Morning Bonus Read – Finding Growth in Change

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
This week, take some time with your divination tools to delve deep into the shadow work surrounding the death topics you have been reflecting on in the previous weeks.

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Playing CardsWhat unforeseen ramifications will this death (from last week’s reading) have in my life?

King of Hearts – By finding a way to kill off my need to overburden myself with responsibilities, it will allow me to not just develop a stronger emotional intelligence, but also find a stronger connection with Gideon… probably through the fact that I would have more time to spend with him instead of being stuck in burnout.

Five of Clubs – The death of this habit may also cause a good deal of inner conflict, as I struggle with my ambitions and how to keep them from pushing me too far.

What old wounds are being brought up with this death?

Queen of Hearts – Self neglect is not the only kind of neglect that is seen here in this card.  The space provided in my life can provide space for ruminations on my mother as well and her neglect.  These are disappointments I’ve primarily put on the back burner that are at risk of rising up without enough distraction to keep them shoved in their corner.

Four of Clubs – Again, family disappointment rises up in the space left behind by the death of this habit. It’s always been rather painful to me to go back home and not be enthusiastically welcomed in as L is.  It’s a struggle to see how L is doted on by our mother (and at one time our father) while my presence was looked upon as an inconvenience or “free labor”.

Both of these old wounds are things that I now have a bit of warning about coming up, and thus can hopefully manage to circumvent a bit so that they do not become too painful.

What aspects of myself is becoming more clear through this death?

Nine of Clubs – That part of my self that needs to protect itself at all costs, and why it is alive and thriving within me even now, as well as the methods I’ve used to create those protections.  ie: Overburdening yourself as a distraction.

Eight of Clubs – The ability to motivate myself into moving on my interests and passionate endeavors. I’ve felt very unenthusiastic lately about… pretty much everything.  The Eight of Clubs indicates that I will rediscover some balance in this area and, as a result, my enthusiasm and motivation.

Ace of Spades – Along with the resurrection of my enthusiasm, new ideas are also a potential development of the death of this bad habit of mine. The lack of ideas has been lingering along with the motivation issues, which is really unusual for me.

All of these sound like excellent developments in understanding myself and finding my joy and motivation in my creative endeavors again.

DECK USED: IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN PLAYING CARDS

Morning Bonus Read – Scorpio Season Tarot Spread

Scorpio Season Spread - Terrestrial Tarot

Ways in which my life will be profoundly transformed.
Earth (Ace of Pentacles)

This season is filled with manifestation and abundance for me, which is not surprising since the holiday rush starts in just another week or so.   The Ace of Pentacles in this position indicates that even though I’ve been feeling like sales have been slow and dismal, that there is opportunity coming and I just need to be ready for it.

Deep soul desires that may resurface for attention.
Queen of Cups

Again, we see the influence of the holiday rush in this card.  With that time nearly in my lap now, I’m going to be feeling the need for some emotional reassurances coming up as my emotional growth is delegated to the back seat (but, carefully not buried).

Shadow aspect that may emerge from the depths.
The Founded Power (Ten of Wands)

My habit of allowing myself to be overburdened and overwhelmed is also nipping right on my heels and trying to reassert itself. This is an unhealthy habit that I’m doing my best to break, but during the holiday rush a good deal of overwhelm comes with the territory no matter how much balance I try to instill into the process.

Major cycle(s) that are coming to a close.
Unity (The World)

My feelings of unity with the universe are coming to a close. I have, over the end of the summer and the lions share of the fall, slowly been starting to feel new connections happening.  New connections to my emotions, to my ancestors and guides, and to my spirituality as well.  I had been stumbling about lost for a bit, then found my footing and with it that connection.  Now, with the rush and all that coming, that feeling of connected completion is sadly out the window and will have to be found again once the holiday rush is over.

Soul-aligned beginnings / opportunities that will open up.
Authority (Four of Swords) atop Three Forked Road (Three of Swords)

The cards here indicate that I’m going to have the opportunity this Scorpio season to see just how taking control and incorporating rest and recovery into my work can help me from falling into that big black pit of depression.

DECK USED: TERRESTRIAL TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Witch’s New Year Spread

Dead Waite Tarot - Witch's New Year SpreadWhat is the strongest potential/possibility awaiting me in the next twelve months?
The Chariot atop Eight of Wands

Slow down and get where you’re going to faster.  It sounds counter productive, yeah?  Slowing down does not feel like it would get you where you want to go faster… but sometimes it does.

The Chariot indicates that I have the control to take myself forward in any direction that I want to go.  All roads are open. What’s key here, though, is that whatever road I choose?  I need to take my time.

What attitudes do I need to shift to welcome this opportunity?
Strength

I need to reevaluate what I perceive as strength.  This makes perfect sense, as taking things slow and moderation are not really things that I usually view as strengths, especially when trying to get somewhere or accomplish something. And they are very much something I’m not at all good at.  The suggestion here is that I need to sit with the concept of one’s strength, and consider how I view my own.

What beliefs do I need to shift to welcome this opportunity?
Page of Pentacles

So much of my time and focus lies on the development of stability and security in both my home and finances. This has been to such an extreme over the past decade that it sometimes feels as if these values are the only thing I have dedicated myself to working towards in life.

If I want to welcome in the opportunities available to me over the next twelve months, I need to reframe how I see these goals as well as how I go about accomplishing them.

What behaviors do I need to shift to welcome this opportunity?
Knight of Swords

Jumping in full-bore and going at it without taking a pause or giving myself breaks.  Allowing my ambitions to drive me ruthlessly forward, constantly pushing myself harder and harder.  These behaviors are not healthy and although I have begun the process of changing how I do things in this area, there’s still a long way to go.

 How can I support myself as I make these shifts?
Page of Swords

I need to take some time to really think on and absorb the ramifications of the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors mentioned above. In these specific areas, the old way is not the best way and I need to make sure that I am open to learning something new that’s going to serve me better.

 How can I empower myself as I make these shifts?
Ten of Swords

Accept the shifts need to happen and do what you can to step into them and allow these old attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to die.  In order to move forward, you have to leave something behind.

DECK USED: DEAD WAITE TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Sovereign Self Spread

The Gothic Tarot - Sovereign Self SpreadWhere have I let my guard down?
Three of Swords

Despair and disappointment have been allowed to creep in and just because you’re trying to ignore that it’s there isn’t going to make it ease up or go away.  The reason you’ve been feeling like crap lately is because your negative inner dialogue is whispering to you and although you aren’t exactly listening? You’re not doing your all to fight against it either.

Where are my boundaries weak?
Four of Wands atop Queen of Cups

Your boundaries are weakest with those that you share a roof with and an emotional connection to.   You want to give them a chance to enjoy themselves, and because of that you’re not setting down boundaries as firm as you need to be.

How might I step up and reclaim sovereignty of myself?
The Moon

Stop entertaining all your self doubts and uncertainties.  That inner dialogue is fucking up your perspective and causing more doubts and uncertainties to come to the surface with each day that passes.

How might I step up and reclaim sovereignty of my space?
Three of Cups

Make things fun for everyone.  Being together so much is a struggle and it makes all of us a little techty.  It isn’t as if they are going anywhere right now, so in order to reclaim your space it’s important to take control of the energy in that space and turn it into something positive that reinforces the bonds between all three of you.

 How might I step up and reclaim sovereignty of my experience?
Ten of Cups

Focus on what you have and just how good it is. Fill your life with positive emotions, positive hope, and a positive outlook on the present.  In doing so you leave no room for that negativity that’s trying to drag you under.  This is not always easy, focusing on that positive aspect.  But it’s necessary.

 How can I continue to create and maintain strong boundaries moving forward?
Knight of Cups

Know what it is you want and go after it.  Good things come to those that reach for the stars, so decide what stars you want to pluck from the sky and do what is needed to make obtaining them possible.

DECK USED: THE GOTHIC TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – Challenging an Old Habit

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
Continuing our theme for the month, some questions to ponder this week…

Flonz Vintage Halloween Playing CardsWhat is something in your life that you are struggling to put to rest?
Ten of Clubs

My need to overburden myself with craploads of stuff to get done. Each week brings me that much closer to my six week nightmare of the holiday rush, and with each week that passes I feel more pressure (from myself) to put more and more on my plate and try to get more and more done.

What do you need to do to finally move forward with that goal, emotionally?
Seven of Hearts atop King of Clubs

It’s all about the choices we make and owning your actions and drive. If I want to move forward into keeping myself from being overburdened, I need to lean into leading rather than slaving.  Taking control rather than allowing the vast array of things I feel that I need to get done to control me. In other words?  if I want to move forward emotionally with this, I need to take control of my obligation oriented emotions that drive me to overwhelm myself with work.

What do you need to do to finally move forward with that goal, physically and mentally?
Nine of Hearts

Understand that I don’t need that overwhelm and strife  in my life in order to feel like I’m succeeding.  That means stepping back from all these things that are overwhelming me and allow myself time to re-evaluate.  The world is not going to fall apart if I don’t pile these things on my shoulders, so maybe I need to just… not do it.   It’s okay to not do it.

How can you best celebrate the steps you are taking to put to rest this thing in your life?
Eight of Spades

Putting to rest the tendency to overburden myself is really hard.  To celebrate this, I need to move forward with my eyes closed.  That is to say… allow yourself to be blind to the pile of work that needs to be done for once.  Allow yourself to move forward with your eyes closed and do only what is needed instead of looking at the whole picture and everything I could pile on my plate.  Find freedom in wearing the blindfold.  Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.  This is one of those times.

DECK USED: FLONZ VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PLAYING CARDS

Morning Bonus Read – Thinning Veil Spread

Because I am trying to show a bit more of my decks this month, as I have a whole LOT of October/Halloween/Samhain decks, I’m doing a few extra bonus reads over the month.  This is one of those extra readings.

Thinning Veil Tarot Spread - SkeleTarot

Your Higher Purpose
Page of Pentacles

Learning how to connect to the earth and to develop my manifestation abilities no matter what life throws at me along the way.  It’s about adaptability and staying grounded while still moving forward.  There is also an indication here about the speed of that movement.  This is not fast movement, but rather slow and steady with the focus more on what you learn along the way than where you are going to end up.

Advice From Beyond the Veil
The Lovers

So many of my readings that have included this question end up throwing this same answer to me again and again.  Make good choices.  This isn’t about making choices that advance some agenda but rather about listening to my moral compass and allowing deeper needs and motivations to lead rather than surface wants and desires.

A Lesson From This Side of the Veil
Strength

The events of my life thus far have been about survival. It’s about taking your licks and keeping moving, no matter how much it hurts or how debilitating the experience should be. This is a lesson in inner strength.  Most of my “misfortunes” along the way were not about making good or bad choices, but about the strength gained along the way as I move through and beyond the ramifications of what has happened, continually adapting as I go.

Your Shadow’s Influence
Ace of Wands

As the shadows within work to whisper in your ear, it can be hard to keep your inspiration and enthusiasm going.  The influence of my Shadow upon this lifetime is to teach me how to sustain that enthusiasm, even as those whispers try to distract me and drag me into backslide after backslide.

DECK USED:  SKELE-TAROT