#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022

The Snake In the Grass

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

American Renaissance TarotToday’s draw is the Seven of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of strategic thinking, “sneaky shit”, or getting away with something.  It can also often be about taking only what one can carry.

What I see in the imagery of today’s card is some sneaky bastard stealing away with a very important and private missive while the lady of the house is distracted looking out the window.

This image displays a form of tactical thinking that is one of the most common tricks of thieves. Misdirection. They get you looking off in one direction, distracted and not paying attention, and then while you’re distracted they slip out with what you value, have earned with hard work, or that they are envious enough to take for themselves or their own purposes.

Today’s card is a reminder to pay attention, which has been a theme that has come up quite a bit lately in my readings. If you are paying attention, there’s less opportunity given to others that might be looking for an opening to get away with something they shouldn’t.  Don’t turn your back on the snake in the grass.

DECK USED:  AMERICAN RENAISSANCE TAROT

OwlandBonesTarot’s #BothSidesOfTheTarot Prompt
Questions for September 23rd and 24th

IMG_E4331What is just beginning?

Eight of Wands – The busy time of year for you is right around the corner. It will quickly be upon you, and your life will turn into a hectic rush with no time to breathe.

What has reached its end?

The World – As happens each year at this time of year, it’s time to pack up and close out the pursuits you’ve been exploring over the past three quarters of the year. There will soon be no time for them until January.

Finding Balance Between the Two – Make sure that you do not fall into viewing your responsibilities (Les Pénates) as a form of imprisonment or servitude (Déspotisme). You are not a slave to your responsibilities, but rather it is these responsibilities that provide you with the freedom, security, and home life that you desire.

What could you ignite?

Five of Wands – More conviction. When you know you’re right… you’re right. It’s okay to stand your ground on these things against the objections and arguments of others.

What could be extinguished?

Two of Feathers – Less waffling and indecision. Instead of letting yourself get wrapped up in deliberation, look at things more closely and with a clear head, and be more decisive.

Finding Balance Between the Two – Prepare in advance (Entreprises) for push back and outright resistance from others (Procès).  It’s okay to listen to their side of thing, but don’t allow manipulation to take the place of reason.

DECK USED: LABYRINTH TAROT AND ORACLE BELLINE

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Topic for September 25th: Do Spread 1
Question for September 24th: What do you need to focus on for self-care for this new moon?

American Renaissance Tarot and Vintage Collection Postcard SetReading Summary: The vertical angles of the trees in the Eight of Cups, the King’s Wand, and the stripes on the skirt of the woman in the Nine of Coins tie all three of these cards together with the Marram beachgrass in the anchor card. This speaks of taking a hard and hardy attitude in moving away from those things irritating and frustrating you in the pursuits that “put bread on the table” so that you can better attend to and appreciate what is working for you.

The pattern of the Velvet bentgrass only shows itself in the King of Wand’s wrist and ankle adornments, as well as very faintly in the background of the Nine of Wands. This indicates that although persistence is necessary, when it comes to where you are going nothing is set in stone and there is a need to stay flexible to succeed.

Take Away: Don’t let things go just because you don’t want to deal with them. Now is not a time to bend or be flexible with things that aren’t in your best interest or don’t further  your own agenda.  Let go of those things that aren’t working so that there’s room in  your life for what is, and be prepared to bend and sway as needed to stay on course when things get rough.

DECK USED: AMERICAN RENAISSANCE TAROT AND VINTAGE COLLECTION POSTCARD SET

Daily Self Kindness

I had a lazy day and haven’t really done much of anything today other than the readings that I needed to get done.

Protecting What Matters

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

Cat Warrior Tarot - Seven of WandsToday’s draw is the Seven of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of standing up for one’s values and principles, perseverance, conviction, and protection of what is important.

What is most noticeable to me in the imagery for this card is that the cat is sitting still instead of in active defense mode. Instead it sits and stares, its tail curled close around those things it values most. This reminds me of the best advice I have ever gotten from the numerous self defense classes I have taken over the years.

Sometimes being on the defensive and standing strong for what you want or believe in isn’t about the actual fight. It’s about preventing the fight from happening in the first place by being diligent, present in the moment, and aware of what’s going on around you.

Sometimes, like walking down the street at night, that’s all you need to protect yourself from an attack; because most often those that wish to do harm on others usually are not looking for a victim that is aware and prepared to fight back when needed. They’re looking for someone distracted and unprepared.

Today’s card, therefore, is a reminder to be aware of your surroundings and present in the moment, as it is one of the best ways you can protect yourself and what matters most to you.

DECK USED: CAT WARRIOR TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Questions for September 22nd and 23rd

Oracle des FéesWhat projects and energies are you taking with you into Autumn?

La Fiancée du Géant Vert – Your work in connecting with others is starting to pay off and the commitments you’ve made to them (and that they have made to you) are beginning to settle into a routine that is comfortable for both.

How will your courage be tested this autumn season?

L’Allure de l’Escargot atop Barnabé et La Prince – Your courage will be tested in the effort of finding a balance between the need to rush and push and move faster, and the need to take things slow while grounding and reconnecting with the earth. Slowing down, especially as the holiday season approaches, takes a lot of courage and strength. It’s far easier for you to get wrapped up in the anxiety and pick up speed too quickly while ignoring your need for rest and respite.

How will your strength be tested this autumn season?

Autrefois Innocente – The deterioration of your innocence has been one of those things that you have marked over the years and grieved over more than once. Changes that you ride out or struggle with harden your outer shell, while disappointments from the people around you reach in and crush small bits of your innocence that are left behind. Your ability to stand tall in your grief over these losses will be once again tested this autumn.

How will your faith be tested this autumn season?

Suivez-moi – Be careful of the invitations that you accept this autumn. Although it might seem extremely inviting and tempting to reach for, remember what you have to leave behind, and if you really want to abandon those things in the process. Is that new opportunity really a good idea? Is it worth it?

DECK USED: ORACLE DES FÉES

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for September 23rd thru 25th

Cat Warrior TarotHow can I get closer to my dream life?

Ace of Swords – Examine all new ideas for potential, but only go after the good ones if you are certain to hold a high potential for success.

What would it be like to only worry for 10 minutes a day?

Ten of Cups – Only worrying for ten minutes a day would foster a lot more happiness in your life, and a greater sense of security in that happiness.

Is it possible, though?  I think probably not.

How can I more easily say no to others and yes to myself?

Queen of Wands Rx atop Two of Pentacles – To more easily say no to others and yes to yourself, you need to accept that sometimes in order to foster balance in your own life, you have to say no to others. Even if this means that it stunts their growth or their enthusiasm when you do so.

DECK USED: CAT WARRIOR TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I had an absolutely delicious raspberry and cupcake.  I froze the last four and they (surprisingly) defrost perfectly soft and just like fresh.  It was a treat for today.

Strength Comes In All Forms

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Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Sacred Sisterhood Tarot - La Force- StrengthToday’s draw is the Strength card, which is traditionally a representation of inner strength, persuasion, manipulation, and compassion.

I know that in this image, most people would focus on the mother as the symbol of strength in the imagery. But, I disagree. I think it is the baby that is the symbol of strength. The card is about persuasion and one’s influence over others. The child, at this age is the one calling all the shots.

Today, I spent my morning and the early part of the afternoon with an elderly woman that lives in my building. Not necessarily because I really wanted to, but because she needed the company. We spent the time on the balcony working with her plants out there, and then a short time just hanging out while she told me about her family.

Today’s card is a reminder that strength comes in all forms. Sometimes it’s in just being there. Not in doing anything, necessarily. Just being present. A silent witness. A presence that lets someone know they matter. Sometimes that is enough.

DECK USED:  SACRED SISTERHOOD TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I decided to just do my COTD today instead of the full readings that I’d planned, and put off the majority of my client readings until tomorrow in order to give myself a bit of a break.

Means to an End

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

4 Worlds Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of capability, potential, resourcefulness, action, and manifestation.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card is the little figure trapped inside the globe down at the Magician’s knee.  This small figure… are they protected? Or are they trapped?  They watch the Magician create while caught beneath glass, and I am left asking…. why?  Why is the figure caught there under glass? Why are they not free, and what purpose do they hold in the Magician’s plans?

The imagery in this card asks us to consider what lengths we will go to in order to accomplish what we seek or desire?  How far are we willing to go? What are we willing to destroy? Who are we willing to hurt?  Does the end really justify the means?

Today’s card encourages us to look beyond our own desires, and take account of how our actions may influence others, and remind us that our moral compass, ethics, and compassion are all important factors to consider when reaching to fulfill our desires.

DECK USED:  4 WORLDS TAROT

To Cull & Gather #VennoxesTarotChallenge Prompt
Questions for September 21st thru 24th – TO FEAST

Spirit Cards OracleWhat enriches me?

Earth Spirit – Time in nature. Stability provided through earth energies. This element is the one that you relate to most strongly and connect with most deeply. It is where you find your strength, your calm, and a nurturing stability you need in your life.

What is my biggest hunger?

Light Spirit – To know. To see. To understand. Your biggest hunger lies within your curiosity and your desire to always know more. There is a hunger here to grow that goes beyond intellectual pursuits and delves into the spiritual and the intuitive.

What do I bring to the table?

Medicine Woman – You have a habit of giving people what they need to heal from their past and move forward into something better. The earthen stability that you exude helps to create a “safe space” for people to heal and restore themselves.

Where do I need to be mindful of excess?

Sea Priestess – Take care that you don’t push so hard to find balance between your life’s responsibilities and the more squishy parts of life (emotions, et al) that you miss the mark entirely.

DECK USED: SPIRIT CARDS BY JOHN MOSELEY

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for September 21st: What are the 3 major weaknesses of humanity?

4 Worlds TarotSix of Wands – Social Conformity – Peer pressure and allowing themselves to put too much stock in the opinions of others instead of following their own values and moral compass.

Demiurge – Materialism – Too much focus on the material, whether this be money or possessions, success or a constant drive for more.  Focusing so much on what they can possess instead of upon aligning with one’s values and moral compass.

Light – Hope – A virtue and a weakness… hope is both.  Hope can be a light in the darkness that helps guide us forward, or it can blind us to the truth and be the thing that causes our downfall when we put too much trust in hope instead of being proactive in guiding events to go in the direction we desire.

DECK USED: 4 WORLDS TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I spent time with Gideon in play today and it helped a lot in easing some of the subdrop feelings I was having earlier in the day.

Stick a Fork In Me

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Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Autumn Miss TarotToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of painful endings, closure, the end of a harsh and difficult journey, and in some instances, severe injury.

No blood (red drape aside)… he’s just done. He’s done. As in “stick a fork in me, I’m done” except in this case it’s swords.

This is the second day in a row I’ve pulled the Ten of Swords for my card of the day, and as a budding stalker in my life, this card asks… suggests… perhaps even demands that we examine those places in our lives where we are pushing ourselves too hard. Root them out, and accept that it’s time to take a break in those areas.

(This message is then conveniently reinforced by the fact that when I was putting this card back into the deck, the Four of Swords fell out, which is all about rest, recuperation, and recovery.)

DECK USED:  AUTUMN MISS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Question for September 19th and 20th

Untamed Mystery Tarot Illusion Edition and Messenger CardsWhat lessons can Libra season (begins on the 22nd) teach you this year?

Deal with moments of misfortune (Wheel of Fortune) “like a boss” (King of Swords),and you will come out the other side happy with the results (The Sun).

Stop – Jaguar and Hummingbird – Crowding yourself in and limiting your potential.  Your growth and the connection you share with the world around you and all that is within it is being smothered by your self-neglect and destructive tendencies.

Start – Raven’s Dream – You have a great deal of potential to explore within yourself, and can sore if you allow yourself the room to spread your wings.  Only when you give yourself the room to grow can you fully stretch into that space and connect with the growth eager to be activated within you.

Continue – Bear and Raven – Continue to seek to understand yourself better and explore those deeper parts of yourself. Continue to cut loose the chaff in your life and clear away that which no longer works for you by getting in touch with yourself and the truths held deep within you about who you are and who you want to become.

DECK USED: UNTAMED MYSTERY TAROT ILLUSION EDITION AND MESSENGER CARDS

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for September 19th thru 22nd

Autumn Miss Tarot and Bad Girl TarotHow do I choose hope over fear?

Ace of Pentacles– By seizing opportunities when they arise, you will always be able to choose hope over fear, for pursuing one’s dreams and being open to opportunity is one of the greatest demonstrations of hope thriving within us all.

How can I put myself first?

Two of Swords – Putting yourself first is a conscious choice and takes decisive action. When you dither on it, you fall to the default of self-neglect.

Can I accept myself – even my faults?

Page of Cups – Find joy and take pleasure in your imagination and curiosity. In doing so you will find acceptance of all parts of who you are. Just remember this is a learning process for you.

Do I feel I deserve…

Love – The Devil Rx – Not of the healthy variety.

Compassion – Eight of Cups – Clearly not. You expect people to turn their backs and walk away.

Empathy – The Hierophant – No. Instead you expect to need to teach others this quality, usually by example.

Take Away – Honestly? I’m a self-destructive pessimist with an aggressive negative inner narrative. I almost always expect the worst when it comes to what I might receive from others in these areas… and then am pleasantly surprised (and sometimes also confused) when I get something good instead.

DECK USED: AUTUMN MISS TAROT AND BAD GIRL TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took the card’s advice and only did easy stuff today instead of pushing to get the harder things done.  I was just too tired.

The Silent Pause

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

I Naibi Di Giovanni Vacchetta Il Meneghello EdizioniToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of painful endings, closure, the end of a harsh and difficult journey, and in some instances, severe injury.

The blue ribbon in this card’s imagery ties all the swords together as united and speaks to me of the calm that comes after a storm. Those silent moments where it seems it is not just silent, but as if there is a vacuum of space and time, for just a moment, where the world stands still and sound does not exist.

In this moment, you have a chance to pause, take a breath, and reorient yourself. Sometimes, though, we waste that chance, and then when movement and sound returns we are sent careening off kilter.

Today’s card is a reminder of that pause. That gift of a silent and still moment after chaos in which to ground and gain our footing. It encourages us to not waste that moment by fussing, dithering, rehashing, or retreating. Use it instead to find a moment of peace, and soak that peace in so that it can steady us for when the world starts moving again.

DECK USED:  I NAIBI DI GIOVANNI VACCHETTA IL MENEGHELLO EDIZIONI

OwlandBonesTarot’s #BothSidesOfTheTarot Prompt
Questions for September 19th and 20th

Dante Tarot and Mantegna TarotWhat holds you captive?

The Lovers – There is a constant tug-of-war within you between your self-destructive tendencies and your efforts to turn over a new leaf and treat yourself better. You feel that this tug of war often holds me back from being to see with clarity and making the best choices I could.

Where do you feel free?

Ace of Swords – You are a free thinker and like to form your own opinions. This doesn’t mean that you disagree with others at every turn, but rather that you want to listen and understand, and then make up your own mind.

Finding Balance Between the Two – You need to cut yourself a little slack and accept that you’re doing the best you can (Fameio). Understand that your journey in this life is not a race. Things move at their own pace, and take as long as they take (Astrologia).

Where have you been playing it safe?

Death Rx – You have been pushing back pretty hard against change this year. Yes, change is uncomfortable, but pushing back against it just delays the inevitable.

Where could you be more bold?

King of Cups – Push for more time with Gideon instead. It will do you both good.

Finding Balance Between the Two – You can kill two birds with one stone (Zintilomo) by spending time talking with Gideon about the changes taking place in your life and how you feel about them (Rhetorica).

DECK USED: DANTE TAROT AND MANTEGNA TAROT

Mr Lionhart’s #TheSeptemberTarot Between Dusk & Dawn Prompt
Questions for September 19th thru 21st – CREATE

I Naibi Di Giovanni Vacchetta Il Meneghello EdizioniWhat have I created for myself the last few months?

Eight of Cups – You have successfully moved away from depression and practices that were allowing it to keep a hold on you well past the spring.

What am I currently creating for myself?

Ten of Swords – You are creating space for a moment’s pause before the next journey begins.

What should I be mindful of?

King of Cups atop The Sun – Be mindful that your happiness resides in Gideon. Spending more time with him makes your life better.

What is something I should create for myself between now and the end of 2022?

Three of Swords atop Three of Cups – Foster connections willing to be there through thick and thin, and work on strengthening them through time spent together and enjoyed by all.

DECK USED: I NAIBI DI GIOVANNI VACCHETTA IL MENEGHELLO EDIZIONI

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap.  I mean, it’s a huge orders day but I just couldn’t think straight so I napped for a bit and feel much better.