❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Animals Divine Tarot, Tailors Storytelling Game Cards, Mythical Folklore Lenormand

Earth – Queen of Pentacles and Discover the Treasure – This week is a time to look for the boon.  You’ve done well with getting finances in order and you’re strategizing your way to a more organized home.  But there’s more to be found and more to be had.  Take time to explore and discover what these boons you’ve not yet found might be, and use your practical nature to put them to use for your benefit.

Air – Three of Cups, Soldier atop Find True Home – Make sure you are reflecting on what makes home… home.  Reflect on the truth in the fact that it’s about those you surround yourself in. Home is not a place… it’s a feeling.  It’s a feeling that you only get in the company of certain people.  Now is a good time to connect with who those people are and appreciate that comfort and camaraderie that they provide.

Water – Eight of Cups and Choose the Path – If it’s not working?  Let it go. Just do it.  It’s okay to decide that what once held sentimental meaning has faded over time and that something is now just a dust collector instead of something of emotional value.   As you go through the things you are donating over the week ahead, keep this in mind.

Fire – Six of Swords atop The Tower, Tyrant – Again we see an encouragement to choose a direction and move away from what isn’t working, although in this case it is very clear what isn’t working is people treating you like shit.  Don’t let anyone tear your confidence or compass down.  It’s not okay.  You can turn and walk away from that shit at any time, so do it sooner rather than later.  No reason to stick around and listen.

Waning – Letter and Whip – These cards echo upon the Fire position above, and they are about walking away from crappy news that turns into self flagellation. Do not allow how others deliver their opinions to drag you down and make you harder on yourself.

Waxing – Ship and Mountains – Delays and more delays.  You’re going to struggle with the path forward to getting to where you want to go this week.  Instead of allowing the hurdles and delays to feel like obstacles, use them to direct your attention to other things that you can do in the meanwhile.

Take Away – Purging the bad and letting go, combined with seeking out the comfort and familiarity of those that you love and are familiar with are the theme of this week.  Whether it’s things that aren’t doing it for you anymore or people’s words that could be hurtful, leave them behind instead of letting them stick around and be in the way.  Instead, turn your focus towards family and friends, support and comfort.

DECKS USED: DIVINE ANIMALS TAROT, TAILORS STORYTELLING GAME CARDS, MYTHICAL FOLKLORE LENORMAND

Staying Connected

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was a quiet time spent with breathing exercises and piriformis stretching.  It was peaceful and quiet… well other than some intruding thoughts about next steps in the home organization department.

Witches Wisdom TarotToday’s draw is the Four of Water (Cups), which is traditionally a representation of apathy and withdrawal, meditation, taking time for contemplation, and aloneness (which can often also be loneliness).

Here in this imagery we have the theme of connection.  You are not alone, even in your most solitary times.  Whale song travels miles through water to reach to others and connect, serenading the sea in the process.

Today’s card is a reminder of the connection you have to others.  Don’t withdraw into yourself.  Don’t allow yourself to pull away from them when that connection is something healthy that you need in your life.

DECK USED:  WITCHES WISDOM TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2022 Challenge Prompt
Topic for January 23rd:
Do Spread #2
Question
: Once it’s all said and done, will I be happy with the end result of the living room shelves?

Witches Wisdom TarotReading Summary: There is a connection between the vines the woman wears in strength, and the lush beauty of the Ace of Cups.  This speaks of having the strength to work through newness, especially when there is an overlap into the Page of Cups Rx.  Uncertainty in lighter greens bleeds up into a greater certainty in the Ace of Cups, while both of these cards speak of newness.

There is also a connection between the Witch of Air and the Ten of Air.  In both cards, there is flight through the braids and skirt of the woman, the wings in the crows. This speaks of the ability to use your clever mind to discard and restart… the spinning of the figure indicating that this “discard and restart” may need to repeat more than once.  Combined with this, there is a hint of connection in the background colors between the Strength card and the Ten of Air, speaking of the ability to use your strengths to overcome a journey that ends in unsatisfactory ways, to use what is learned to do better.

Take Away: Overall, emotionally you will learn to be happy with it. It’ll be new, and there will be a lot of adjustment to make along the way before you get there though.

You’re going to go through organizing, and then re-organizing things a number of times before you find that peace and contentment you’re looking for. The good part is, is that one of your greatest strengths is your sense of organization. In the end you’ll figure it out, it’s just gonna take some time and repetition to get it right.

DECK USED: WITCHES WISDOM TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

When I wasn’t feeling well, I laid down instead of trying to push through.

Sidestepping Negativity

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Celestial Botanical OracleToday’s draw is Okra. Being an oracle instead of a tarot, there is no “traditional meaning” for this card. That said, metaphysically speaking, the Okra plant is a representation of clearing out and/or avoiding the negative, slipping past those things that might hurt or harm, and shedding unhealthy connections.

The herb in this card is about near misses and avoiding negative influences in one’s life.  The words on the card “awaken your magical powers” speak of a need to get more in touch with the magic within you.

Together, the cards are an encouragement.  They are a reminder that instilling magic into your daily life is something that is supposed to improve your life and lift you up.  If it’s not doing that?  It’s time to look at why it’s not doing that, and make some course corrections.

DECK USED:  CELESTIAL BOTANICAL ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2022 Challenge Prompt
Question
s for January 21st and 22nd

Celestial Botanical OracleWhat is something that you miss that you can bring back into your life?

Oak and Wisteria – Trying new things with your creative energy. A good long while ago, you accepted that in order to juggle your responsibilities with your self care, some things have to be put on the back burner. That included the chase after every little inspired idea that comes along.

These cards indicate that now is a good time to begin resurfacing your creative spark and enthusiasm for new projects.  This doesn’t mean you will be able to chase after every little thing that strikes your fancy.  But, it means that you can begin to be open to these ideas again… just pick and choose instead of going after every single one of them indiscriminately.

What in your life needs started now for it to be ready when you need it?

Willow and Witch Hazel – Lean deeply into your magical, spiritual, and divinatory knowledge.  Share it with others.  You have a lot of knowledge under your belt, a lot of experience and strong connection to the energies and entities surrounding these pursuits. Pick them back up now that the holiday rush is over.  Don’t allow the rest of the year be polluted by that six week stretch.

DECK USED: CELESTIAL BOTANICAL ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

The TV is HUNG!  It lives above the fireplace now.   And I ordered the cords and connectors I will need to make it perfect. It feels very satisfying to have it set up there.  Next step is to get the shelves and the backing.  In the mean time, I have some shuffling to do with furniture and things.

There’s More In There

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Teddy TarotToday’s draw is the High Priestess card, which is traditionally a representation of sacred knowledge, secrets, the mysterious feminine spirit, the subconscious mind, and intuition.

Today’s card is a reminder that I’m more than my work.

It’s an orders day, and on orders day I often have a hard time keeping up on self-care stuff and focusing anywhere other than on work. It’s easy to forget that there are other needs that need met and other things to be done.  It’s easy to forget to listen to myself.

The High Priestess is a reminder to make sure that I’m listening to what I need, hearing the inner whispers and what they’re saying, and not falling so deep into my work that I become deaf to everything else.

DECK USED:  TEDDY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2022 Challenge Prompt
Question for January 20th
: What is your greatest vice that you’re not consciously aware of?

Yoru No Sumi-EReading Summary: Seeing your impatience with yourself and self abuse as something that makes you stronger.

Take Away: I am so fucking guilty of this. SO guilty. I am impatient with myself so often, and neglect myself or abuse myself in small (and sometimes not so small) ways so often.  With a hard heart, I look at these moments as “toughening up” when in fact… I’m already tough enough and I need to be kinder to myself.

I’m not sure how to break myself of this habit, or this viewpoint that these unhealthy habits make me stronger.  Perhaps Gid might have some ideas in this area.

DECK USED: YORU NO SUMI-E

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJanuaryTarot Wheel of 22 Challenge Prompt
Question for January 20th
: How can I create healthy stability in my life as I move through 2022?

Teddy TarotThe Sun atop Two of Pentacles Rx – Lean into positivity to a point that feels excessive. The pessimist sees a tea spoon of optimism as a gallon jug.  It’s not a gallon jug, it’s a teaspoon. You can go so much further with this than you realize, and still not be annoying anyone but yourself with it.

Three of Pentacles – Allow others to help you even more in your work. Letting others do more has been a major theme for the past year, but there’s more that you can go in this area as well.  Keep looking for opportunities to involve others in the process more and share the responsibility more evenly.

The Moon – Don’t be stagnant when uncertainty rears it’s ugly head. As a reading earlier this week pointed out, sometimes hunkering down to brace doesn’t create more stability, it just creates stagnancy. Keep moving. When you stop to brace, those moments of stillness are something that you end up stuck in.

DECK USED: TEDDY TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I made a concerted effort to eat on a schedule today even though I was struggling with concentrating on anything outside of work.

Mercury Retrograde Self-Reflection Reading

Oracle of Mystical Moments

Mercury is in Retrograde from January 14th thru February 3rd. As the planet of communication, when Mercury goes into retrograde, it can often affect people by shifting their perspectives and abilities when it comes to one’s communication with others, including family and friends, work, social media, and more. Admittedly, I don’t often experience these affects personally, but I liked the spread. 😉

What perspectives need to be reviewed?

Mermaid’s Love – Take some time to reflect on your relationship with Gideon and just how well you fit together like puzzle pieces.  One’s strengths support the other’s weaknesses and vice-versa.  In this relationship, you are equals for each brings something to the table that is unique and that the other needs. Combined, you become more complete than either of you are when apart.

Ways I can work through any mental blockages.

Eva – Don’t allow yourself to hide away that which needs to be seen and known.  Secrets, especially those kept from yourself, are poisonous and can not just set you back but incapacitate you entirely, depending on what they’re about.  Pay attention and be aware of what you are hiding from.  Awareness is the first step to finding resolution and a better path forward.

How can I bring in more conscious thought practices?

Moondance – Work on that optimism that helps you see life through a more magical lens.  Only when you’re able to see the beauty around you are you at your best, and only then will you be more easily and with more confidence be able to balance the hard parts with the easier ones.

Ways I can be more clear and concise with communication.

Queen Bee – Be strong.  Be supportive.  You don’t have to choose one or the other.  Gentle your sharp tongue to provide a more nurturing energy that can lift people up, even as you remain strong on your boundaries and expectations.

What thinking patterns or ideas do I need to release?

Touch the Sky – Unhealthy alone time is awfully tempting, even during times when things are going well.  It’s that lingering in bed, those stolen moments retreating into the games on your phone, the temptation to nap when you don’t need one and linger in the limbo of waking instead of returning to face the day head on.  None of these are good for you, and you need to work at making healthier choices no matter how tempting those unhealthy ones are in the moment.

Main lesson from this Mercury Retrograde.

Like a Bird – How to balance your motivation in a more healthy way. You are capable of succeeding even when you’re not pushing yourself like some kind of slave driver.  It doesn’t mean you’re stalling out, and a slower pace doesn’t mitigate success or create stagnancy as long as you stay motivate to keep moving forward… no matter the pace you take to get there.

DECK USED: ORACLE OF MYSTICAL MOMENTS

No Bracing Needed

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Tharbon I TarocchiToday’s draw is the Quattro di Denari (Four of Pentacles), which is traditionally a representation of

La danzatrice di Jam Jeer dances among her coins, because it is among the coins she feel safe and secure.  Supported.  Just as these coins stand on their edges, she stands on pointe, balanced and stable even while she revels in movement filled with flouncing fabrics and flowing feathers.

This card tells a story of stability and balance that is not created through stagnancy or stillness, but rather through the confidence to feel safe, secure, and stable even while in movement.

The message for today is a reminder that you don’t have to stop, still, and brace in order to find stability. It can be with you every day as you go about your life, and that is the healthy type of stability that we all should be seeking.  Not the kind that lies in stagnant stillness.

DECK USED:  THARBON I TAROCCHI

GroundedInMagic’s #Lovers2022TarotChallenge Challenge Prompt
Question
: How do I let perfectionism get in the way of love?

Le Tarot de GulliverReading Summary:  Don’t be so hard on yourself (Queen of Coins) when you reflect on your efforts towards emotional growth (Ace of Cups).  Even when you’re not paying attention, even when you’re resting (Four of Swords) or completely turning a blind eye the other way (Eight of Swords)… even then, you’re still on the right path in this area.  You don’t have to keep your eye on the ball every moment in this area of your life.

Take Away: Even though I know that this emotional development journey that I’m on is going to take time, for some reason I have a habit of pushing myself to go faster and do more, even when there is no deadline and no “end goal” in sight.

Today’s cards are about self love, and about being kind to myself and not forcing myself to measure and judge every tiny step and moment of progress.  There is no standard of progress here, and there is no race to win or deadline to meet.  Let it come at its own time.  Sometimes the best things develop through fermentation when out of sight (… like good kimchi!)

DECK USED: LE TAROT DE GULLIVER

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2022 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question
: Is it true that pleasure is the root of all true evil?

Tharbon I TarocchiReading Summary: Lush and swollen to the point of near-vulgarity, the trees in the forest of the Nine of Pentacles speak of excess and hedonism.

In the Ace of Cups, a cornucopia overflows, in a bounty of emotions and a demonstration of a different sort of wealth, one based in emotion instead of earthly delights.

Here in the Seven of Swords, we see a forger working at his anvil, creating swords in his workshop and looking not just content, but enraptured with his work while he prepares weapons meant to reap more from the world for those that wield them.

Take Away: Clearly, the opinion of these cards is a resounding yes. I’m not sure I agree, but in this case, it is in the bounty and pleasure of what we can gain that inspires the evil that will be wrought.

DECK USED: THARBON I TAROCCHI

Daily Self Kindness

I put everything back up above the fireplace.  I couldn’t stand it being so bare.  I just couldn’t.  I know that soon I’ll just have to pull it all back down again, but it was really bothering me.