Ethereal Dreams Tarot

Finding the Positive for March 27 & 29

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Rosa Obscura Tarot's The Hermit card, and The New Voice Tarot's the Devil card

March 27 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app. It spoke of how the narrator has a car with an indicator light that never turns off.  His mechanic can’t find anything wrong with the car, and can’t figure out how to turn off the light, either. So the narrator takes this light as a reminder to give the car a little extra love and attention on the times when he notices it.

He likened this to our own bodies, and how when we have aches, pains, or soreness, it’s our body’s way of asking us for a little extra love.  It’s not something to punish ourselves for, or to push through, but rather something to stop and pause with for a moment, and to give ourselves a bit of love and understanding for.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

Today’s draw is the Hermit card, which is traditionally a representation of inner exploration, self reflection, and healthy alone time.

The card for today combined with today’s meditation asks us to reflect upon where we are being unnecessarily cruel to ourselves, and not providing ourselves with enough kindness and understanding.  What are we punishing ourselves for, and in what ways are we doing so?

It’s in reflecting on these things that we learn how to recognize issues and treat ourselves better moving forward. Don’t be afraid to open your eyes and take a closer look at what’s really going on between your negative inner narratives and those shortcomings and weaknesses that make you just as human as everyone else.

DECK USED: ROSA OBSCURA TAROT

March 29 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Devil card, which is traditionally a representation of temptation, struggles with moderation, harmful excesses, addiction, and self-harm.

When I was working on taking a picture of this card, I came to realize that maybe I don’t have quite enough small crystals and stones.  I -then- realized that I really don’t need more gemstones and crystals, but that this was my brain’s way of trying to tempt me into going shopping.

Thus, this card today had a personal message for me.  A reminder that sometimes we have to be responsible and not give in to the idea of a bit of frivolous spending, even when we really wanna. I don’t really -need- more small sized stones.  What I need? Is to pay off my mortgage and keep up on my financial responsibilities.  Knowing myself as I do, and that I have an extremely addictive personality, I know that one little spending splurge will quickly lead to another, and then yet another.

It’s better to nip this in the butt now.

DECK USED: THE NEW VOICE TAROT

Finding the Positive for March 24 – 26

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Fox in Eden Garden Tarot, Harmonious Fantasies Tarot, Fairlie Wish Tarot

March 24 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Hanged Man, which is traditionally a representation of taking a pause, considering alternate perspectives, relaxing into difficult situations, surrender, or letting go.

The Hanged Man appearing today is a reminder that you don’t have to be in control of every situation or detail. With the trip incoming this week, there’s a lot planned and a lot to do. There’s stuff you need to have ready, but there’s other things that don’t need your personal touch at all.

Make sure that as you prepare, that you are discerning which is which, and not trying to take on all the tasks and responsibilities yourself.  Stand back, instead, and watch others step in to fill the gap left by you giving certain areas a more hands-off approach. Trust that nothing will be missed because you are still watching, even if you’re not actively participating in the fray.

DECK USED: FOX IN EDEN GARDEN TAROT

March 25 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was eleven minutes long and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the @Calm app.   The topic of today’s session was focused on expressing one’s emotions through writing; particularly through poetry in respect to World Poetry Month.  But, I think that the premise remains the same whether you are writing poetry or just putting down your emotions onto paper.

The premise being, that when we take time to write about our emotions, it allows us time to process them and truly experience them instead of setting them aside or ignoring them as background noise. This is a healthy practice that can help in the processing of emotions in a healthy way.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

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.

When taken in combination with today’s meditation topic, the message in today’s cards is a reminder that there are more ways to process emotions than by just sitting with them. If you need a more active way to connect with your emotions, especially new or intense emotions that you’re confused by or have never experienced before, writing down the experience and taking time to describe it can help.

As I write this, I am discovering that in my own journey to process emotion in a more healthy way, this is often what Gideon does for me. He often nudges, or outright pushes, for me to share how I’m feeling so that he can help me learn about my emotions and get me familiar with them so that they are not so unfamiliar, confusing, or frightening.

DECK USED: HARMONIOUS FANTASIES TAROT

March 26 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app. The session for today focused on how we react to failure.  It’s so easy to become disheartened and fall into a habit of negative thought when we fail at something, and to then discard this thing we tried to do simply because it didn’t work out on the first try.

In the meditation for today, the discussion was about how it’s through our mistakes and failures that we learn and grow.  When we fail at something, it doesn’t mean we’re a failure. It means that we look at -how- we failed and try again… and again. Each try may result in failure, but also results in learning how to do that thing a little better.

Over time, that means that as long as we are taking an effort to learn from these setbacks, we will eventually overcome them through growth and perseverance.  The key here being that we need to be kind to ourselves when we fail, and learn from the experience so we can do better when we try again… instead of abuse ourselves and give up.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

Today’s draw is the Ace of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, home, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that have to do with new opportunities in finance or work, renewed health, or new projects in which one is working with their hands.

Today’s meditation ties in well with this card, for it’s in these seeds of new opportunities and new beginnings that we are most likely to fail.  The Ace of Pentacles reminds us that failing isn’t the end of the world. It’s just the start of the journey.  So pick yourself up, reflect on how things went wrong and what you can do differently, then try again.

DECK USED: FAIRLIE WISH TAROT

Finding the Positive for March 17 – 19

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Card of the Day Tarot Readings with the Faerie Tarot (Eight of Swords and Judgement card), Green Trace Tarot (Page of Swords), and The Cloud Tower Tarot (Knight of Swords)

March 17 – Mental Health Card of the Day

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 the benefits of stillness.  That is to say, the benefits that can be garnered by taking a moment when things feel loud or chaotic to just take a step back and breathe for a minute.  To feel the stillness within yourself in that moment, and then return to the world refreshed from visiting that momentary  sense of inner stillness.

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Today’s draw is the Eight of Swords atop the Judgement card.

  • The Eight of Swords card is traditionally a representation of self-imposed limitations and beliefs, closed mindedness, inflexibility, self pity, and restrictive thinking.
  • The Judgement card is traditionally a representation of looking back on one’s history and reflecting upon if they are happy with all that they have done and become in life, as well as getting in touch with one’s true calling, and themes to do with forgiveness and absolution.

When these cards are combined with the topic of today’s meditation,  there is a reminder here that although we are not always at our best?  We can be better by taking a moment to check in with ourselves and making sure we are still moving in the direction of our chosen path.

It’s easy sometimes to get sidetracked by thoughts of defeat or lack of confidence. Listening to our negative inner narratives can tear us down and make us blind to anything but the hard stuff and struggles.  In these cards is the reminder that when we realize we are struggling, it’s time to step back, pause, and re-orient ourselves.  Remember where we are wanting to go in life and the person we want to become, and make sure that our moment of struggle doesn’t draw us off that path and into the weeds.

DECK USED: FAERIE TAROT

March 18 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the @Calm app. The topic for today’s session was about the boon of being wrong.

I am a fan of this session, and I’ve meditated to it before in the past.  The idea here is that it’s when we’re wrong that we learn and grow, as long as we’re willing to be open to being wrong and learning from the experience.

I know a lot of people who struggle to admit when they’re wrong, but this has never really been a problem for me personally.  I like learning new things, and if that means someone proves me wrong in order for me to learn them?  That’s fine with me. It means in being wrong I’ve now gained more knowledge and experience than I would have in not trying at all.

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Today’s draw is the Page of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, logic, ambitions, and communication. This often translates into themes that have to do with learning new ways to communicate with others, beginning new educational pursuits, exploring new ideas. and seeking to sate one’s curiosity.

Combined with the topic of today’s meditation, the message I see in this card today is about the learner’s mind. The Pages, when you really boil down to it, are students.  You can’t be open to learning new things and experimentation with concepts and ideas if you’re mind is closed to being wrong. It just doesn’t work.

The card for today, therefore, is a reminder that it’s okay to be wrong. It’s part and parcel of the process of exploration and experimentation.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of or resistant to, just open up and absorb the new knowledge it provides… and keep going!

DECK USED: GREEN TRACE TAROT

March 19 – Mental Health Card of the Day

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

The session for today explored a technique for dealing with difficult or intense emotions created by a man named Michael Stone, who used the French word “sain” (meaning healthy or wholesome) as an acronym for the practice.

S – Stop – Taking a moment to stop and identify that you are experiencing an emotion.

A – Allow – Allowing yourself to feel that emotion rather than trying to push it away or bury it.

I – Investigate – Explore how this emotion affect you physically? Where do you feel it in your body?

N – Non-Identification – “I am feeling frustration” rather than “I am frustrated” in order to keep yourself from becoming more deeply entrenched what you are feeling. This keeps us from being swept up in the emotion.

In using this method, the session indicates that we can better identify our emotions and deal with them rather than using unhealthy coping mechanisms, or getting so wrapped up in our emotions that they control us.

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Today’s draw is the Knight of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of a projective and active “beta” energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, education, ambitions, and communication. This often translates into themes that have to do with pursuing one’s goals related to their education, actively seeking one’s goals, action and decisiveness, and at times can indicate impulsivity without thinking things through.

The combination of today’s meditation session with this card speaks of a need to stop and think rather than act.  It speaks of the dangers of being impulsive, when what we want to do is learn and understand ourselves better.  This is something that can’t be done in a hurry.  Learning about ourselves, familiarizing ourselves with our difficult emotions? It’s not something that can be rushed.

Introducing logic and an intellectual side to this learning process allows to slow down and examine rather than allowing our emotions to overtake us and take logic away.  It’s not like intuition, where logic gets in the way. Instead, logic helps us shift out of the grip of our emotions, and thus examine thing and process them with a calmer perspective.

DECK USED: THE CLOUD TOWER TAROT

Finding the Positive for March 13 – 14

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Loong's Dream Tarot Ten of Wands, Arcana Iris Sacra Tarot Ace of Pentacles and Six of Pentacles, Tasseomancy

March 13 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the @Calm app. The session started out with one of my very favorite meditation practices; a yoga nidra where the narrator walks you through a full body scan from head to toe. It then moved on to the theme for today’s session, which was a discussion on ending relationships.

The discussion posed that when we end a relationship, it is not a value judgment on the other person, but rather simply deciding when something (or rather, someone) is or isn’t for you.

I have a hard time, seeing discarding someone from your life as not being a value judgment in one way or another. That said, the quote used (“I’m learning to love the sound of my feet walking away from things not meant for me”) makes sense to me and helps me in seeing this perspective more clearly, giving me some food for thought for the day.

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Today’s draw is the Ten of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of overwhelm, burnout, struggling under too much responsibility, and can indicate a need to do some prioritizing and delegation.

Joined with the theme for today’s meditation, what I see as the message in today’s card is that sometimes we need to sit down and take a good look at our friendships and relationships, and make sure that they are a good fit.  If someone in your life constantly makes you feel less than, exhausted, or negative… perhaps it’s time to consider that that’s not a relationship you need to have in your life.

The people who truly love and care about you won’t do things and say things to make you feel that way again and again. Accidents happen, until it’s not an accident but a pattern, and over time that pattern becomes too much.  Keep in mind that there’s no reason you  have to wait until things hit critical mass before you remove these people from your life.  The sooner you deal with it? The sooner that weight will be removed from your shoulders.

DECK USED: LOONG’S DREAM TAROT

March 14 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app. The session for today explored sinking into one’s senses as a form of focus for one’s meditation. Not all of the senses at once, but by picking one to focus on for a duration of time, before you then shift to another. In this way, you then cycle through the sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

The premise being that, even when you are not meditating, you can use this momentary hyper-focus on a sense, or cycling through the senses, to help you to center yourself when things are feeling overwhelming or chaotic.

🍵 Tasseomancy Notation:  Don’t take your shoes off or you’ll be sorry.

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Today’s draw is the Six of Disks atop the Ace of Disks.

  • In the Thoth tradition (which is the system for this tarot deck), the Six of Disks is often interpreted as success, achieving or creating harmony and balance, the opportunity to succeed at an endeavor, and the balanced stability that comes through experience.
  • In the Thoth tradition, the Ace of Disks is often seen as a representation of the “root” of the Earth element’s power. Within this root is the power of manifestation in the area of our resources and opportunities, as well as the connection between nature and our inner selves.

[Note that I am not as learned on the Thoth system as I am in the RWS system. The definitions above are my understanding of the Thoth system, and if you are in the process of learning that system, please take those interpretations with a grain of salt.]

Like the meditation topic for today, these cards, encourage focus in order to manifest a specific result. In the meditation, you focus on the senses (or a specific one of your senses) in order to find balance and center yourself in the middle of chaos. In these cards, it says when you are striking out on a new endeavor, make sure that you are focused on success so that you can manifest that success as you move forward.

If you focus on failure, you have a greater chance of failing. If you focus on success, you have a better chance of succeeding. Just as with the meditation exercise today if you were to focus on the chaos around you as opposed to upon a specific sense, instead of finding the centering that you’re looking for you would only sink deeper into chaos and overwhelm it creates.

DECK USED: ARCANA IRIS SACRA

Finding the Positive for March 10 – 12

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Friborg's New Classic Tarocchi Seven of Coins, Unnamed Tarot's Five of Wands, Student Tarot v3's Fool and Hierophant

March 10 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app.  Today’s session was all about how we can inure ourselves to heavy and chaotic emotions by allowing ourselves to “sip at the emotional well” a little at a time each day.

This doesn’t mean that we have to “sip at” negative emotions either, but rather that the activity of allowing ourselves to experience our emotions in the day to day (good, bad, and otherwise) instead of closing them away or ignoring them, allows us to gain experience in all types of emotions as a whole.

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In Tarot de Marseille, the 7 di Denari is often interpreted as a card of apprenticeship, speaking of the long journey one takes in learning and honing one’s skills.  It’s about not just guidance and mentorship, but about the patience and time involved. True skill takes time to develop and hard work to hone.

Combined with the meditation session from earlier this morning, the message in today’s cards is that emotions are not meant to be one of those things you just master with a snap of your fingers. Emotions take time to become accustomed to and understand.  The more we work with them, the more we understand them and the better we get at not just experiencing them, but reacting to them.

DECK USED: TAROCCHI BY MR FRIBORG

March 11 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app. The session for today was titled “Thunderscribble” (I love this word, I think), and referenced that angry scribbling thought-bubble that sometimes appears in comics sometimes when a character is mad or frustrated.

The session spoke about how when we are upset, our emotions and thoughts get mixed up together just like those scribbles, and that during those times is the ideal time to step away and take a breath.  That this moment of peace when you step away, clear your head, and take a breath is in fact a form of meditation, like a mini session that allows you to calm your mind and come back a little less tangled and with a bit more clarity.

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Today’s draw is the Five of Spring (Wands), which is traditionally about conflict with others, especially when those involved all have their own passionate ideas concerning the topic of the conflict, and keep butting heads as a result.

The message in today’s cards is a simple one.  When you are butting heads with someone and begin to feel frustrated or angry?  Step away.  Take a moment.  Take a breath to help untangle your emotions and thoughts.

Take that pause and come back with a clear mind and a calm heart, and you will find the conflict does not have to be so intense or aggression driven after all.  That moment… that deep breath taken… can make all the difference in turning things around and getting things back on track, or at least resolving things amicably, rather than on a discordant note.

DECK USED: UNNAMED TAROT

March 12 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app. I can’t really remember what the session was about this morning, although I know that the majority of its focus was on finding the space between sounds and breaths.  That silent, still moment between one breath and the next, or between one sound and the next.

It encouraged using this space as a way to focus during meditation. An anchor that allows us to stay in the moment, and to return back to again and again when we become distracted during meditation practice.  And, I have to admit… there was an interesting type of peace found in following these moments from one to the next throughout the practice. It’s a focus during my meditation practice that I’ll definitely be visiting again.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

Today’s draw is the Hierophant card atop the Fool card.

  • The Hierophant card is traditionally a representation of tradition, spiritual guidance, long standing institutions, teachers and guides, and themes that deal with conformity and social norms.
  • The Fool card is traditionally a representation of innocence, enthusiasm, newness and fresh starts, carefree outlooks, spontaneity, naivete, and occasionally foolishness.

Combined with the Nadine Blacklock quote from today’s meditation session, “The more I am open to the world around me, the more I find what I seek”, what I see as the message in today’s cards is a reminder to make sure you are listening to those with the long term expertise that you don’t have rather than just jauntily going off on your own.

It’s great to experiment and to learn things on your own, but the advice here is to keep in mind that the time to experiment is often after you learn traditional methods first. With this knowledge under your belt, you then have more to work with and experiment with than you would have if you’d ignored traditional methods from the start.

DECK USED: STUDENT TAROT v3 aka. CLASSIC LOVE TAROT

Finding the Positive for March 6 – 8

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Oriental Drawing Tarot Blue Dragon Edition, Housing Tarot, Le Petit Oracle de Stef, Find Your Magic Tarot, and Think Oracle

March 6 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Page of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive “omega” energy in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, labors, home life, and manifestations. This often translates into themes that have to do with work apprenticeships and learning a new ability or skill.

When combined with the affirmation “From your feelings of gratitude come abundance”, the message that I see in today’s cards is that even when you are at the beginning of a journey? It’s important to appreciate where you are and what you’ve accomplished.

This sense of appreciation (also known as gratitude, although some have warped that term into something ugly of late it seems) means that you know where you stand and have solid footing in that position.  It means that you appreciate those that have helped you to get to where you are, as well as your own work in the process.  It means that even as you look forward into the accomplishments you still plan to make?  You also acknowledge how far you’ve already come.

The message in today’s cards is all about fostering that appreciation, and the feelings of abundance it creates in your life.  You know… so you don’t feel like a starving artist scraping your way by your fingernails… or whatever path (if not artist) that you choose for yourself.

DECKS USED: ORIENTAL DRAWING TAROT BLUE DRAGON EDITION AND LE PETIT ORACLE DE STEF’

March 7 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

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.

When combined with the affirmation “Your heart is a fire, and sometimes, it can burn you”, the message that I see in today’s cards is a reminder that experiencing new emotions can be overwhelming.  That doesn’t mean that we stop and bury them or tuck them away.

Instead, it means that we need to work through them and familiarize ourselves with them.  Just like when we’re learning a new skill or a new job, learning our emotions and familiarizing ourselves with brand new ones we’ve never experienced before takes time. It makes us feel vulnerable and sometimes at-odds with our experience.

Today, we are reminded to sit with these feelings and allow them time to become familiar instead of pushing them away, burying them, or otherwise giving up on them.  They’re new, but you’ll get the hang of them if you stick with it.

DECKS USED: FIND YOUR MAGIC TAROT AND THINK ORACLE

March 8 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the Calm app.  I really liked this session, and I saved it to return to again in the future.   The topic was on how we are not failures at meditation when our minds wander.   The goal of meditation, as described in this session, isn’t to keep your mind blank, but to train your mind to return to a meditative focus again and again when it wanders.  Therefore, each time your mind wanders and you realize it, then bring it back to your meditative focus? You are actually excelling rather than failing.

•    •    •    ◈    •    🌱    •    ◈    •    •    •

Today’s draw is the Hierophant atop the Queen of Cups (called the Dormitory of Missions in this deck).

  • The Hierophant card, is traditionally a representation of tradition, spiritual guidance, long standing institutions, teachers and guides, and themes that deal with conformity and social norms.
  • The Queen of Cups, is traditionally a representation of a receptive (and often nurturing) “alpha” energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, or intuition.

These cards for today are a reminder that calling ourselves failures is an emotional response to a situation where things are not going as we want them to.  It doesn’t help anything or fix anything, it just makes us feel worse. Together, the Hierophant and the Queen of Cups combine to speak of taking the advice of those in the know and using to foster a better sense of kindness and understanding towards yourself.

This, then, ties in with the meditation session I had today as well, and as a whole, speaks of a need to make sure that when things don’t go as we want them to, that we lay off the self blame. Listen to those that tell you it isn’t a failure, that it isn’t your fault, or that you should try again with a different perspective or method.  That negative voice in your head? It’s a novice.  These external influences that are encouraging you know better… so take that outside advice to heart and run with it.

DECK USED: THE HOUSING TAROT