halloween tarot

Ready… Set…

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was another body scan that finished with a long period where I focused upon my connection to the liminal and the growing intensity of that pull to it that is a part of this time of the year for me.    To that end, I did some quiet visualization of hiking in the woods, as today is not a day I can manage to get out there.

Wheel of Fortune - Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is the Wheel of Fortune, which is the tenth card in the Major Arcana.  This means that it deals with an overall message or life path situation rather than a single aspect of the human experience.

The Wheel of Fortune card is a representation of luck (good or bad, depending on the reading involved), turning points, and destiny or the resistance thereof.

When the card came up in today’s reading, I saw it as a reminder to “fasten my seatbelt” for what’s coming ahead.   That is to say, the shift is coming between the slow time and the busy period, and I need to make sure that I’m prepared for it.  Don’t let it take me by surprise.  It’s time to get all my ducks in a row, all my supplies and product in order, and everything set and ready.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What good thing in my life deserves celebration?

Halloween Magick Tarot Reading Summary:   I choose to make good decisions (Two of Swords) which includes working with others when needed (Three of Pentacles), and taking the steps to heal from the past rather than letting it weigh me down (Ten of Swords).

Take Away:  This message is about my independence and how I move forward in my life set to my own moral compass.  Whether I’m doing things on my own or working with others, I allow my experiences to educate me and assist me in making the choices that are right for me.  The cards are telling me that this quality is something that I’ve possibly fallen to the wayside on acknowledging, and that should be celebrated.

Deck Used: The Halloween Magick Tarot

Perfectionism

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Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long and the last installment of the Managing Stress series.  The focus on today’s guided meditation was about taking a step back and approaching distressing emotions and thoughts as an observer rather than as a participant.

This distancing is something I’m very familiar with and used to work for me quite well.  Over the past few years, though, as you have helped me become more and more in touch with my emotions, I’ve found that I’m not as successful as I used to be at compartmentalizing my emotions and looking at them in a purely objective way.

Sometimes I think that is a bad thing… other times I think it’s a good thing.  Maybe it’s both.

Today’s draw is the King of Ghosts (Cups), which is a representation of a projective alpha energy in the area of emotions, intuition, relationships, and creativity.  This manifests itself in areas of emotional balance and diplomacy, as well as compassion, yet can also portray a depth of inner emotions and come across as moodiness or emotional manipulation.

When  I saw today’s draw this morning, what really stuck out to me was the curl of the king’s arm around the tail of the ghost. Even when the king is looking away in another direction, the ghost is still happy.

The message in today’s card is that sometimes you have to make peace with not having everything perfect.  It’s okay to be happy and celebrate regardless of the fact that perfection is not the result.  Enjoy the imperfections.  Celebrate them.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What is it time to forgive myself for?

Reading Summary:   Passing up potential opportunities (Ace of Pentacles) that could lead somewhere lucrative (King of Pentacles) in pursuit of new ideas and creativity (Ace of Swords and Knight of Cups).

Take Away: Okay so, I have a LOT of ideas… all the time.  As a part of my business I often spread myself too thin because I have so many creative ideas that I want to do and try, and not enough time to do them all.  I then try to do them all, and things get dropped (or delayed) as a result.  I could be focusing more on the business side of things.  On the advertising and drawing in new customers, etc.  Instead my attention is pulled again and again to those new ideas and creative endeavors. 

At times, I am really hard on myself about this, because IF I could just focus on the business side more, then I could probably draw in a good deal more profit. The truth is, though, it would feel more and more like a chore and less and less like a passion… so maybe I shouldn’t be quite so hard on myself about it.

Deck Used: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot

 

Evaluating Timing

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and was centered upon using sound as a focus for meditation.  I’m not sure why I was surprised by the effectiveness of this technique, considering how my synesthesia is focused on auditory input, but I was.  What is also surprising, though, is that I really enjoyed it.

Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning that both cards dropped out together.  The cards in today’s draw are the Moon and the Sun cards.   This is surprising, as this deck is VERY thoroughly shuffled, and yet they popped out together regardless of that fact.  (The Moon and The Sun are cards are the 18th and 19th card, respectively, in the Major Arcana.)

The message that comes across in these cards and how they landed is that there is always an end to troubled times.  It’s like that old Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin song for the play Annie, yeah?  Corny, I know… but that’s exactly what popped into my head when I saw these two cards land on the table.

In the tarot, the Moon card is traditionally a representation of illusion, fear of the unknown (and the unknown in general), intuition and the subconscious, and a temptation to retreat from the unknown to a place of safety.    The Sun, on the other hand, is a representation of positivity and lightheartedness, that ‘inner child’ spark, warmth, vitality, and success.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: How can I improve my relationship with my shadow self?  (Fitting for what we have been discussing, and I might visit this reading more in depth on next Wednesday’s shadow post.)

Trick-or-Tarot DeckReading Summary:   Walk away (Eight of Cups), reevaluate (Adjustment/Justice), and come back stronger (King of Pentacles).   These cards echo the same pattern as the read on the positivity cards above, and it creates a feeling of reinforcement in what I’m seeing here.

Take Away: What I’m reading here is that starting this right before the holiday rush might not be the best idea.  If I wait, and take this time over the rush to evaluate my plan and look at different paths to my goal, then once the holiday rush is over and I am on the other side of it, I will be in a better and stronger place to do the shadow work safely.  

Deck Used: Trick-or-Tarot Deck

You Can Do It

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Today’s meditation was just under four minutes long because I could NOT manage to stay still and allow myself to relax this morning.  I will give it another go before bed for the regular ten minutes or so.

Halloween Tarot Today’s draw was a double without a jumper, which is to say that both cards came out together as one.   The cards in today’s draw are the Five of Pumpkins (Pentacles) and the Magician card.

The message in these cards jumped out at me and has to do with what we spoke about last night.  It has to do with the shadow work that you’ve asked me to begin and I am in the process of creating a plan for.

What the cards are saying is that I have the tools to do this. Starting a project like this holds a lot of self consciousness and self doubt, which is natural. It’s going to be difficult, possibly painful, and I’m going to need help, but the knowledge and the tools to work on it are well in hand.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: How can I be more adaptable?

Skele-Tarot Reading Summary: I need to be kinder to myself (The Empress) and allow myself to celebrate (Four of Wands) my accomplishments (Queen of Pentacles) instead of always pushing to go go go (Eight of Wands)

Take Away:  This message is about my motivations and my drive.  In this area, I am very harsh with myself and unrelenting.  I want to do more.. more… more.  This is an area where I could be well served to be more adaptable and allow myself some more space, gentle nurturing, and acceptance of my accomplishments and limitations rather than constantly pushing forward like a runaway horse with blinders on.

Deck Used: Skele-Tarot

 

My Cards Have BRS (Broken Record Syndrome)

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Ikigai Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is is a term that is used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile.

This was interesting, and more so because just yesterday Becca put up a video about finding one’s legacy in life, which is a similar concept, because I think if you discover and foster your Ikigai, you are building that legacy.

As I said in Becca’s video last night, I don’t really have any family I connect with other than my twin sister and my mother, and I sincerely doubt I will have a very significant legacy in any direct way. I think my legacy will be in a more esoteric way… and delivered through those things that make up my ikigai.

That is to say, the things I do, the interactions I have, the things that I create… they are like little pebbles dropped in a pond, creating ripples that spread outward.  Sometimes these ripples rock boats along the way and influencing other things in some small ways, sometimes the ripples join with other’s ripples and become waves of change beneath the water and upon the shore. That is my legacy.

Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, which is to say that they came out together as one.   The cards in today’s draw are the Six of Ghosts (Cups) and the Death card.

My intuitive reaction to these cards a carry over from the messages in yesterday’s Self Care reading.  I need to take some time for myself to seek out the things I enjoy and the small pleasures in life, I need to pay attention to them and really sink into them while I can.  Because, by doing so during this time, I will be nourishing myself and thus preparing myself for the change to come (the busy season starting next month).

(Side note… I think the reason that I ended up with so many jumpers and doubles in yesterday’s Self Care spread is that they were seeking to provide clarity and make sure I couldn’t misinterpret the cards and sway them in a “preferred direction”.   They are essentially saying “you’re not listening, so lets spell it out for you”.)

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: Where may I benefit from a new perspective?

Halloween Spirit Tarot Reading Summary:  (Noting that I am being stalked by the Six of Cups recently.)  Emotions concerning past experiences (Six of Cups) and habits learned that need to be changed (Page of Swords) concerning working with others (Three of Pentacles).

Take Away:  Sometimes you need other’s abilities, knowledge, and expertise to get things done (and done well).  I’ve had some bad experiences when it comes to working with others, and it pollutes my perceptions of the process and my feelings concerning doing so in the future.  The cards are telling me that I need to consider a new perspective, and work at getting to a place where I would be open to trying again sometime in the future.

Deck Used: Spirit Tarot (by Spencer’s Gifts Halloween Spirit Store)

Personal Accomplishments

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Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and was another continuation of the Managing Stress series that I’ve been following over the past few days.   Today’s focus was centered upon negative self talk, and methods to catch yourself in the act so that you can curtail these habits into a more positive direction.

The method specifically that was focused upon in this meditation was when you find yourself having negative thoughts, instead of interacting with them to either agree or disagree or reason through them, simply say “oh, look, that is a negative thought” and then set it aside.  In this way, it explains that you do not give these thoughts credence or lend them power through feeding them further attention.

Seven of Pumpkins Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is the Seven of Pumpkins (Pentacles) and spoke to me immediately. It said, “Don’t discount your accomplishments and the progress you’ve made.”

This is a valuable message and one that I need to work more on.  Like many, I’m often so focused on where I’m going and what I want to accomplish, as well as on where I need to improve, that I forget to look at what I have actually  managed to accomplish and how far I’ve come.

Against staggering odds and catastrophic road blocks, I have managed to come so far in my life and accomplish much of the things that really matter to me.  I’ve grown and learned lessons from these hurdles, and adapted to find what is right for me through it all.   This is no small feat, and I shouldn’t discount it as nothing, or just “shrug it off” as without value.

I say this now as I take a minute to appreciate these things, although I know that in the future I will need this reminder again.  And again.  Because my natural inclination isn’t to give myself praise or appreciation, but to push myself harder…. always harder.

The traditional meaning of the Seven of Pentacles involves progress (especially concerning leaps ahead), the entrance of spirituality into a situation, and the unknown in the area of resources, the physical world, manifestation, and finances.  This includes themes having to do with perseverance and focusing on long term sustainability, as well as the lack thereof in some cases.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: Where is it important for me to stand my ground?

XIII Tarot by Neko Reading Summary: These cards are an intuitive hit about my values, although I’m having a hard time articulating how I drew this out of the imagery.  Something about coming up against pushy people and knowing where my values truly lie and sticking to them even when it takes me on a different path than most. It’s all about imagery, as I haven’t even looked at the titles on the cards yet to figure out what they are (and I don’t think I’m going to, because this intuitive hit from the imagery is too strong for it to be anything else).

Take Away: Sometimes you run up against people that have a very strong and persuasive presence and in the interest of wanting to align with them or “fit in”  you can sometimes lose sight of what’s of most important to you. It’s important, at these times, to take a moment and connect with your personal values and moral compass and stand behind them, even if it means you have to leave these people behind and walk your own path on your own.

Deck Used: XIII Tarot by Neko