Less Anxiety Affirmation Cards

Present Focus

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Today’s meditation was attempted but I ended up napping instead.  I mean I started meditating, and fell asleep. So, I’ll have re-try the third installment from the Balance app tomorrow.

Memento Mori Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Eight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of movement and swift action. This often translates into a “get your ass moving” theme in a reading, especially when combined with other action based cards.

Here in today’s draw, what we see is in the opposite, though. The affirmation card in today’s pull is a reminder to not push, nor strive and struggle, but instead be mindful of the pleasures of the present, which fits extremely well with the fact that the wands (baseball bats) in this imagery are not just planted in the ground, but also covered in nails.

The message here is that too much focus on the future and not enough on the present is not healthy. Make sure you are enjoying the journey, as the end should not be your focus, but rather what you experiences, learn, and enjoy along the way.

DECK USED:  MEMENTO MORI TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for July 15th thru 17th

Golden Age of Romance Comics TarotWhen am I most creative?
Knight of Pentacles and Five of Pentacles

When you see something you want and are ready to go after that, even in the face of adversity or other hurdles that might try and get in your way. Interest and inspiration spark my creativity and bring it rising up to the surface.

What action can I take today to be more creative?
The Empress and The Hermit

Get your ass out in nature more. Yes, it’s miserably hot and dry, and even during mild summers, the summer feels like a slow crawl through hell. But, you need that time alone in nature to not just center and ground yourself, but also nurture and invigorate your creative juices.

What do I feel when I work on something creative?
Eight of Pentacles and Seven of Cups

You can feel your experience and expertise growing as you expand and grow, and that growth in turn opens up new venues you are then eager to explore. It’s a cycle of accomplishment, curiosity, exploration, that eventually leads again to discovery and then accomplishment, before then beginning again.

DECK USED: GOLDEN AGE OF ROMANCE COMICS TAROT

Cosmic_Crow_Tarot’s #FreedomTarotChallenge Prompt
Question:  What can I do to make the world better for all of us?

Memento Mori TarotReading Summary: Keep creating (Ace of Coins). You provide people with an abundance of satisfaction and joy (Nine of Cups) far more often than you disappoint (Wheel of Fortune).

Take Away: My jewelry business has a purpose that goes far beyond making money.  I take a great deal of pleasure in the fact that the pieces I create and send out into the world are sent out to people who will not just enjoy them, but love them.  Won’t just love them, but will feel beautiful wearing them.

I love that I can make something that can uplift others.  I love that each and every one of the pieces I make is made with the intention to do just that. The potential to do just that.

DECK USED: MEMENTO MORI TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I premade dinner at 2:30am so that I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking today.  Because I was worried that the drop would make it difficult to function today.  Although the drop didn’t hit like I expected it to, I think it was a good plan.

Coming Home

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was the second installment of the Balance app’s introductory sessions. It went as quickly and smoothly as the last, and was an extension on the basic breathing exercises that had been introduced in the first installment.

Fyodor Pavlov Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home.  This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.

Sometimes?  We get so wrapped up in work and responsibilities that we lose track of the simple pleasures that are offered to us in just having a safe and secure place to live and rest.   We forget just how fortunate we are, and just how much we have to be grateful for and celebrate in our lives.

The cards in today’s draw are all about the need to take a step back from responsibilities and obligations to make sure we are appreciating these things we take for granted.

By protecting your time and giving yourself room to truly get in touch with a practice of gratitude, taking time to appreciate those things that make you feel good and happy, safe and secure, it opens up our lives to instill a “breath of fresh air” into the times when we have to push ourselves a little harder.  So don’t forget, when you walk through your front door, to take a moment to pause.  To connect with the sense of safety and security, comfort and pleasure, that coming home creates.  Connect with… acknowledge… and appreciate just what that moment of easing does for you, and how good it feels.

DECK USED:  THE FYODOR PAVLOV TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Questions for July 16th thru 18th

The Experiential TarotWhat abundance can I expect throughout the summer?
Ten of Swords and Queen of Pentacles

As the summer continues, so too will continue your gentle and slow exploration of this year’s shadow work. There will be painful moments, and lots of opportunity to show yourself kindness and help yourself heal. Throughout this period of time home life and finances will continue to remain stable.

What abundance can I expect throughout the autumn?
Knight of Cups and The Hierophant

Autumn will bring about the opportunity to dive into old traditions surrounding what makes you happy. Lots more time outside, in the woods and among the liminal places of the forest. The summer having been so hot and dry, autumn I’ll give you the break that you need from these conditions so that you can dive in and once again really enjoy these long-standing methods of instilling joy, peace, and happiness in your life.

What abundance can I look forward to in the winter?
Ten of Pentacles and The Wheel of Fortune

Money. Money. Money. And a wealth of ups and downs that come with a busy season. The holiday rush is always a roller coaster ride of anxiety and overwhelm. But, the benefits of it are in the monetary gain that then stretches out throughout the rest of the year to support in the times when things are not so busy or lucrative.

DECK USED: THE EXPERIENTIAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Questions for July 16th and 17th

Fyodor Pavlov TarotWhat unresolved angst is my inner adolescent still holding onto?

Eight of Pentacles Rx and Three of Swords – That “not good enough” dissatisfaction and disappointment in yourself. This topic has been explored a bit in a handful of readings over the past week, including touching on where those feelings come from and where they belong. This is something that needs working on, and worked with, in order to ease up on and eventually release.

What steps can I begin to take to help my inner adolescent in letting go of their unresolved angst?

Nine of Wands Rx and Ten of Cups – Work on easing up on your inner defenses in order to give yourself permission to truly heal, while mixing in a gratitude practice that points out all of the good that you have and that you do for others at this time in your life. This echoes back to yesterday’s cards and the advice about compartmentalizing the past and the present, to make it easier to identify where certain unhealthy inner dialogues are coming from and begin working at finding more satisfaction in the present.

DECK USED: THE FYODOR PAVLOV TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap.  I didn’t really want to, but I needed it.  And, I feel better after having taken it, even if I still feel a bit scattered.  I think that last part may be a bit of the “dazed and confused” beginnings of a sub drop.

Unnecessary Punishments

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and combined with my piriformis stretches, although it was not combined with an interval timer.  I tried out a new meditation app today.  The first ten days are a bit of a trial run where they are supposed to “build a practice” around how you react to the first ten sessions and your goals.  This one went by really quickly, and I’ll be continuing with this process for the next handful of days to see how I feel about this app.

True North Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Three of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of disappointments and heartbreak, although not always of the romantic variety. It’s about the letdowns and the regrets in life, the things that stir within us sorry, grief, and other emotional hurts.

When I see this particular Three of Swords, the emotion that comes through is an ache of betrayal.  We have betrayed the earth with our concrete and asphalt, poison and pollution.  We’ve broken the world.  That is what the imagery of today’s card says to me.

Sometimes when we’re feeling down, we feel like we’ve disappointed, or we’ve been disappointed by others, instead of being kind to ourselves we punish ourselves by wallowing in the painful emotions that arise, as if the situation is our fault instead of something that happened to us. This prolongs our pain, making the disappointment and feelings of life’s betrayal upon us stretch out and disrupt more of our lives.

The thing is?  When you fall down and scrape a knee, it doesn’t mean that it’s now time to sit down and dig into the wound with a dirty stick.

The message in today’s cards is that there is a healthier response to these moments in our lives. Instead of punishing ourselves and wallowing in the negativity bred by these situations, we can be kind to ourselves and help the healing process begin and flourish.

DECK USED:  TRUE NORTH TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJulyTarot #TarotSuitsChallenge Prompt
Questions for July 15th and 16th

Hilda TarotHow or where can I benefit from letting go or going with the flow?
Six of Cups and The Devil

Letting go of some of your past issues from your childhood can help ease you away from crossing the line concerning the things that you enjoy and taking things too far. This in turn helps to reduce some of the more negative consequences that result from indulging in your temptations and addictions.

Something I am asked to reflect / meditate on right now.
The Hierophant and Ace of Cups

Work on identifying ways to take care of yourself outside your norm. By mixing things up, self care can become less of a chore and more of a joy. As much as you appreciate stability and routine, there are just some times that you need to include a bit more diversity to keep things interesting.

DECK USED: HILDA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Draw or write something free form inspired by the card(s).

True North TarotSomething short and sweet today…

There was once a young prince  that more than anything wanted (Page of Wands) to be King (Frog in the Page of Wands staring at the King of Cups).

Unfortunately, on his way to the top he forgot that without the strength and support of others joining you on your journey (Three of Cups), any amount of success or power gained will be empty and without satisfaction (Nine of Coins Rx).

DECK USED: TRUE NORTH TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’m feeling really vulnerable today after the play last night with Gideon.  I made sure to keep my schedule as clear as possible today to make sure I had time with Gideon to help soothe that sense of vulnerability.

Compartmentalization Can Help

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Today’s meditation was skipped today because I overslept.  Which, isn’t really surprising since I was up playing with Gideon until after 5am.

Tarot of the Trees 10th Anniversary Edition and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Three of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of collaboration and team work, coming together to achieve a mutual goal or result, and learning new skills from others.

This affirmation card is a hard one for me.  Okay, hell… this tarot card, for that matter, is a hard one for me.  I struggle with sharing the load.  I struggle with delegating.  And I struggle with taking time away from work and letting go.

The message here is about when it’s time to work, it’s time to work, and to do better work you need to let others in and let others help.   With their help things get done not just faster but without the issues that rushing can cause.     And when it’s time to play?  It’s time to put that work away and focus upon yourself and those around you.

Don’t spend this time when you’re supposed to be taking a break stressing about work.  Don’t spend the time when you need to focus on work daydreaming about taking a break, dragging your feet, or squandering the help others want to offer.  You have responsibilities to yourself.  And to your work.  Compartmentalize.  The less they bleed into each other, the easier you will find both of them to be when focusing on them.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF TREES 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJulyTarot #TarotSuitsChallenge Prompt
Questions for July 13th & 14th

Unruly Game Cards and Tarot of the Trees 10th Anniversary EditionWhat is my intuition trying to tell me, or help me with, right now?
Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and Seven of Pentacles

You are holding on too tightly. You will strangle out your growth before it has enough time to flourish if you don’t ease up. Stop trying to control every little thing and just let things flow at their own pace.

What should I face, or embrace more, in support of my best self?
Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) and Knight of Pentacles

Slow progress is still progress. You’re pushing and impatience will turn your view of your progress rancid if you don’t clean it out and purge these negative perspectives. Don’t let impatience turn what should be a positive into a negative.

DECK USED: UNRULY GAME CARDS AND TAROT OF TREES 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What can I do to help my inner adolescent feel less neglected?

Tarot of the Trees 10th Anniversary EditionReading Summary: Teach your inner adolescent (The Hierophant) to see things from a new perspective (Inverted Tree) that removes the fear of all that he has being stolen away from him at any moment (Seven of Swords Rx).

Take Away:  This answer makes me wonder just how much of my little um… “collecting” tendency actually might land directly in my inner adolescent’s lap.

How much of that too tight grip lives in this inner adolescent’s fear of losing everything and sliding back into the poverty and misery I’ve managed to claw myself out of? 

This might be something worth exploring more in depth at some point.

DECK USED: TAROT OF TREES 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Daily Self Kindness

I got my second vaccination shot today, at the hospital, under supervision.  And stayed for the entire 90 minutes requested afterwards to make sure I tolerated it okay. Everything went fine.  I was about crampy in the stomach, but that had nothing to do with the shot since it’d been going on all day.  No anaphylaxis.  No issues.

Don’t Push So Hard

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Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and was a guided meditation with the Calm app, combined with a interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The focus of today’s meditation was (again) about focusing on the present instead of getting distracted by thoughts of the past and the future.  My favorite part of today’s meditation, though, was in the shift from focusing on the breath to focusing on the hands and dissecting the experience of each fingertip, finger, palm, backs of the hands, etc. I find this type of meditation very soothing.

Joie de Verve Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the King of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of a projective Alpha energy, personality, or person  in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical realm.  This often translates in to themes that have to do with responsibility, stability, and financial acumen, as well as solid, grounded authority figures.

Looking at the affirmation card, it brings up the whole “pushing and striving” thing, and this is something that I do a lot.   Like… a lot.  When it comes to my own work and goals, I am a relentless son of a bitch.  A slave driver.  I know this, and I’ve been working to ease up on myself lately.

The combination of these two cards today is a reminder that it’s possible to both be responsible and successful, even while not pushing yourself until you’re grinding yourself down to a nub.  It’s okay to not push so hard.  You’ll still get where you’re going, it might just take a little longer to get there.  But that extra time?  It won’t be wasted, because you’ll enjoy the journey a great deal more.

DECK USED:  JOIE DE VIRVE TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

Mr Lionharts’ #TheJulyTarot #TarotSuitsChallenge Prompt
Questions for July 11th and 12th

Anecdotes TarotSomething that can help me make the most out of how I feel this week.
Page of Swords and Seven of Batons

Take into consideration what others want from you. This doesn’t mean you have to do it (whatever “it” may be)… but it means that you at least have an idea of what expectations are out there. Then you can choose your own path while being better informed.

In what way am I asked to honor my current feelings?
The sun and Knight of Coins

Fostering feelings of freedom and fun are important. Take some time to have some fun, and don’t worry so much about if your responsibilities and obligations are moving slowly. They’re still moving.

DECK USED: ANECDOTES TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: On the topic of my feelings concerning the progressive glasses that I just got.

Joie de Virve TarotReading Summary: Instead of going in to rectify any issues with the glasses (Eight of Cups), you will be tempted (The Devil) to just sit on the issue (Four of Cups).

The Four of Cups connects to the Eight of Cups through the blue hues, reinforcing the desire to just walk away from the issue and be apathetic about it rather than confronting things.

The Knight of Coins then connects to the Devil through the yellow,  indicating that I need to make sure that I’m being responsible and not letting my temptation get the better of me.

Take Away: Don’t play into that “oh fuck it” mentality when you’ve put so much money on the line for these glasses. Do the hour a day test run with them, and then report in if the issue with the short distance vision is still there at the end of things.  They have an obligation to get them right, and if that means they have to be sent in to adjust the lenses?  Then that’s what needs to happen.

DECK USED: JOIE DE VIRVE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I have now meditated over a week now, and I’d like to take a moment to actually show what the meditation does for me.  A measurable, visible thing it actually does for me and proof that it is helping, and does work, even when I feel like it’s sometimes a waste of time.

Heartrate

Self Worth Is From Within

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Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long, and was another of the guided meditations from the Calm app combined with an interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The focus of today’s meditation was about participating in the present instead of being always focused on the past or the future.  It went into the fact that our brains are naturally wired to look behind us and ahead, it’s a survival instinct that evolved and gave us the benefit over the predators that hunted us in ancient times.

It’s not as useful now, though, when we’re trying to enjoy the present, and meditation is one of the ways we work to overcome this echo from long ago.

Earthside Divine Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation TarotToday’s draw is the Strength card, which is traditionally a representation of inner strength and courage, as well as persuasion and manipulation based in one’s compassion.  The lion is truly tamed not through use of the whip, but through the soothing influence in one’s voice. Or… well, sometimes a little bit of both.

The thing is?  We learn this kind of strength through how we relate to the world and how we learn to navigate others.

The message, when combined with the affirmation card for today, is that self worth comes from within.  It’s not something given to us by others, but is a strength we nurture and foster within ourselves.

DECK USED:  EARTHSIDE DIVINE TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Questions for July 9th thru 11th

The Pri8m TarotWhat should I focus on right now to promote some amazing growth in my life?
Ten of Wands and Two of Wands

To promote amazing growth in your life, you need to focus on unburdening yourself of your overwhelm by sorting through your plans and working to figure out which ones to pursue… and which ones to leave behind.

What will this growth look like for me?
Ace of Pentacles and Four of Cups

This growth will look like new opportunities to find inner peace and healing through meditation and reflection. When sorting through those plans, make sure that you’re leaving room for your meditation practice.  To pursue new opportunities, you will need to be centered.

What would help me most right now to amplify this growth?
Seven of Pentacles and The Void

Patience. Remember that anything that you let go of now, it’s possible it will come around again later if it’s meant to be. You’re not losing out on anything important by going slow and letting go of some of those quicker opportunities.

DECK USED: THE PRI8M TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I better connect with my inner adolescent?

Earthside Divine TarotReading Summary: Growth is a learning process that sometimes needs guidance (The Hierophant), whether that’s growth in the physical world (Page of Pentacles), or growth in the emotional realm (Page of Cups). Need for this guidance doesn’t mean you can’t be enthusiastic about your growth (Knight of Wands).

Take Away:  To connect better with your inner adolescent, you’ll need to show that enthusiasm towards your growth, and find the guidance you need to make it go smoothly, as you marry your physical world with the new emotional perspectives you are exploring.

DECK USED: EARTHSIDE DIVINE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I got both a nap and play time with Gideon.  I also finished my client readings so that I’m all caught up for my time off.