Lion’s Gateway Tarot

Stability… and Shifting Focus

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, but I had a hard time focusing today because I was dealing with some banking issues that got in the way.   The meditation today was tacked on to the tail end of my yoga/physiotherapy, which was really needed.

I actually sort of feel as if I haven’t meditated today, even though I did, and I will do another session before bed tonight as well.

Four of Pentacles - Tarot of the Hidden RealmToday’s draw is the Four of Pentacles, which combined with the imagery in this card speaks to me of protection and stability.

Older generations always speak about how important it is to put money away and save for the future, and that is what I see here.   I see a preparation and protection of one’s future and the future of what is important to you.

Just recently I upped my contributions to my IRA (individual retirement account), as I am already paying the absolute max payment that I can per month on my mortgage.  I don’t want to blow all of my money, but want to make sure that I have cushions in place for when I need them, including a larger one for when I just can’t keep up with the pace I’ve set for myself over the past fifteen years.

I see the appearance of this card as confirmation that I’m making the right choices in this area for the time being, and encouragement that I’m heading in the right direction.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with productivity?

Regretsy Tarot

Reading Summary:  Even though I’m getting a good deal done (Four of WTF), I’m struggling with acknowledging my ingenuity and progress (3 of Tools) which is blocking me from moving forward and leaving behind the negativity of the last few months in exchange for new adventures (April’s Army).  Because of this, I’m feeling a disconnect with the joy in my creative process (The Owl and the Octopus).

Take Away: This is a topic we’ve touched on a couple of times lately (including today) in an effort to pull me back into finding my sense of balance after the mess from the letter and the fear it manifested in me.   I’ve been especially dismissive of my own skills and abilities lately, especially in relation to my creativity and my business.   I know this, I’m just struggling with moving past it.

DECK USED:  REGRETSY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Who in my life needs extra attention at this time?

Lion's Gateway Tarot

Reading Summary: I need to keep an eye out for those in my life that are feeling a lack of focus (Knight of Swords) and hesitating to move forward (Hanged man).  When I spot them avoiding connecting with the path forward (Two of Wands) it will be important to step in and offer them a guiding light and a bit of hope (The Star).

Take Away:  These cards indicate that I need to stop focusing so hard on my own problems and pay more attention to those around me that may also be going through their own struggles.  I’ve had my own issues with self worth lately, but the cards suggest that if I want to dig myself out of my own hole?  I will be able to do that by helping those around me that are struggling in finding their own footing on their own paths.

DECK USED:  LION’S GATEWAY TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: Let it go / Care Bear Stare

Dishonored TarotLet It Go : Step away from unkind thoughts…

Care Bear Stare :  …and into the spirit of generosity.

Take Away:  This is a reiteration of the reading today from the Tarotholics prompt.  It speaks about moving away from being a dick to myself and using helping others to bolster my own spirit and inner strength.

DECK USED:  DISHONORED TAROT

 

Don’t Shut Down

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and focused upon projecting a sense of gratitude, and how having a sense of gratitude in your live helps you to see the value not just in yourself, but in others as well.

It has to do with allowing yourself to notice how many good things and good people are in your life, and thus how deserving you are of good things on the whole.

The Fool - Majestic Earth TarotToday’s draw is The Fool card, which is a representation of unrestrained possibility, spontaneity, and innocence.  It speaks of beginnings and starting anew.

The message in today’s card is one of opening up and speaking up.   The drop is coming and it’s reminding me that in that soft and vulnerable place, it’s not okay to close off, but a time for setting myself open and free in order to allow those wounded and aching feelings inside to be soothed and healed.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I improve my relationship with money?

Love Is In The Earth Tarot

Reading Summary: Take care that I’m not spending my emotions (Princes of Crystal Cups) because focusing on optimism (The Star) is a better path to getting what I want out of life (Four of Crystal Wands)

Take Away:  By “spending emotions” I mean as in how some people “eat their emotions”.  Buying things to feel better, yeah?   The cards say that for a better relationship with money, a better path than buying something to “feel good” it would be a better idea to find ways to lift my spirits through optimism and a better outlook, which will free up that money to assist me in creating the stability and security that I desire most of all.

DECK USED:  LOVE IS IN THE EARTH TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: A positive message to carry with me throughout my day.

Majestic Earth Tarot and Gay Tarot

Reading Summary:  As this is the topic of my COTD, I added the COTD at the center and used this question (and the cards) to then build upon it.   Do this (Temperance), and not this (The Hermit).

Take Away:  Temperance and the Hermit are reinforcements of what I said above.  The drop can make me irrational, thus the arrival of temperance to remind me to stay calm.  The drop can also make me retreat into myself, and the Hermit is a warning about that, and an encouragement to keep myself from going there.

DECK USED:  GAY TAROT AND MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: What’s a distraction? / Where do I need to focus?

Lion's Gateway TarotWhat’s a distraction? :  Past resentments and getting mentally wrapped up in the chaos of inner conflict is a distraction that I’m dealing with at the moment.   Some of this is the approach of the drop.  Some of it is what happened with my visit at mom’s recently.  And some of it is that negative “down on myself” bullshit concerning taking things slow.  All of it is distraction that isn’t doing anything for me.

Where do I need to focus? :  I just made my yearly appointment with my financial advisor at the bank.  This card is about productivity and about getting things done.  I need to train my focus on my goals as I go into this week, and make sure that my actions follow through on my intentions and desires.

DECK USED:  LION’S GATEWAY TAROT

Stand Strong

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and attached to the end of my yoga/physiotherapy practice.  After a handful of days away, getting back into a full practice is really important, and even in just those few days, I can feel the difference in my body from not doing my full routine.  There is a decrease in flexibility, and a tightness in my hips and shoulders that will take probably about two weeks to work out probably.

I used the meditation at the end of my practice to do some deeper stretches and focus on my breath as a way to breathe through the pain and keep my body relaxed through the process.

Nine of Trees - Majestic Earth TarotToday’s draw is the Nine of Trees, which is a representation of resilience and strength.  I really like the little caption in the book for this deck, to be honest.   It speaks about a tree standing strong through the elements and the struggles of harsh environment and harsher weather.  And yet, even on the edge of a cliff in the blowing wind with the weight of snow on it’s boughs, the tree stands straight and tall, a figure of endurance.

This is a beautiful message and I love the use of the tree to convey it.  It speaks of standing strong through adversity, and is something that I need to hear right now when I’ve made my own stand so recently and a hint of guilt teases back in the shadows, not quite reachable or visible, but there all the same.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthFebruary Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I foster a better relationship with my body?

Lion's Gateway Tarot

Reading Summary: I need to make time (Two of Pentacles) to go to the gym with Jer (Three of Cups), something that will not just help me physically, but emotionally as well as being a bonding experience for my friendship (Nine of Cups).

Take Away:  January was so confusing and I can’t even be sure where all the month went.  I feel like I went through the month in a fog of confusion and fumbling in the dark.  But it feels like I’m pulling out of that now since we confronted my fears concerning that letter.  So maybe now that clarity is coming into play, it’s time to start looking at scheduling that time at the gym.

I need to start going again, as the weight I dropped five years ago during my chemotherapy never really came back.  Since then I’ve managed to gain a few pounds, but as soon as I get sick?  I lose them again.  Hell, those purple leather pants from Sunday were from back when I was sixteen.  I need to get some weight on me, and the only way to do it is to get my ass to the gym. 

DECK USED:  LION’S GATEWAY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsFeb2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I best work at improving that skill?

Hide Tarot

Intuitive Interpretation:   I need to stay the course concerning finding those connections I need for a more stable and protected mediumship experience. This is about going slow and steady, but also staying focused.  If I want to improve my abilities with both grief readings and mediumship, that connection to my guides is going to be necessary, and after having ignored them for so long and leaving them to “do their own thing” and essentially do all the work in communication with me, it’s now my turn to show that I am also willing to work at it.

DECK USED:  HIDE TAROT

Owl and Bones February Two Card Challenge
Question: What to attend to / What to leave behind

Majestic Earth Tarot

What to attend to: Optimism.  I need to work on my optimism, which includes working harder at holding each day’s positive message with me throughout the day.  It’s great to have that positive message in the morning, but sometimes I lose sight of it through the day.  I saw an idea lately on one of the Discord servers where someone uses the card for their COTD as their phone’s wallpaper each day.  I think I might give that a try as a way to help me keep in touch with each day’s positive message throughout the day.

What to leave behind: It’s time to take a step back from my more analytical mindset and allow my emotions to have a piece of the action.  Sometimes decisiveness and analytical thinking just isn’t enough, and you have to reach for more.

DECK USED:  MAJESTIC EARTH TAROT