Inner Joy Oracle

Honey vs Vinegar

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Inner Child Deck's Knight of Clouds/Knight of Swords and Inner Joy OracleDaily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Queen of Swords (Clouds), which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s knowledge, education, logic, ambitions, or communication. This often translates into themes that have to do with the people that foster you through tough love and sharp-tongued advice.

Keep those narratives (inner and outer) positive.

Yes, tough love is a thing. Remember, though, that it’s usually not necessary.

Instead of letting your sharp tongue and sharper mind step in and start cutting right out of the gate, take a slow breath and try a softer, kinder, and more compassionate approach first. You can always resort to that sharper edge if needed, but these cards are a reminder that you’ll “draw more flies with honey than vinegar”.

Today’s message is to not be an ass until you actually have to be. It might be more expedient, but it puts people on edge and pushes them away. Take the time to try kindness first. Those hard, sharp edges can come out later if needed.

DECK USED:  THE INNER CHILD DECK AND INNER JOY ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2025 Challenge
Philosophical Question for July 30 : What distinguishes knowledge from belief?

The Card of Changes Oracle ReadingReading Summary: Knowledge is the beginning of something solid (Qián). Belief has the ability to not just be wrong (Gǔ), but fool us with deceptions and mistaken impressions if we aren’t careful (Xiǎo Guò).

Take Away: These cards indicate that knowledge is based in truth, which is based in proof.  Belief, on the other hand, is based in one’s feelings and personal understanding, which is not as solid a foundation as truth and proof.

I’d like to add that this doesn’t necessarily mean that belief cannot be knowledge as well, but it requires proof positive to bridge the gap between one and the other.

Other elements included in this reading:
Black Spruce needles to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Amethyst Buddha for Serenity in Spiritual Connections
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE CARD OF CHANGES ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I finally gave in and ordered myself a new sleeper earring (I lost the old one) for my unhappy helix piercing. It’s been bugging me for a while, and I need to get something in there that won’t agitate it instead of just hoping it’ll stop on its own.

Strength In Vulnerability

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Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app.

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The Nigel Jackson Tarot's World Card and Inner Joy OracleDaily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is The World card, which is traditionally a representation of the end of a journey, the completion of a time of growth, accomplishment, and transitioning from one path in life to another.

When we learn to accept and appreciate our vulnerabilities, a new journey begins.

When I became my partner’s submissive seventeen(?) years ago, I spent a few years feeling awkward and embarrassed. Not with what we have or did with each other, but with how others might perceive me. I worried that in other people’s eyes, being submissive in our relationship made them see me as weak.

It took me time to accept that this is a part of myself, and even longer to see, understand, and truly accept that my submission is not a weakness. It takes courage to let someone else take the reigns, and strength to find that balance in a relationship that fits for both of you. It also takes strength to allow our vulnerabilities to show, which is also a part of submission (not to mention the subdrop, which I’m personally prone to).

Once I got to a point where I could see that strength in my submission and all it entailed? It no longer mattered anymore what others thought. I had moved into accepting myself and my vulnerabilities more easily.

Today’s cards ask us to look at these things about ourselves that we see as weaknesses or vulnerabilities, and seek out how they make us better and stronger. The message here encourages us to recognize that by accepting these vulnerabilities and seeing them as strengths to value, instead of weaknesses to be ashamed of, we become more authentically us.

DECK USED:  THE NIGEL JACKSON TAROT

@LightningWildflower‘s July Tarot Challenge
Reveal Prompts for July 25 – 27

The Spiritual Meaning of Birds Oracle ReadingWhat truths are coming to light in my life?

Chickadee/Sweet Brier – It’s is through the shedding of old ideas and patterns for new ones that we continue to grow and change. You lead naturally in areas where you hold knowledge and expertise. Remember that keeping that expertise up-to-date and relative means not getting so bogged down by old ideas and traditions that new ones can’t be added.

What hidden gifts have I uncovered?

Cuckoo/Feverpod atop Magpie – You have a one track mind when it comes to your hoarding tendencies, and aren’t above lying to yourself to convince yourself to continue on with addictive behaviors (which hoarding is included in) well past when it would be healthier to back off.

Fortunately, you are aware of this and work to stay attentive to these issues. As you have begun to explore mediumship, your ancestors have also stepped forward to help in establishing and maintaining balance this area.

What am I afraid (or resistant to) reveal to others?

Wren/Winged Elm – You are resistant to let other’s see your more extreme swings in mood and behavior. You don’t like the highs and lows, and worry that showing these extremes may cause you to appear less dependable. You’ve worked so hard to create a stable foundation for yourself, and worry that these extremes could create cracks in that foundation not just for yourself, but also for others who depend on your stable nature.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Rainforest Rhyolite for Facilitating Calm Transitions
Flower Agate Moon for Opening the Mind to New Possibilities
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF BIRDS

Daily Self Kindness

I went to the dentist to have my cleaning done, even though I was extremely tempted to cancel my appointment.

Emotional Intelligence

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The Whisper of Stars and Garden Tarot's King of Cups and Inner Joy OracleDaily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the King of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, emotional intelligence, creativity, or intuition. This often translates into authority figures that are emotionally supportive and understanding, possessing both compassion and strong leadership qualities.

In my life, no one celebrates me more than my personal King of Cups. Gideon is my cheerleader and my biggest fan. He often knows me better than I know myself, and doesn’t just provide emotional support in the traditional sense, but also assists in my emotional growth by helping in sorting out my confusing emotions and learning how to interpret and/or deal with them in healthy ways.

These are things that, left to my own devices, I struggle with. I spent so much of my childhood and a good portion of my adult life disconnecting from and burying my emotions, that in the present I often struggle with identifying what I’m feeling.

Thanks to him, I’m now learning about my emotions. I can’t say it’s an easy road. It’s confusing and often frustrating. But, what I’m discovering along the way is that emotions have a place in my life after all, and the potential to make life a richer and more enjoyable experience… if I let myself experience them.

The message for today is about the value of your emotions, as well as those that have taught you by both guidance or example how to identify and process them.

This type of support is often overlooked. It’s usually experienced in childhood, integrated, then the source of support (or perhaps the support itself, to be more specific) is forgotten about. Today’s cards ask; who provided the foundation for how you view, process, and respond to emotions? How does their influence still carry forward for you into the present?

DECK USED:  THE WHISPER OF STARS AND GARDEN TAROT AND INNER JOY ORACLE

@LightningWildflower‘s July Tarot Challenge
Trust Prompts for July 22 – 24

The Witch of the Forest Earth Oracle and The Herbal Healing Oracle ReadingWhat does trust look like for me?

Patchouli and Spilanthes – Dependability, especially on an emotional level. You aren’t fond of surprises, and unpredictably causes you to feel the need to put up your defenses, even with those in your inner circle. This is why you choose not to be around people when they are drinking; you view their inebriation at unpredictable and it makes it hard for you to trust them even in the smallest ways during these times.

In what way do I need to trust myself more?

Mint and St John’s Wort – You don’t need to supervise with exacting detail every step taken along your path. Trust yourself to be surefooted even when you’re not looking, even during times when you are outside your comfort zone. Your moral compass and sense of what’s right for you will help keep you headed where you need to go, even when you’re not investing everything you have into staying on track.

Where is uncertainty holding me back?

Lavender and Violet – Your explorations into mediumship could be going much faster. You are currently moving at a pace so slow that it’s bordering on discomfort. That tight grip on “the reigns” feels like it makes things safer, but it’s actually a choke-hold on your progress. Ease up on the reigns a bit and let things develop and connect more naturally. In return you’ll find more comfort, peace, and familiarity in this practice.

Other elements included in this reading:
Black Spruce Tips to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Serpentine Dragon to Bolster Heart and Emotions
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Citrine for Energy Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE WITCH OF THE FOREST’S EARTH ORACLE DECK AND THE HERBAL HEALING DECK

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap this afternoon before driving home this evening.