King of Wands

🎨 Weekly Creativity Prompt – King of Wands

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Prompt: “Pull the King of Wands card from your deck(s). Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?“

Joie de Vivre Tarot - King of WandsJoie de Vivre Tarot – The energy of the charge harnessed for a purpose, this king doesn’t just charge forward with enthusiasm, he does so with a plan and invites you along for the adventure.  “Come with me,” he says, “and experience all the possibilities life has to offer!  Seize the day!”  This is the energy that this card brings into a reading, whether it’s through indicating a person in the reading or the spirit/energy of the answer the querent seeks.

King of Wands in the Witch Sister Tarot, Tarot of the North Atlantic, and NYC Tarot

Witch Sister Tarot – The stag is king of the forest not through being an apex predator, but through his strength and commitment to family. He represents nobility and integrity, and stands fast for those under his care. He is passionate about family, and passionate about his role among them. He heads their family, protects them, and guides them forward… and they follow because he instills loyalty within their hearts with his strength and passion.  Seeing the stag asks where you can step up and lead with integrity while sparking the passion of others through their trust and admiration?

Tarot of the North Atlantic – The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales, with a maw that opens impossibly wide. Although males are solitary other than in  youth and mating season, they return and are welcomed back each mating season, again and again. Where do you need to pursue your dreams independently, with the occasional support and cheering on of your support system at your back to bolster you?

NYC Tarot – The Hedonist. This card echoes the energy of the Joie de Vivre card most strongly. The rock star stands on stage and performs, and the crowd screams their cheers, sings along with his songs, and idolizes him.  This king is afloat on the pleasure of success, glowing bright in the light of admiration from others, and eager to grow his following. This card asks two questions on either side of a single coin. Where has success gone to your head? Where do you really shine, and how can you best share this with the world?

DECK USED: JOIE DE VIVRE TAROT, WITCH SISTER TAROT, TAROT OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC, NYC TAROT

Dream Actualization

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Today’s meditation was a nap. I laid down to do it and promptly fell asleep. I think it’s the heat. It makes me sluggish and tired.

The Pacific Northwest Tarot - King of WandsToday’s draw is the King of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s passions, enthusiasm, inspiration, motivations, and principles.

An alpha stands strong at the top of a large rock, surrounded by California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Here we see a symbolism of strength, power, calm objectivity, and regeneration.

The message in today’s card is an encouragement to seize control, and direct your dreams and goals forward where you want them to go. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing. Drawing others into your vision though, can help ensure success.

DECK USED:  THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2022 Challenge Prompt
Topic for June 27th: About peace…

Divination with the Dreampunk Game CardsReading Summary: The sock puppet on the thumbs up in the center card reflects the colors in the “welcome aboard” card on the left. This speaks of a warm, fuzzy, comfortable feeling that comes with being welcomed, accepted, and embraced by others.

The cloud that the thumbs up comes out of in the center card then reflects into the coloring in the background of the card on the right, as does the earthen tones of the ground and volcano beneath that cloud with the earthy nature of the card on the right. This connection speaks of the things that bring us joy and stability in life, and how we can nurture them to help them grow and become strong.

Take Away: These cards indicate that peace is about acceptance, and finding those things that make you feel grounded and happy.

DECK USED: DREAMPUNK DECK

The #STCTarotChallenge Statements of Power Prompt
Questions for June 27th

The Pacific Northwest Tarot and The Crystal Forests OracleI will actualize my dream to…

… see change as an adventure (The Fool), feel more safe and comfortable breaking out of my shell (Six of Swords), and allow change to happen without a reactive inner cacophony of negativity (Black Tourmaline).

By…

…seeing changes in life as an opportunity to celebrate and have some fun (Three of Cups) while clearing out the old that isn’t working in my life (Selenite), instead of falling back on old harmful habits (The Devil) that are familiar and feel so easy (Blue Goldstone).

DECK USED: THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I called Jer to come meet me when I found my car vandalized instead of dealing with it alone.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Kings

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Prompt: Pull the Kings out of a deck of your choice. Consider… Do you have someone in your life, or is there a real or fictional character you know of that fits with one of these cards? Do you have people in mind that would fit with each of them? Then share that here and tell us about the connection you see between each King card and the person or character it represents for you.

Zombie TarotKing of Wands – A man with a plan, this man has lots of plans but sometimes his enthusiasm gets in the way of good sense. Lots of knowledge and experience under his belt, he seems to think he can do anything, then is surprised when things don’t always turn out as planned. That doesn’t keep him from going after the next project on his list though, or the one after that, and bringing his buddies with him in on the job makes everything that much better. His friends come over and have a blast, while the wives curse him for stirring their husbands up… and bless him in the same breath for seeming to give their husbands an extra spark of life.

King of Cups – A gentle touch and a core of steel, this man knows how to make you feel heard and understood. He sees what you’re hiding… or at least that you’re hiding it, and will gently pick at it until you give him that burden you hold so that it can be shared.  He’s easy to trust and draws you in, but make sure you don’t push against his boundaries too hard, or you might find yourself out in the cold again.  He loves hard and deep, but despite the magnetism to draw others in, he’s picky about those that he allows to get in deep.

King of Swords – She stands behind a podium five days out of seven, a large auditorium of young minds hanging on her every word.  The board behind her is filled with evidence of her intelligence and expertise, and she will lead these minds to become the newest generation to change the world.  She’s a hard taskmaster and has a sharp tongue, and god forbid you disappoint her high expectations.  The thing is though? Something about her and those expectations means that if you do disappoint? You’ll be harder on yourself than she has need to be.

King of Hazards (Pentacles) – She exudes a sense of duty and a grounded energy that makes her easy to trust and goes to work each day where that trust is used to lead others. She knows each worker by name. With precision blueprints in her hands, she directs others on bringing her creation to life and with each day that passes, what was only a dream in her mind slowly becomes a reality on the corner of Fifth and Fircrest. Some day her family will live in this building, a structure she’d dreamed of since a child and now is entrusted with bringing to life.

DECK USED:  ZOMBIE TAROT

It’s Okay To Have Limits

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IMG_6366Today’s meditation was just under fifteen minutes long, and was another of the guided meditations with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The topic of today’s meditation was based on allowing ourselves to see the world with a sense of wonder.  This goes beyond the “pause and smell the roses” mentality and is about creating a fascination with our experiences, seeing them as a chance to explore our curiosities.

Mindfulness is believed to connect us to the world with a “beginner’s mind” and find a childlike sense of wonder that we otherwise do not allow ourselves to experience.

Botan Tarot - King of WandsToday’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 drive and ambitions, goals and passionate interests, as well as determination and willpower.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the king’s features as well as the wolf that curls upon his shoulders.  It reminds me of my inner critic and how the dialog it whispers in my ear is always pushing me to do more, be better, work harder.

The problem?  I’m already doing a hell of a lot. I’m already doing my best.  I’m already working hard.  So this inner critic’s voice?  Is pushing me to go beyond my limits, and beyond what’s healthy, just as I see the wolf whispering in the king’s ear doing the same thing in this card.

The message in this card is to make sure you do not allow that whisper to get a foothold in your head and turn you into its slave.   Take care to make sure I’m not pushing myself too hard.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs healing on my solar plexus?

Joe Sparrow Tarot

Reading Summary: Give yourself more credit (Queen of Cups atop Six of Pentacles) for how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come along along (Page of Pentacles) concerning the balance between your responsibilities and self care (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  It takes a lot of hard work and determination (solar plexus centered work) to make these kind of changes in your life. Don’t sell yourself (or your efforts and progress) short.  There still may be a long way to go… but you’ve come a long way and you’ve done a really good job so far.

DECK USED:  JOE SPARROW TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: You / Your Annoyance / What To Do About It

Tyldwick TarotMe – Queen of Coins – I’m both a provider and a nurturer in my relationships with others, especially concerning my relationship with those I’m living with.  Z and my sister depend on me, and for once this isn’t something that freaks me out.  I actually feel quite comfortable in this role for the most part.

My Annoyance – Ace of Swords – Okay, so yes.  I’m comfortable with being a provider. I’m comfortable with being a nurturer.  But jesus f’ing christ they fucking talk ALL the time.  All day every day from the time they get up to the time they go to sleep.  Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk.  How the hell do two people find so much to talk about that they can feel days upon days, months on months with talking?  I have no idea but it drives me nuts.

What To Do About It – Seven of Staves – Note that these are toy soldiers and there is no actual conflict in this card.  This is about perseverance.   It’s about standing strong and accepting that when you’re living with two women, this sort of thing is going to be a part of that.  I love them both, and all the chattering doesn’t change that… nor should it.

DECK USED:  TYLDWICK TAROT

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: How can I best approach my creative space and endeavors to make the most out of my creativity?

The Painted Tarot

Reading Summary: Take control (King of Wands), pick a direction (Two of Wands), and approach with a sense of wonder and curiosity (Ace of Cups).

Take Away:  This actually echoes back to my guided meditation from this morning. To make the most out of my creativity, I need both direction and focus… but I also need to blend in a sense of wonderment and fun.  This curiosity and exploration curiosity is what makes the creative process so very interesting.  It’s just as important as the other two qualities… perhaps even more so.

DECK USED:  THE PAINTED TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I build the courage to say no when I’m uncomfortable doing so?

Samiramay Tarot

Reading Summary:  Don’t let being kind (Three of Swords Rx) become a crutch or a handicap (The Devil). Saying no can sometimes create new opportunities (Ace of Pentacles) for others to master skills they might have otherwise ignored (Eight of Pentacles).

Take Away:  You know, I hadn’t really thought of this perspective before.  But, the thing is?  When I am told “no” to something? My brain immediately moves to how I can either get my way or circumvent the “no” and turn it around into my advantage in some way.  I’m not sure why I hadn’t realized this may be the same for others.  Not everyone, I’m sure.  But sometimes?  Saying no really does open new doors of opportunity, so I shouldn’t allow my temptation to sometimes abstain or say yes get in the way of that.

DECK USED:  SAMIRAMAY TAROT

The Overflowing Plate

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Today’s meditation was interrupted by the fact that my neighbors across the street apparently have absolutely no clue what social distancing means and had a huge party complete with a balcony full of people and a yard full of kids.

On Thursday, they had a similar gathering, but this one was ridiculously bigger.   I mean, I get it.  Being stuck inside sucks, especially in the middle of spring when the weather is nice and the sun is shining.   But seriously?

Anyway, yeah.  No meditation.  I will try to fit one in before I sleep tonight and hope I don’t fall asleep before I finish the meditation.

King of Flame - King of Wands - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the King of Flame (King of Wands), which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the areas of one’s passions, drive, and ambitions.  This often translates into an authoritative energy filled with confidence to go after what they want and the leadership and charisma to confidence others to join in their endeavors.

What really stands out to me today in the imagery of this card has to do with the expression upon the child’s face combined with the flaming crown the child wears and matching infinity above the head of the lion.   What comes to mind as I saw this card this morning was the Shakespearean phrase “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”.

Responsibility is hard… and sometimes? It just plain sucks.  That includes responsibilities to myself, if I’m honest.  You’re right.  Even if I’m not doing the monthly challenges regularly, I need to make sure I’m doing this daily draw and finding the positive message in the card.    So, I’m going to cut back, and only add in a challenge or two in these daily posts when I feel inspired to do so for a bit.

I think with all the stress going on, I have been trying too hard to push myself into my passions in order to ignore my stress and anxiety.  That backfired a bit and I fell behind on my posts as a whole.   I’m going to try and turn that around now by cutting back on my “responsibilities” concerning how much I am doing.

Incidentally, I have also chosen to forgo using the Healing Meditation Deck for the rest of the month for my daily pulls.  Although they work great as a bit of added details and guidance in a reading (such as my Self Care Saturday readings), they don’t fit the purpose of these “finding the positive message” card of the day posts.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

Control Within the Chaos

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Today’s meditation was a little over eleven minutes, and was the next segment in the ‘how to’ series that I have been working through.  The focus on today’s meditation was

King of Wands - Slow TarotToday’s draw is the King of Wands, which is a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality or person in the area of one’s ambitions, passions, and drive.  This manifests in a push of energy toward leadership which displays itself with a commanding presence that possesses high expectations both of the self and of others.

With my feet resting upon the cusp of the busiest time of the year for me, this card’s arrival today is a reminder to project authority in what I do and confidence in my work, which is also my passion and my ambition.

This card is a reminder of the energy needed to ensure that the cacophony of the holiday rush does not overwhelm me.  I am capable of taking control, and I will do so, and move forward with strength and confidence into the chaos of the busy season.

Deck Used:  Slow Tarot

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: Where would I benefit from slowing down?

Gravity Tattoo Tarot Reading Summary: Letting money slide through my fingers (Six of Pentacles) while feeling confident I can indulge in my passions without repercussion (Queen of Wands).  It’s only through staying strong and practicing restraint (Strength) that I will find true stability that I can celebrate (Four of Wands).

Take Away:  As a previous reading has suggested already, as the money flows in from the holiday rush, I have responsibilities to focus on.  Where usually extra money would go into different interests and pursuits, for the time being (as is the same every year) the influx over the next seven weeks needs to funnel into those responsibilities instead.

Deck Used:  Gravity Tattoo Tarot