That “Thank God It’s Over” Feeling

IMG_8889Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes, and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

Today’s meditation was about not allowing your emotions to “talk you into” skipping practice.  And… I almost skipped practice.  So this is fitting, yeah?  It did give me food for thought, though, as I had never really considred the times when I feel the need to avoid a self-care practice as emotionally driven.  I think that it is, though, on reflection of the idea.  I’m very much sure that it is, actually.   So I learned something new about myself today… even when I bury the fuck out of my emotions?  They still find ways to screw with me in unexpected ways. Not that I’m burying them right now, but I’ve been struggling with this avoidance/skipping issue for most of my life.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Four of WandsToday’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of themes to do with homecoming and celebration.

This is another of the cards in this deck that the words at the bottom of the card are non-traditional to the card and give me a moment’s pause, throwing me off a bit. 

This is actually the first card in this deck that doesn’t really “do it” for me.  Not only do the words at the bottom feel contrary to the traditional meaning of the card, but so too does the image.  The symbolic elements are there, but it just seems too dark.  There’s no celebration here, no welcoming warmth.  The courtyard is dreary, the wands and wreath are shadowed… the door is closed.

The thing is?  Sometimes homecomings (and perfect work, for that matter) go uncelebrated.  There’s no happy welcome, and no big to do.  Just relief.  Relief at a job finished.  Relief at finally waking through the door and setting down your keys.   Sometimes it’s not about the fanfare, it’s about leaning back against the door once you’re inside and going “thank god that’s over”.  That in itself is a sort of celebration.  Sometimes… it’s the absolute best kind of celebration.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question
: What is the current status of my {self-love} cup? {draw a cups card)

Garnet Witch Tarot - Five of CupsI freakin’ knew this card was going to come up.   It took three tries before a Cup card finally fell out of the deck, which really isn’t that bad all things considered.  I could have had to try twenty or thirty cards before getting a Cup.    That said?  Of course it was the Five of Cups. 

Why?   Because I’m dealing with depression right now and with depression comes great deal of disinterest in damned near anything and everything… including self care and self love.  Maybe especially self care and self love. My cups are spilled all over the floor, my emotions a mess and all I want to do is ignore them and hide from then and be miserable and dissatisfied.  Why?  Because that’s what the chemicals in my brain are demanding.   I’m just trying to do my best not to give in.

DECK USED:  GARNET WITCH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What luck is coming your way, and how can you foster it into fruition?

Transire TarotWhat luck is coming my way?

The Sun – The opportunity to climb my ass out of this depression pit that I’ve fallen into, breathe fresh air, and feel the sun on my face again.

How can I foster it into fruition?

Five of Cups atop Eight of Pentacles – Don’t neglect your work or worry too much about your progress in this area.  It can take care of itself for a while if you just do what’s needed and let the rest go.  There’s no need to push.  You are more than capable and experienced enough to keep things running smoothly while you deal with the lackluster feelings of the depression and the work involved in climbing yourself out of the darkness.

DECK USED:  TRANSIRE TAROT
 

Daily Self Kindness

Today’s self kindness was in the form of allowing myself to spend the majority of my day lying down nursing a migraine. Instead of my natural inclination to try and plow through it and ignore it, I settled in a nice dark room with some migraine meds, and spent most of the day there trying to get it to ease up.

Small Steps vs Grand Gestures

Today’s meditation was… oh hell I dunno.  I’m behind in getting my posts up by a few days and I don’t really remember what the meditation was for the 14th.  I’m pretty sure it was one of the days I skipped it though, as I seem to have skipped an entire four days in a row if my timer app can be believed (which, it can). So… yeah. 

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Seven of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of delayed gratification, sustainability, and long term progress. Instant gratification this card is not, as all of the themes that this card has to do with involve waiting and the “long game”.

Again, what stands out to me the strongest in this deck is the words at the bottom of the card.   Not that I don’t find the artwork breathtaking, which I do… but the words say “Success Unfulfilled” which… seems a bit negative in connotation when the theme of this card is traditionally more about success being fulfilled over time.

Today’s card is a reminder to me that as I work through the orders that need to be done for shipping out tomorrow, I need to remember that this is the small work that growth is all about.  With every small bit of work, the progress becomes larger… and more.   And over time?  You find yourself at your goals and surpassing them.   But it takes time.   So take a breath and do the small work, and let things build over time.  Not everything has to be a grand gesture or massive action.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question
: How can I best use my creative energy in support of my future self?

Occult TarotReading Summary: Lean your creative energy into your work (The Magician), and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by whims (Page of Cups Rx).

Take Away: When I’m not feeling particularly grounded, it’s really easy for me to end up distracted. Ideas and little side projects that catch my eye draw me away from my work, and then I struggle to get caught up with my work, etc.  It happens all the time.

The cards here indicate that if I want to use my creative energy in support of my future self, I need to make sure that I turn that creative energy back to my work again and again, taking the skills that I learn from those distractions and reinvesting them into my work.

DECK USED:  OCCULT TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What is a really great idea you had but then forgot about?

Garnet Witch's TarotReading Summary: Shifting how I balance my responsibilities (Two of Pentacles) so that I can let some of the weight and responsibility (Magician) die out (Death), and make way for more emotional exploration (Ace of Cups).

Take Away: I wouldn’t say that I forgot about it.  Just… that it got put on the back burner while I was plowing my way through the holiday rush.

The weird thing (and current struggle where this is concerned) is that now that I’m on the other side of the holiday rush, I can’t remember what I was doing that made it feel like I was getting somewhere on this idea prior to the rush’s arrival.

DECK USED:  GARNET WITCH’S TAROT