Lonely Dreamer Tarot

Where You’re Coming From

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6344Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and another of the guided meditations with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was self discipline, which is something that I’m both extremely good at… and crap-ass bad at, depending on what it’s about.   In this case, the topic was about self discipline involved in making sure that you stick with your self care, and that you do not tear yourself to shreds with guilt or consternation when you miss a day now and then.

I am very guilty of this.  Not the guilt so much, but definitely the consternation and self flagellation that comes with me missing a day (or a few days) of my self care routine.  As if I don’t pay for it already with the physical pain aspect of skipping out on those necessary stretches, right?

Botan Tarot - JusticeToday’s draw is is the Justice card, which is traditionally a representation of checks and balances, cause and effect, as well as concepts such as justice, truth, fairness, and the law.

Interestingly, I do not see “justice” in the imagery for this card today.  Rather, I see honor and the pursuit of justice. The pose of this woman knight is one of a tracker in pursuit.  She peers to the left, which for me is a nod to the past and what has come to pass, yet her left foot faces forward in the present.  She is grounded and sure of herself, and looks determined to mete out the justice that needs to be dealt.

The message in today’s card is that it is that in examining where you come from, you can find a clearer view of where you are and where you are going. Everything we do has a consequence or a reaction of some kind.  This is how the world works.  When you push upon a pendulum to make it swing, sooner or later the pendulum has to swing back the other way.  It can be a good idea to take a moment now and then to take a look at the pendulums you’ve put in motion… and make sure when they swing back at you they don’t hit you in the head.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How to improve my relationships with others?

Tarot by Alexander Daniloff 2012

Reading Summary:  Work on my communication skills (Page of Swords) and lean into an empathetic approach (Queen of Cups). It’s not a hopeless cause, so don’t give up (The Star).

Take Away:  It’s really easy for me to get frustrated with my communication skills, as I feel like I do a lot of fumbling in that area and hurting people’s feelings (or otherwise fucking things up) as a result.  The cards here indicate that to resolve this problem, I need to not give up hope, but instead continue to work on my intercommunication skills and… while doing so, lean into a more empathetic side of communicating with others.

DECK USED:  TAROT BY ALEXANDER DANILOFF 2012

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Stop / Start / Continue

Brady TarotStop – Two of Roots – How many rabbits can a fox hold at once?  One.  That’s how many.  And like the fox?  I have my limitations as well, and I need to make sure I’m honoring them.  Stop trying to find wiggle room in my new balance to shove in more responsibilities.  We’re not doing that anymore, remember?

Start – Two of Arrows – The wolf and the cougar are bound together, blind and both of them injured.  Unable to see, does each one blame the other for their pain? It’s time to be honest with yourself.  Take the blindfold off and pay attention to the things that cause you pain and create struggle in your life.  You need to make peace with your inner slave driver.

Continue – Mother of Horns and King of Roots – The nurturing encouragement to connect with my emotions, allowing them to have a place at the table instead of being smothered beneath the lilypads has been combined with my natural grounding and stability that I am so very focused on all the time.  I’ve been spending the summer melding this new level of emotional awareness and growth with my strong need for a grounded life… and will continue to work on that.

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT 2ND EDITION

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: How can I best continue to build on the foundation, lessons, or teachings that make me who I am today?  And how can I act on this information?

WilderWoven Tarot

How to continue to build on my lessons learned?
Eight of Cups and Knight of Wands

The lesson learned here is when to “cut and run”, just as the octopus in the Eight of Cups dumps its ink and heads out for new and better waters. To continue building on this lesson, I need to focus upon those things that spark my interest and go after them.

How can I best act on this information?
The Chariot

Just do it. Leap into the fray and allow yourself to pursue these things instead of holding myself back. You  have all of the willpower and determination needed to make anything you are truly interested in a success.  Hesitation is not your friend.

Just take the leap and move your ass already.

DECK USED:  WILDERWOVEN TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I best take action for myself at this time?

Lonely Dreamer Tarot

Reading Summary: Blinding yourself (Eight of Swords) to the damage you’re doing with your addictions (The Devil) is childish (Six of Cups). Make the moves needed to support your aspirations (Three of Wands).

Take Away:  The addictions I’ve been indulging in over the past few months are unhealthy eating, not getting enough the exercise I need, and my deck spending. The cards here are telling me to stop wasting time and resources with these things, and instead pour the attention and resources into focusing on the future. With the holiday rush approaching, this is really good advice.   If I’m not taking care of myself (and my finances), how can I expect to run my business (and my life during the holiday rush) as needed? 

DECK USED:  LONELY DREAMER TAROT

Willpower and Resourcefulness

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_6221Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a yoga nidra meditation with interval timer. It was a guided meditation, and based on moving one’s consciousness and awareness through the body slowly starting at the head and moving to the toes.  At each part of the body you stop and pause, acknowledge the sensations present and breathe into that area, then exhale and move on to the next. 

I’ve mentioned before that nidra meditations are my absolute favorite.  I love the amount of relaxation I can get from following the process from one part of the body to another in this manner.

The actual focus of the nidra in this particular guided meditation had to do with acknowledgement of sensation.  Sometimes, when we are looking for sensation, we forget about all the sensations we’re experiencing.  It’s easy, when say… focused on your arm.  To focus there and say “no, I don’t feel anything” because the muscle isn’t sore and there’s no pain or discomfort.  But that doesn’t mean that sensation it’s present.  There’s the sensation of cloth touching flesh, of air currents on skin, etc.  These are also just as much sensation as a tickle, pinch, or pain.  

The key being that when we let go of the expectation of what we should be looking for or are supposed to feel, it frees us up to experiencing what’s actually there in the moment.

Botan Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of having all the “tools”, skills, abilities, and knowledge to do what needs doing.  The Magician is knowledgeable, resourceful, and capable, and it is these energies and qualities that are brought into play when this card makes an appearance.

What really stands out to me this card is that keen gaze.  You would think that it would be the tattoos that draw my eyes, and yet that is not where my gaze is drawn when I see this card today.  It’s all about the eyes. They feel clever and cunning and knowledgeable, grounded.  Prepared.  He is the Eagle Scout of the tattoo’d hotties, looking out at me as if to say “you know the answer”.

And that’s the message in today’s card.  I know the answer.  **I** am capable, knowledgeable, grounded, resourceful, and clever.  **I** am more than able to take on the world and bend it to my will, or adapt as needed when bending things my way is not an option.  Today’s card is a reminder that I am a strong and fully capable man more than able to handle what may come.

DECK USED:  BOTAN TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How do I accept life more fully?

Lonely Dreamer Tarot

Reading Summary: Worries and anxieties (Nine of Swords) are blocking your path and holding you back (Nine of Wands). Make the choice (Two of Swords) to overcome (Yellow in Two of Swords) pessimism instead of giving into it (Five of Cups).

Take Away: The cards here make it clear that the worries and anxieties that are blocking my path and stirring up my pessimistic side are something I have a choice about.  This is not an uncontrollable situation and I need to (as readings prior to this have also indicated over the past week) make sure I am making the conscious decision to lean into optimism and positive thought rather than sinking into the habitual pessimism that is my regular tendency.

DECK USED:  LONELY DREAMER TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #1
 How can I create a greater feeling of contentment in my life?

Tarot LeavesReading Summary: Make sure you’re paying attention (Two of Swords) to your inner dialogue (Ace of Swords) and choose a nurturing approach (Empress) rather than a sharp one (Sword imagery in the Ace).

Although leaf shape between the Ace and Two of Swords is very similar and connects these two cards, it is the blues that blend through the three cards, purifying and darkening as they go from the Ace of Swords through the Empress that really catches my eye.

The purity of the blue in the Empress card indicates to me that it is the key player in this spread, ranked in importance above the muffled colors in the Two of Swords and the impure greenish tinge of the blue in the Ace of Swords. Just as that color dynamic speaks to me of a leaning toward the Empress, putting weight upon her importance in these cards, the impression is further reinforced by the purity of the green in the Empress which (like the blues) holds weight in the spread over the more muddled greens in the Ace of Swords.

The red ribbon in the Two of Swords is a splash of color that catches the eye and holds its own weight as it corresponds to the woman’s blindfold, indicating that this card is not about choice in this instance, but about being blinded and not paying attention.

Take Away: I am notoriously hard on myself and that is what the cards are calling me out on in this reading.  In order to create a greater feeling of contentment in my life, I need to be paying close attention to my inner dialog and course correcting any negativity and unpleasant pessimism into a more nurturing vein of encouragement.

DECK USED:  TAROT LEAVES

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: How/What am I currently contributing to my culture, social space, or direct environment?

The Painted Tarot

Reading Summary: I’m generous with my time (Seven of Pentacles), my ear, and my support (Queen of Cups) when others are feeling uncertain or lost (Moon).

Take Away: I contribute to my social space and direct environment by giving of myself.  This includes not just my time but also my support.  I make space for others who are feeling confused or uncertain, providing them with an ear to listen to what they need to get out and try to cast a healing light to help keep that darkness they are experiencing in check.

DECK USED:  THE PAINTED TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What makes me bulletproof?

Brady Tarot 2nd Edition

Ace of Arrows (Truth) – I demand truth, and I “speak” it in turn. It’s not worth it to waste my time on lies and half truths, and  I do not expect to be coddled or pandered to by others. Instead, I would rather know the whole truth up front so that if it is unpleasant I can deal with the fall out and quickly move on from that to other important matters.

High Priestess – My intuition and moral compass.  I am lead by them and I follow them without question, depending upon what they say as absolute truth. I trustingly move to the beat of their drum because I understand that they are whispering secrets in my ear and telling me things I need to know, providing guidance to my benefit, and providing information that would otherwise be beyond my ken.

Mother of Feathers – I like to help others when I can and I give good advice, and have absolutely no trouble admitting I’m wrong when it happens, especially if it is going to give me the opportunity to learn from my mistake. Sometimes I can have a “sharp tongue”, but there is a reason for this when it happens, as it creates a succinct punctuation to my words that catch one’s attention in the way a gentler approach can’t always do.

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT 2ND EDITION