Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was focused upon listening to one’s intuition.   In the meditation, the guide encouraged finding the seat of your intuition and how it speaks to you.   Many people find that the seat of their intuition is “in their gut”.  Others find it is in a twinge at the back of their neck, or the raising of hairs on their arms.

For me, the seat of my intuition resides behind my solar plexus.  It speaks to me throughout my entire body, communicating through sensations and physical touches to my senses, and yet at its core it resides in that spot at my solar plexus.  It lives there, and when I consult my intuition, it’s there I reach.

In today’s meditation, the encouragement to find the seat of your intuition was followed by the benefits of fostering that voice and empowering it to grow by listening to it and following its guidance.  The more you follow your intuition, the more it will speak and the louder it will become.  That was essentially the lesson within today’s guided meditation which is very much the same message that I explain to my students when teaching intuitive tarot reading.

Today’s draw is the Devil card of the Major Arcana.  This card is traditionally read as an indication of temptations, addictions, obsessions, and other themes that have to do with self-destruction through indulgence.

What stands out to me in the imagery of today’s card is the Aralia spinosa bush that sits behind the wolf.  This plant is called the “Devil’s Walking Stick” and it is very apt for the card as it is very easily to be mistaken for Elderberry. One that reaches for the berries and familiar with Elderberry might find an unpleasant surprise when the plant seems to then attack them and try to rip then to shreds with prickly thorns and spines not just on the stems but on the leaves as well. This connotation speaks to me of the need to take care, as something that might seem harmless is putting you in danger.

The tilt of the wolf’s head in the imagery is another element that stands out to me today, which appears to my perceptions to be far more watchful than ominous.  The wolf is an indication of one’s intuitive nature and deep inner knowing.   The watchful posture says that if I want to find what it is that is hiding behind an innocuous appearance in my life, I will need to use my intuition to suss it out.

The positive message here in this card is one of awareness and encouragement to reassess.    It’s time to do a bit of weeding in order to open space to breathe, and I am encouraged to use my intuition to reveal those things that are not serving me or look harmless but are potentially detrimental.  I have an addictive personality, and it’s important to stay self aware and on top of things to keep a healthy balance in my life between pleasure and responsibility.

DECK USED:  FORAGER’S DAUGHTER TAROT

#TarotForGrowthMay Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I bring more of that fulfillment into my daily life?

Intuitive Interpretation:  De-tangle (Mercury) and piece together (Ara) in order to reach for your passion (Scorpius).

Okay, so the interpretations above are off the imagery alone.  I tried looking at the info in the guide book for this deck, as astrology isn’t a strong suit of mine, but although the explanations of the cards made perfect sense, they didn’t read for me that way… probably because I’m so used to reading intuitively off imagery that it’s the way the deck chose to speak to me, regardless of my intention to actually read the guide with this deck.

That said?  The guide is excellent and very interesting.  It just doesn’t apply to this reading.

Take Away:   This reading is about all of the ideas that I have concerning the classes I’m teaching on the Discord server.   I have a lot of ideas, and where at first they are tangled up in each other, what I find when I begin to write them out and untangle them is that there is enough material for not just one class, but a series of them.   So the idea unfurls (Mercury) and then they get pieced back together into a series of classes (Ara) on topics I love and love to share with others (Scorpius).  I’ve had this experience twice now, and the cards are saying that I need to have a little faith in this process instead of always worrying that I’m going to run out of ideas.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I better express to my loved ones how I feel about them?

Sarsaparilla symbolizes the ability to express your emotions to others, which combined with the Knight of Cups indicates that I shouldn’t expect my loved ones to just know how I feel and should take the time and effort to actually speak to them about how I feel.

Plantain is essentially a “decongestant” of the spirit, allowing for places where someone is feeling stuck to be eased and let go of. When combined with Justice, this speaks of providing guidance to my loved ones to assist them in finding the right path for them.

Trillium‘s symbolism lies within the “good stuff” in life that makes life worth living. The Three of Cups is combined with Trillium in this card, speaking about that “good stuff” having to do with family and friends, and spending quality time with them.

Mullein is a spiritual cleanser that allows the opening up of the lungs in order to circulate in positive energy through the breath and release negative energy on the exhale.  The combination of this herb with the Four of Swords speaks of taking time, as well, for the self in order to rest.  This rest is not about reflection, but rather about restoration and recovery.

Take Away:  I can better express to my loved ones how I feel about them by being open about my feelings and, instead of simply guiding them, spend some quality time with them enjoying their company as well.  The cards also remind me that I have a need for a certain amount of alone time and that it’s a requirement for my self care, and that I will better enjoy the time I spend with my loved ones if I tend to that need.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge
Question: What is the biggest challenge that I will face this month?

Reading Summary: Financial uncertainty (King of Chalices Rx) brought about by making a long term choice (The Lovers) taking me down a path of in sharing the wealth that has the opposite effect upon my situation (Ten of Chalices Rx). My mother subsequently letting me have it for having done so (Queen of Swords).

Take Away: Thank you for the warning.  I’ll make damned sure to practice being especially miserly this month.   Honestly?  I’m way too hard on myself to want to deal with listening to my mother call me an idiot.  She has a sharp as fuck tongue and I’d rather just… not.

The opportunity to “contribute” to some cause, beneficial or otherwise, hasn’t really reared its head yet this month, but I’m going to be damn sure to keep an eye out for it.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE 78 DOORS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What unrealistic expectations have I placed on myself?

Reading Summary: I’m too harsh in my self judgements (Judgement) concerning bad calls/decisions/choices (Two of Feathers Rx) concerning the handling of financial matters and resources (Knight of Rocks). Ease up. You can only work with what is available to you (Temperance).

Take Away:  I think the spider in its web is a really good image for this reading, as it comes down to that tangled and sticky web of habit and constant judgement against the self, yes?  It’s something I fall into and get caught up in again and again.   The reading here is about not being so hard on myself about shit I have no control over.   Sometimes I fall into grousing over missed opportunities that weren’t really opportunities within my reach in the first place.

As a hypothetical example, say that you want to apply for a credit card with certain benefits, but you have to have a personal income of $100K to even apply, which is nowhere near your income bracket.  Then later down the road something happens and you’re kicking yourself for not having that credit card. There was no way you were ever going to get that card, even if you’d applied for it, but somehow you’re beating yourself up over not having it anyway.

The cards are essentially telling me to focus on what I can control, and let go of the rest.

DECK USED:  TAROT FAUNA