happy tarot

Inspiration and Warmth

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and I was a little distracted because I think I’ve devised a plan to make more room for my decks.  I know, I know.  Not what I should be thinking of during meditation, but it kept popping into my head.  SO…  I suppose you could look at it as that I got a lot of mental push ups done during those ten minutes as I kept bringing myself back to center.

Herbal TarotToday’s draw is the King of Wands, which is traditionally interpreted as a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s passions, ambitions, interests, and drive.    This often translates into themes that deal with inspirational leadership, authority mixed with an entrepreneurial spark, and vision one is on a path of leading others towards.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of today’s card is the cinnamon plant combined with the very strong look of determination on the face of the figure on the card and the fact that he is facing (to my way of reading right and left) the past.

Magically speaking, cinnamon is used to create a spark of inspiration and warmth, and what I see in the direction that the King faces here is that sometimes you have to look to the past in order to find the strength you need to move forward… and lead others forward with you… into the future.

The message here is about learning from the past instead of discounting it or trying to forget it.  The wise leader does not ignore lessons learned or potential lessons in their past, instead they take these experiences and move forward with them, letting them help and guide his steps and… in turn… the steps of those that follow them.

Although I do not really consider myself a leader, I do consider myself a guide and I enjoy helping others find their own personal path and discover what works for them and fits for them.  This means I don’t seek to create conformity, but rather to inspire… and I use my past experiences in many different ways to help in this goal.   Today’s card is an encouragement, and a reminder, to continue along this path with warmth and inspiration.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question: What toxic beliefs would I benefit from releasing?

Happy Tarot

Reading Summary: You need to take some time and reflect (Hanged Man) on the fact that you don’t have to be perfect all the time (Six of Wands).  Better to own your mistakes and transform them into strength (Queen of Cups).

Take Away:  The belief I need to release is that deeply ingrained need to do better and be better all the time.   The problem is that in that drive is the inner critic that makes sure that any time I fall short from these impossible standards, I pay the price for it.   The cards suggest to take a more understanding and caring approach, and ease up on that demand for perfection from myself.

DECK USED:  HAPPY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this new moon?

Tarot SireneReading Summary: It’s time to start moving in a direction (Three of Wands) that fosters your passions (Queen of Wands). This means that you might have to make some difficult choices (Two of Swords, and deal with a bit of sacrifice concerning your need for stability (Five of Coins).

Take Away:  A lot of the readings over the past few days have touched on this need to let go and allow myself some room to breathe and time to have some fun.  Here there is encouragement that now is the time.  The energy of the new moon gives a chance to start again, and I need to utilize that energy to move away from the slave driver mentality concerning my business and into an energy of more fun and enjoyment while things with the business are slow.

DECK USED:  TAROT SIRENE

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question: Instead of starting something new, what is something current I could focus on this new moon cycle?

Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot

Reading Summary (left to right):  It’s time to put an end (first card) to the slave driver mentality you saddle yourself with (second card), because overwhelm (third card) puts you on shaky ground (fourth card) and is not your friend (last card).

Take Away: These cards are pretty much a reiteration of what has been coming up over and again throughout the past few days. The cards have given me this answer in different imagery and different phrasing again and again.  I’m doing my best to listen, and to direct my energy away from obsessing over my business and onto other things… it’s just a struggle to achieve and feels like two steps forward for every one step back.

DECK USED:  NICOLETTA CECCOLI TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What am I grateful for?

Tarot of the Animal Lords

Reading Summary: That the cycle of life (imagery in The Wheel) may take me through many changes and a lot of chaos (The Tower), but it also provides me with a new perspective for each experience I have (The Hanged Man).

Take Away:  Sometimes I forget just how grateful I am for this quality in myself to take the negative aspects of what has happened in my life and turn them into a perspective that allows for positive growth.  Occasionally, though, I run into someone that seems determined to wallow in the feelings of negativity and victimization that horrible events can create, and I realize anew just how glad I am that I am not able to linger in that place. I think that my life is far better for it.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE ANIMAL LORDS

 

Constant Healing and Growth

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation hasn’t taken place yet, because when I laid down to do it, I ended up accidentally falling asleep rather than meditating.  SO…. I’ll be trying again tonight before bed.  As it is, I did get a decent nap in, but I also earned myself a kink in my neck and shoulder.

Herbal Tarot - Sage - The High Priest - HierophantToday’s draw is the High Priest (aka The Hierophant) which is traditionally read as a representation of tradition and institution, a guiding energy or figure in relation to religious knowledge and spiritual beliefs, and in some cases can also represent conformity to social norms.

There are a few aspects of this card that stand out to me today.  There is the man’s white turban, which (I had to look this up) is an indication of a saintly person leading an exemplary life. 

There is also the two pillars, which are the same two pillars as in the High Priestess card and represent the gateway to the spiritual realm. That he stands before these pillars instead of between them or behind them speaks to me of his energy being based in reality and the physical even as he guides those along their spiritual paths.

The third aspect is the sage plant. Salvia officinalis is essentially a healing antiseptic that is used not just for the body but also one’s spiritual health and the energies that surround them.   It is a cleansing herb that can be used to wash away negative energies just as it can be used to help heal bruises on the skin and promote healing. Whether sage is used internally or externally, it’s presence here in the card speaks of the Hierophant’s ability and responsibility to guide himself and others upon a path of healing and growth.

The message in today’s card is about following one’s inner moral compass.  Sometimes this isn’t easy.  Decisions get made and when you think about things you realize you were wrong and have to back-step, maybe even apologize, or eat crow.   It’s important that in these moments we learn from our mistakes and take on their responsibility with grace.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I attract more abundance into my life?

Tarot of Passing Showers

Reading Summary: Don’t forget that you still have a lot to learn (Page of Pentacles) and a part of learning is the mistakes you make along the way (Three of Swords). Keep hope alive (The Star), and you’ll be able to move through moments of defeat quickly and come out the other side still in control (Six of Swords beneath The Chariot).

Take Away:  It’s so easy to get too confident in something you feel you’re doing well at then end up knocked on your ass as you realize you aren’t the be-all end-all of it all. It’s easy, as well, to lose hope when you’re sitting on your ass in the mud absorbing that blow.

The cards here indicate that to attract more abundance into my life, it’s important to not lose hope in those moments, but to learn from them and pick yourself up out of the mud, evaluate what needs to change, then try again.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF PASSING SHOWERS

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What can I do to help my inner child feel less neglected?

The Brady Tarot 2nd EditionReading Summary:  Make the conscious choice (Lovers) to create a solid base (Father of Roots).  Your inner child needs a careful balance between firm guidance (Eight of Roots) and a gentle touch (Temperance).

Take Away:  The cards here are indicating that I’m not giving my inner child the structure and stability that it needs.  This isn’t about money, but about finding a place of inner grounding that allows for a solid foundation on the inside, so that my inner child has the solid footing it needs to express itself with more confidence and not fear the repercussions of backlash that a lack of temperance from my inner critic would contribute to the situation.

Thus, the answer here in the cards is to take my inner critic in hand and make the conscious and willful demand that it treat both myself and my inner child with a level and moderate voice.

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT 2ND EDITION

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question: If you could leave one worry behind, what would it be?

Grimalkin Tarot

Reading Summary: Always needing to be the adult (Grimalkin) whenever things that involve my enthusiasm arise (Ace of Wands) or decisions need to be made concerning the paths my enthusiasm might take (Five of Wands).

Take Away:  You know, I had a whole laundry list of possible answers that might have come up from the cards when asking this question, some of them selfish and some of them not… but this one wasn’t on it.  Not that it isn’t true, just that it wasn’t on the list.

The cards here speak of my need to always be responsible and in control, no matter what I’m doing or what interests or passions are driving me or have struck my interest.  In other words… It’d be nice to be a little more carefree.  It’s not really in my nature, mind you… but it would still be nice.

DECK USED:  GRIMALKIN TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What is my biggest win?

Happy Tarot

Reading Summary: Learning to release some of my burden (Ten of Wands) by sharing it with others (imagery on the Two of Cups) so that I can ride that wheel with less centripetal force trying to make me stumble (Wheel of Fortune Rx).

Take Away:  So we are speaking here of the wheel not as a vertical wheel, but as a horizontal one, where I can stand upon its center and spin, or step off center and be pulled by centripetal force into stumbling.   By handing out some of my work and responsibilities to others, it makes it easier to stay in the center of the wheel, and easier to handle the responsibilities and obligations I carry instead of becoming overwhelmed by them.

My biggest win is in the realization of this…. and the actual absorption of this rather than simply acknowledging it and saying it’s right.  Instead I’ve taken this to heart and am truly making the effort to change how I do things, which includes allowing others to step in and help me… and asking them for help sometimes even when they don’t step in voluntarily without prompting.

DECK USED:  HAPPY TAROT