Tyldwick Tarot

Reading Summary:  Connect to the optimism you have been fostering (The Star) and bring it into your work and expertise (Eight of Coins) in order to kindle the strength of your passions (Ace of Wands)

Take Away:  In order to strengthen my personal power I need to make sure I’m not allowing myself to fall into old pessimistic habits.  Optimism is not easy for me, but it is healthy for me and opens me up to opportunities  because begins to filter into my work.   As this positivity slips into my work, it lightens and brightens the end products I produce, all the while inspiring me to create new beautiful things.

DECK USED:  TYLDWICK TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Write something free form inspired by the cards.

Hardy TarotThere was once a young woman that was fed up with her husband’s behavior and decided she’d had enough. He no longer brought her flowers or wrote her love letters, and all he seemed to do these days was work and sleep.  With her heart on her sleeve and her emotions driving her, she gathered up their two children and left him behind, striking out on her own to find something better. (Eight of Cups)

For a while, the freedom of her new life on her own with her children was glorious.  She wallowed in the new life that independence brought into her life and busily went about making a new home for herself and her children. (Page of Cups)

Soon, though, the newness of it all wore off and she found herself constantly overbooked and overburdened.  She came to realize that her husband provided her with more than just love, but also support.  Support that she had not realized he provided until she was left without it and had to carry all of the responsibility on her own shoulders. (Ten of Wands)

DECK USED:  HARDY TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What is my favourite mantra?

Tarot of the Secret Forest

Reading Summary:  Don’t allow outer conflict to crush your inner spirit, instead take comfort in those that love you and the security and stability of home.

Take Away:  This was an interesting question and although I’m not sure this translated directly into a mantra?  I think what the cards did here was just as clear.   The thing is, when I feel like I need to crawl into a corner and “lick my wounds” after conflict?  It can be hard to deal with reality… because all I really want to do is go find a rock to hide under.

This isn’t unusual, and is pretty common with a lot of people.  But it’s important to remember that too much alone time is a bad thing, especially when feeling down.   So instead, I need to make sure I’m reaching out to others to get their support, not just in making the world feel okay again… but in emotional support to help soothe my suffering.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE SECRET FOREST

Be a Hero, Not a Villain

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6396Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and was another guided meditation with interval timer.  I’ve decided that the guided meditations definitely have a place in my meditation practice.  Although the non-guided meditations are nice, these guided ones sometimes allow me to relax a bit more fully and can assist in keeping my mind from wandering.

The also give me a little something to think about now and then.  Not that they are all gems, but there are definitely a few diamonds in the mix.

Today’s message was about choosing your battles.  There are things you can change, and things that you can’t change.  The moral of the story for today’s guided meditation was to make sure that you are choosing the battles you have a chance of winning… instead of railing uselessly against the rain.

Botan Tarot - Five of SwordsToday’s draw is is the Five of Swords, which is a representation of tests, trials, and conflict in the area of one’s mind, intellect, and communication. This often comes into play in the form of disagreements, arguments, misunderstandings, and debates.

What stands out to me in this card today is the look on that pheasant’s face.  I mean I know that pheasants can’t really show expressions but he sure is looking pretty damned cocky, yeah?  Cocky to the extend that it actually appears a bit snide to me.

That’s the thing about winning tho, right?  Sometimes when you win? It’s hard not to look back with that snide moment of triumph. It can be hard not to kick’em when they’re down.

The message here is that when that opportunity arises?  Rise above it. You’re better than that.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What’s one of my super powers?

English Magic Tarot

Reading Summary: Learning what makes people tick and how to motivate them (Page of Swords) helps me build on my emotional knowledge (Page of Cups) and grow into a better person (Queen of Cups)… Even if that growth is somewhat slow in the making (Page of Coins into King of Cups).

Take Away:  Although emotions are not my strong suit, my ability to reason through people’s reactions is. Using this ability in a way allows me an entry point into understanding both my own emotions as well as other’s… which in turn assists me in my own growth.

DECK USED:  ENGLISH MAGIC TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: The Problem / The Lesson to Learn / Advice to Help You Through

Art Nouveau Tarot c 1989The Problem – Eight of Cups – Giving up too quickly or feeling the desire to walk away too easily and too soon. This is bred from my need to step aside when I become irritated or frustrated. Especially in the area of people.

The Lesson to Learn – The Fool Rx – Grow up.  It can’t always be about you and what you want.  Sometimes you have to do shit just because it’s the responsible thing to do, whether you like it or not.

Advice to Help You Through – Ten of Cups – It’s important to remember just how ‘well off’ you are in your own life and appreciate that.  It gives you the luxury to behave in the ways written above without a lot of consequence, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a consequence on the other side of the table where a person’s cup is perhaps not as full as your own.

Take Away – I need to be more patient and understanding of others.  Not everyone can motivate as quickly as I can, or think as fast as I can, or come up with the right words as quickly as I can.  Instead of getting impatient and cranky, I need to make sure I’m practicing patience and understanding, and keep in mind that not everyone is as fortunate as I am.

DECK USED:  ART NOUVEAU TAROT c.1989

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: How am I asked to deal with areas in my life that currently feel like too much of a grind?

20th Century Tarot

Reading Summary: Suck it up buttercup (Five of Cups) and get your ass in gear (Eight of Wands). Just make sure you’re practicing moderation (Temperance) and making good decisions (Two of Swords).

Take Away: The thing is?  Whether it feels like a grind or not?  You can’t put off and avoid these things forever.  They’re a part of life and sooner or later you have to suck it up and do them.  That’s just a part of being an adult.   So is making sure that when you do them, you don’t overdo it and send yourself into burn out.   Making good decisions about how you work and when is  just as important as the work itself that needs to be done.

DECK USED: 20TH CENTURY TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What can I do about the fear of being wrong?

Lonely Dreamer Tarot

Reading Summary:  Explore more (Page of Wands) and accept that sometimes it’s going to happen (Five of Pentacles).  Learn from it (Knight of Swords).

Take Away:  You need to use these as opportunities to further your education and knowledge instead of hurdles in your way.  Being wrong can suck and feel really bad, but that doesn’t mean it’s something to fear or avoid.  Instead it’s an opportunity for growth, as long as you’re willing to take it that way.

DECK USED:  LONELY DREAMER TAROT

The World Won’t End

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was unfortunately interrupted by the call from the technician that came by to fix out internet.   Instead of finishing, I got up to discover that my webhost was also offline, and thus I had to get on the phone with them as well.   I had planned to try again after the technician left, but first  I was on the phone with the webhost for at least an hour (on hold… the fix took like 6 minutes).  Then the technician was here for a couple hours or more.   And then once he left, I discovered that the guy had accidentally ripped the wall shelf out of the wall that holds the modem and had to remount that, then re-configure the security camera… and on the whole it was just a clusterfuck and I didn’t manage to get my meditation in after all.  SO… I will try to do that tonight before bed.

Hush Tarot - Eight of WandsToday’s draw is the Eight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of movement and fast paced action.  It’s about movement and decisive action that carries you forward.

That traditional meaning for the Eight of Wands makes the imagery of the card in this deck very interesting.  For, in this imagery, you see a woman in repose.  A break taken, rest to be had…. and yet look at all of the surroundings in which she rests.  It is busy.  Bees are busy building their nest, ants explore her skin.  Weeds and plants both sprout up and grow tall and strong, supporting a restless gathering of birds above, and among those weeds and earthen rocks, Fae ponies dance.

She may be resting… but life continues to march on.   And that is the message I see in the imagery of this card today. 

The message is that you don’t have to poke and prod and push 24/7, always on the ball and always pushing and shoving to keep things moving.  Life keeps moving, even when you step aside to take a little break and a bit of a rest.  Stop worrying so much that when you take your self-care time and those little rests you need, that everything is going to fall apart because you are not currently at the helm with both hands on the wheel.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What’s shaking my confidence?

Tarot Leaves

Reading Summary: I worry that the actions have taken (King of Swords) against my mother (Queen of Swords) are going to come back and bite me in the ass somehow (Justice).

Take Away:  This was actually a really surprising reply to the question.  Not that it’s inaccurate, because it is definitely true.  Just that… it wasn’t where I thought the cards would go.

It is true that I have some confidence issues when it comes to my mother at the moment.  Although the guilt over my stunt in February has faded away, there remains this feeling that things are not finished in that arena, just on hold due to the pandemic.  They won’t be on hold forever, and like I mentioned in one of my readings yesterday?  That pendulum always has to swing back eventually.

DECK USED:  TAROT LEAVES

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2

El Goliath Tarot 2nd EditionWolf – Ace of Swords – In order to encourage strength and bravery for the hurdles yet to come this fall, I need to make sure that I am capable of approaching these hurdles and challenges with a clear head.  This means making sure I get the rest I need and do what needs done to keep my brain from becoming fogged up and clouded.

Owl – King of Swords – To better trust my perception of the world and others, I need to learn that seeing with clarity is not enough.  You also have to act upon what you see in a way that is good for all involved.  It’s about lack of hesitation and incorporating those perceptions into my response rather than holding them apart and separate.

Stag – Eight of Swords – In my life, greater dignity can create a stronger sense of integrity by making sure that I am not covering my eyes or looking at things through “colored glasses”.  While being oblivious can sometimes have its benefits, when your eyes are open and you know what’s going on around you, it assists in moving through struggles and obstacles with grace… and allowing others to trust your guidance in doing the same.

Blackbird – Three of Swords and Page of Pentacles – In order to increase my motivation, I need to direct my focus toward putting my disappointments to work for me.  Even failures have redeeming qualities to them and provide us from a chance to learn and grow.  Take a look at these moments and seek out what transformative views are available through the lens of what has happened, then use this knowledge as cobblestones within your path forward.

Eagle – Queen of Pentacles and Five of Wands – Good and successful leadership requires a modicum of grace because it is through tripping over the thorns and feeling their bite that we develop the empathy needed to lead others well.  Without empathy, there is no connection with those you lead.  Without that connection, there is no way to know what they need and come to an understanding of the best path for the greatest good.

Salmon – Six of Pentacles – I have been moving by instinct without realizing it in the direction of balance and fairness.  The thing is?  I do realize it… just not all the time.  My moral compass requires balance and fairness.  It demands it from me and from the world around me.  I move in that direction without thought, and am only aware of it occasionally from time to time.

Wild Goose – Ace of Cups – Emotions are something that I am “stretching into” at the moment.  For a long time they felt like they “didn’t fit” and I struggled with connecting with others on an emotional level, because I wasn’t able to connect to myself on an emotional level.  As I have become older, I’ve grown to realize the value of emotions and how precious the establishment of that emotional connection can be in building long lasting, positive friendships and relationships. This is something I wasn’t conscious of before, but have learned through trial and error along the way.

DECK USED:  EL GOLIATH TAROT 2ND EDITION

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: When do I trust myself?

Telluric Tarot

The Tower – Libyan Desert Glass and Fire Lily – What connects the Fire Lily to Libyan Desert Glass is heat and destruction. One is created in the radioactive heat of a meteorite hitting desert sands… the other thrives in the ashes in the aftermath of fire’s consumption. Both are breathtaking results from catastrophically destructive events.  Many good things can come from chaos and destruction, you just have to wait for the chaos to end and the dust to settle to see what’s there waiting for you in the aftermath.

Five of Swords – Cinnabar and Blackthorn – Blackthorn is extremely sour, and is protected by long sharp thorns.  Cinnabar is a dangerous mineral due to it’s high mercury content, and yet the vibrant color has been a draw to humanity for centuries both as an ornamental stone as well as ground into powder as a dye. Sometimes people do stupid things in pursuit of the things that spark their interests and passions… like wearing mercury rich stones or risking the long reach of sharp thorns to pick oh-so-appealing fruit that is then discovered to be oh-so-very sour.

The Magician – Polybasite and Dogwood – Both Polybasite and Dogwood are known for their value in versatility.  One is a wealth of alchemical elements, the other a wealth of potential to create an array of different tools, furniture, decorations, and even instruments. Add to this that the meaning of the dogwood flower is that of rebirth, and what you have depicted in this card is a wealth of resources and skillful adaptability.

Take Away – During times of chaos and conflict, I can find myself frozen.  This holding pattern can be full of uncertainty, but once that chaos has come to an end and the conflict has settled?  It is like the starting shot to get me going.  In the aftermath of these events, I know exactly what I want and where I want to go, and I am ready to forge a path and rebuild, eager to move forward, and trust myself and the direction my instincts and intuition take me in implicitly.

DECK USED:  TELLURIC TAROT

It’s Okay To Have Limits

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6366Today’s meditation was just under fifteen minutes long, and was another of the guided meditations with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The topic of today’s meditation was based on allowing ourselves to see the world with a sense of wonder.  This goes beyond the “pause and smell the roses” mentality and is about creating a fascination with our experiences, seeing them as a chance to explore our curiosities.

Mindfulness is believed to connect us to the world with a “beginner’s mind” and find a childlike sense of wonder that we otherwise do not allow ourselves to experience.

Botan Tarot - King of WandsToday’s draw is the King of Wands, which is traditionally interpreted as a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s drive and ambitions, goals and passionate interests, as well as determination and willpower.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the king’s features as well as the wolf that curls upon his shoulders.  It reminds me of my inner critic and how the dialog it whispers in my ear is always pushing me to do more, be better, work harder.

The problem?  I’m already doing a hell of a lot. I’m already doing my best.  I’m already working hard.  So this inner critic’s voice?  Is pushing me to go beyond my limits, and beyond what’s healthy, just as I see the wolf whispering in the king’s ear doing the same thing in this card.

The message in this card is to make sure you do not allow that whisper to get a foothold in your head and turn you into its slave.   Take care to make sure I’m not pushing myself too hard.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs healing on my solar plexus?

Joe Sparrow Tarot

Reading Summary: Give yourself more credit (Queen of Cups atop Six of Pentacles) for how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come along along (Page of Pentacles) concerning the balance between your responsibilities and self care (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  It takes a lot of hard work and determination (solar plexus centered work) to make these kind of changes in your life. Don’t sell yourself (or your efforts and progress) short.  There still may be a long way to go… but you’ve come a long way and you’ve done a really good job so far.

DECK USED:  JOE SPARROW TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: You / Your Annoyance / What To Do About It

Tyldwick TarotMe – Queen of Coins – I’m both a provider and a nurturer in my relationships with others, especially concerning my relationship with those I’m living with.  Z and my sister depend on me, and for once this isn’t something that freaks me out.  I actually feel quite comfortable in this role for the most part.

My Annoyance – Ace of Swords – Okay, so yes.  I’m comfortable with being a provider. I’m comfortable with being a nurturer.  But jesus f’ing christ they fucking talk ALL the time.  All day every day from the time they get up to the time they go to sleep.  Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk.  How the hell do two people find so much to talk about that they can feel days upon days, months on months with talking?  I have no idea but it drives me nuts.

What To Do About It – Seven of Staves – Note that these are toy soldiers and there is no actual conflict in this card.  This is about perseverance.   It’s about standing strong and accepting that when you’re living with two women, this sort of thing is going to be a part of that.  I love them both, and all the chattering doesn’t change that… nor should it.

DECK USED:  TYLDWICK TAROT

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: How can I best approach my creative space and endeavors to make the most out of my creativity?

The Painted Tarot

Reading Summary: Take control (King of Wands), pick a direction (Two of Wands), and approach with a sense of wonder and curiosity (Ace of Cups).

Take Away:  This actually echoes back to my guided meditation from this morning. To make the most out of my creativity, I need both direction and focus… but I also need to blend in a sense of wonderment and fun.  This curiosity and exploration curiosity is what makes the creative process so very interesting.  It’s just as important as the other two qualities… perhaps even more so.

DECK USED:  THE PAINTED TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I build the courage to say no when I’m uncomfortable doing so?

Samiramay Tarot

Reading Summary:  Don’t let being kind (Three of Swords Rx) become a crutch or a handicap (The Devil). Saying no can sometimes create new opportunities (Ace of Pentacles) for others to master skills they might have otherwise ignored (Eight of Pentacles).

Take Away:  You know, I hadn’t really thought of this perspective before.  But, the thing is?  When I am told “no” to something? My brain immediately moves to how I can either get my way or circumvent the “no” and turn it around into my advantage in some way.  I’m not sure why I hadn’t realized this may be the same for others.  Not everyone, I’m sure.  But sometimes?  Saying no really does open new doors of opportunity, so I shouldn’t allow my temptation to sometimes abstain or say yes get in the way of that.

DECK USED:  SAMIRAMAY TAROT