making decisions with the tarot

Internal Struggles

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

Today’s meditation was done on the hardwood floor with my feet up on the bed. I needed the extra support because my back was killing me and the hard surface helped with stabilization and stretching it out. The meditation was not guided and lasted about fifteen minutes of quiet breathing.

Two of Pentacles - Ostara TarotToday’s draw is the Two of Pentacles. This is a card that I usually see quite a bit of chaos concerning. Not in the “Tower” sense of chaos, but just in that it takes a good deal of work to create balance and sometimes that work can feel chaotic.

In this card? It feels even more so. It is the smoke from the bottles, but mor than that, it is the lack of constraint created by the infinity loop that usually accompanies the balancing of the two aspects. There is also the element that the man is floating, which increases that sense of lack of control.

And yet? The birds on the ground are calm and perceive no threat.

Today’s card is a reminder that although creating balance can sometimes feel like a process that is chaotic and anchor less, this is just a trick of the mind. An internal struggle. And if you take a moment to step outside yourself in these moments, you will find that everything is fine, and that the storm is only on the inside.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: How can I be more trusting of my inner voice?

Tarot of the Little PrinceReading Summary: Take some time to look around instead of holding so tightly to the reigns (The Chariot), sometimes you have to look back at the things you’ve done in life and forgive yourself for your faults (Judgement) snd instead focus on all the good you’ve done instead (Six of Cups).

Take Away:  The cards are indicating that I am too hard on myself, and too harsh and stringent with myself. They are saying that if I want an even better connection to that inner voice, I need to let up and treat my inner self better.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Self Care Saturday… On a Sunday

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

As I’ve mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

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

Earth – King of Cups – Take some time to project for myself some compassion and forgiveness, especially concerning any limitations that might arise in the week ahead.

Air – The Devil – Am drowning myself with the weight of all the “stuff”. Take a step back and evaluate mental clutter. Search for any obsessions that are not serving me and let them go.

Water – Queen of Pentacles – Going to need some alone time and to take some time to lose myself in fantasy and flights of fancy in order to nurture my emotional side.

Fire – Page of Rods – This week is a time for exploration and discovery. Try something new instead of the same old thing.

Waning – The need to carry my home with me is going to ease. This is not surprising, and is in direct relation to going home tomorrow.

Waxing – A new journey and crossing from the known into the unknown. This card feels like it is connected to the Fire cards in this spread.

Moral of the Story – New adventures ahead, but from home rather than abroad. Keep an eye out for what may be adding unnecessary stress or “weight”. Be sure to make some space and time for myself to breathe.

Deck Used: Morgan Greer Tarot

A Peter Pan Kind of Day

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and eight seconds, and focused on shame and how to deal with shame so that you can move past it.

I do not really have a lot of experience with this particular emotion, despite my father’s insistence throughout my life that I should. There are times, of course, when I have felt guilty for hurting someone on accident, not making good choices, or occasionally from my mother’s machinations. But, I do not consider guilt to be shame, as I believe they are two very different monsters.

Regardless, I do believe that the way to deal with both of these is much the same, which is what is what was outlined in today’s guided meditation. This method is by approaching yourself with kindness and understanding in these moments, as guilt and shame both come from a place of harsh judgment inflicted upon the self.

Today’s draw is the Six of Cups, which is a representation of vitality, harmony, and cooperation in the area of emotions, creativity, intuition, and relationships.

The Six of Cups can often represent a youthful energy, and this is a part of the message that this card has for me today.

In my morning devotional this morning, part of my hopes for the day was to “enjoy the day to its fullest”. The appearance of this card is telling me that in order to do that I need to get in touch with my inner child and that fun vibrant spot inside of us all that is the birthplace of enthusiasm and joy.

This is also a mindful practice for me in living in the now instead of always pushing for the future.

Although I have a long drive ahead of me and much to do, I am going to strive to approach each task and challenge today from a mindset filled with the spark of joy and adventure, rather than one of responsibility and drudgery.

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5

 

Be a Nice Boy

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on clarity of the senses.

This is the conscious act of taking time to pay attention to both the world around you and your own body, rather than allowing disinterest to muffle the things that you are experiencing.

This is especially important when feeling like the world is a drab and boring, and there is nothing new of interest to capture and hold one’s attention. At these times a lot of people take trips or go on vacations, but that really isn’t necessary in order to refresh one’s view of the world. What is needed is to focus on and appreciate the little things. That is what clarity of the senses is all about.

Bearing down on the little details, sort of like putting on a new pair of glasses after getting a new prescription, allows you to see things from a new perspective and appreciate the complexity and beauty of even something so small as a crack in the pavement.

This is along the same theme as yesterday’s forest bathing, although you are taking this awareness with you back into your regular life rather than leaving it behind in the forest.

Today’s draw is the Five of Wands and the 15th card in the Major Arcana, the Devil card. No the card is a jumper, as they both came out together.

The Five of Wands is a representation of struggle and strife, tests and trials, harshness, discord, and conflict in the area of one’s ambitions, drive, willpower, and passion.

The Devil card is a representation of temptation and the shadow self. This card, like all major arcana cards, does not represent a certain aspect of life but rather the larger picture as a whole.

As part of the subdrop, I found myself with a tendency to feel a bit snippy this morning when interacting with other people. Today’s draw is a reminder that this temptation will only lead to conflict, and seeking out conflict… or inspiring conflict, will only lead to a crappier day and the emergence of more of my shadow self self.

This is a cycle that will continuously feed upon itself. It is a cycle that I need to be aware of today, so that I can avoid it and have a more pleasurable day, as well as to avoid affect other’s days in a negative way.

Coping With Subdrop

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty six seconds, and focused on shinrin-yoku, or what is known as “forest bathing”.

This is a type of eco-therapy where one takes a walk in the woods and, instead of spending the time distracted by one’s phone, thoughts, or the drive for getting exercise, you focus on your senses and what you are experiencing there within the forest.

This includes everything from listening to the sounds of the forest such as the rustle of leaves and sound of insects, to the scents of the forest such as the smell of the earth and the trees, the experience of touch through feeling the sun and air on the skin or the feeling of dappled shade through leaves, taking in the colors and shapes and beauty around you, and even taste through how the air tastes as you breathe it in.

When I hike, this is my practice. I am not hiking in order to get exercise or see how far I can go. I am there to enjoy nature in all of its subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways. Sometimes, I might bring my camera… but I always turn my phone off and leave my earbuds at home.

To me, hiking has always been a time to commune with nature. Like some people use a maze or labyrinth to foster mindfulness, I have always used the hiking trails in the forests here where I live in this way.

Today’s draw is the 14th card in the Major Arcana, the Temperance card. Like all cards in the Major Arcana, this card deals with not just one single aspect of the human experience, but instead a broader picture as a whole.

The Temperance card is a representation of moderation, balance, and patience. It speaks of the need for a pause before reacting, thought before action, and reflection before absorption. This is an extremely good card for me today, because the subdrop has definitely arrived! Holy crap, has it ever.

One of the qualities of the Temperance card is to remind you to remain calm during times of stress and chaos. The subdrop is absolutely a time of stress and chaos for me, as I feel extremely vulnerable emotionally during this time.

As a result, the message of the card for today is just to take my time. Remember that I need to consciously seek out balance and stability, rather than just flying off the handle over every little thing. No matter whether that be mentally, emotionally, or even physically.

Side Note: Whenever I am in subdrop, it always reminds me of those movies where a woman is in labor and she looks over at her significant other and screams at him, “This is all your f’king fault, you son of a bitch!”.

Like pregnancy and labor, the sub drop is a joint endeavor… but in the moment, I just feel like blaming it all on you. Just sayin’.

 

Step Off

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on creativity, or rather on creative blocks (such as writer’s block, for example).

The guided meditation discussed how it isn’t in pushing yourself that you can overcome these blocks, but rather in letting go.  Taking a moment of stillness and peace, of mindful existence in the present, and using that step away from the blockage, whether it be for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, or longer, to clear the mind of that frustration and drive.   And, that once you do this, creativity has a way of returning to it’s natural flow all on its own.

As is often the case, today’s meditation correlates well to today’s daily draw, which is the Ten of Swords. This card is a representation of culmination and completion in the areas of the mind, logic, intellect, communication, and ambition.

As you can see from the very RWS rendition of this card, that culmination and completion can often be painful, and is followed by a time of rest before one can then move on.

Sometimes, this card can come up as a warning, but I believe that for today’s draw it is speaking of a need to let go.  It speaks of now being a time not to get wrapped up in bustle and chaos, but rather to “step off” and close that door, and move on to better and brighter things.

It seems that I need this message from time to time, primarily because there are times (even daily) when my self destructive urges niggle at me to enmesh myself in unnecessary struggle and strife, especially mentally.   With the subdrop soon upon me, this is not the time for that on any level, and this card is telling me that I need to be seeking rest and peace instead.