mental health

Finding the Positive Message for July 13 – 15

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Spacious Tarot, Seasonal Fox Day Tarot, Songs for the Journey Home Tarot, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 13

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which is about what a liar anxiety is, and a reminder of how easy it can be to fall into anxiety’s thought patterns and traps, and end up stuck there.

The Lovers – The Lovers isn’t always about romantic love, unions, and the like… but today it is. Today’s card is a reminder to reach out to Gideon and make sure that your energies are intertwined and in sync instead of out of rhythm or tangled. Sometimes, when things are feeling stressful, you have a habit of closing yourself off from others.  Don’t do that today… reach out to him instead.

DECK USED: SPACIOUS TAROT

July 14

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which was about those times when one is feeling defeated, and like you have nothing left to give. Just recently, I was doing some time helping an elderly woman in her recovery from first gall bladder surgery, and then shoulder surgery soon after. There were times when I really thought I had reached the end of what I was capable of… and yet there was always more to do.  By the time I made it home, I felt broken… and yet?  I recovered.  This affirmation is a reminder of that resilience and that we can bounce back if we give ourselves what we need to recover from times of struggle.

Five of Wands – Are you going to butt heads all day with everyone you come across? Or are you going to foster community and allow everyone to have their say, then encourage them all to work together to get something productive done? Differing opinions and methods don’t always have to end in negative outcomes.  Sometimes?  It becomes like a brainstorming session, and something even better comes out of it in the end.

DECK USED: SEASONAL FOX TAROT DAY DECK

July 15

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was about tenacity. It’s about being confident about things moving on past bad experiences. Shit happens. Change happens. Things sometimes go wrong, and sometimes when things go wrong? It creates an opportunity for something better. But you have to get through the bad part first, yeah? That’s what today’s meditation is about. Getting through the hard parts, and having faith that when you get through the hard parts? There’s something more, better, or just different on the other side.

Two of Wave Songs (as in… Cups) – Today’s card is about the “honeymoon phase” of relationships with others. That’s what the geyser of water lifting up to support the cherubs makes me think of as the two little cherubs play in the water, uplifted by heightened emotion and blind to the pitfalls. That “honeymoon phase” is a natural part of relationships with others, whether they be platonic, romantic or even with a place or thing rather than a person. Today’s card is a reminder that the honeymoon phase is just that. A phase. Enjoy it and the bliss it offers, but remember that there are depths to explore beyond it as well, and that not -everything- about anything or anyone is all good and right and perfect. It’s okay to enjoy what is, though.

DECK USED: SONGS FOR THE JOURNEY HOME TAROT

Finding the Positive Message for July 10 – 12

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Keeper of the Sacred Bee Tarot, Tinseltown Tarot, Tarot of Tales, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsJuly 10

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which was a reminder that anxieties don’t equal reality, and just because you are stressed and worrying about something doesn’t mean that something is going to turn out as badly as you think it might.  It’s a reminder to allow yourself to be hopeful instead of wallowing in pessimism, which only makes your anxiety that much worse.

Eight of Swords – What are you ignoring that you need to look more closely at?  Closing your eyes and sticking your head in the sand does nothing but expose your ass to the world. It’s time to take a little time to sit down with your worries and confront them, instead of allowing yourself to push them away and ignore them.  Doing that solves nothing.

DECK USED: KEEPER OF THE SACRED BEE TAROT

July 11

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which were words of encouragement and a reminder that you are a fighter. A survivor. You are strong and stubborn and know what is right for you. Don’t allow yourself to be beaten down and buckle under the pressure of the world around you when it tries to push what you know isn’t right down your throat.

Temperance – Moderation is important. As much as you hate it. As much as you struggle with it.  It’s important. You can only do so much.  You can only afford to expend so much energy, or spend so much money, or fit so many things in an hour or a day.  Like in spoon theory, you have to pick and choose, and be happy with what you manage to accomplish instead of always pushing yourself for more.

DECK USED: TINSELTOWN TAROT

July 12

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which speaks of struggle not being an indication of failure.  It’s hard sometimes when struggling with something not to see yourself as failing at it. So many things come easy, especially when one knows what they like and what they’re good at, that when something comes along that really challenges us, it feels like we’re not doing good at it and might fail. That isn’t the case, but it feels that way. This affirmation is a reminder that what we’re feeling in those moments isn’t failure, but growing pains.

The Hierophant – This card is about tradition, and the learning of “old ways” of doing things. So often in today’s society we balk at tradition, always seeking the new and different, discarding the old, well worn, and often tried-and-true ways for new ones. It’s important to remember, though, that there’s value in the old ways of doing things. Wisdom in the generations of knowledge seeking to be passed down. Today’s card is a reminder that as great as new and shiny cool things, thoughts, methods, perspectives, and mentalities might be… there’s value in the past that we need to seek to preserve rather than discount and reject outright. And even when those perspectives might not fit today’s climate or society, they still hold knowledge and value in allowing us to see where we’ve come from and the perspectives we have grown from as people and a society.

DECK USED: TAROT OF TALES

Finding the Positive Message for July 7 – 9

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HappyToast Word Cloud Tarot, Kawaii Tarot, 78Tarot Carnival, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 7

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on the affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today, which speaks about anxiety not being indicative of reality.  It was something I admit that I really needed to hear.  A reminder that just because anxiety is whispering in your ear doesn’t mean it’s going to become a self-fulfilling prophesy, and instead of focusing on those whispers, sometimes we have to do our best to just let them go.

Seven of Pentacles – The Seven of Pentacles is often about slow, steady progress towards sustainable goals, and considering that today was Ms B’s post-op, it was really fitting that this card would show up today.  She passed her post-op with flying colors, and it really relieved me to hear that.  She can’t start physio for another four weeks, and she and I had a very long talk about the benefits of taking things slow so that the shoulder can heal well and without setbacks.

I actually used this card in that talk, to help in encouraging a slow and steady mindset.  Muscles, bones, and tendons take time to heal. It’s not something that’s going to happen over night.   I also need to hear this message, as I strained my own shoulder while caring for her over the past week, and it’s going to need some TLC as well.

DECK USED: HAPPYTOAST WORD CLOUD TAROT

July 8

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the “blueberry fairy princess” affirmation in the Thera-Pets card for today. I rarely call myself garbage, but I -am- extremely hard on  myself and the whimsical “you are a blueberry fairy princess” made me laugh and, it feels like, gave me the permission to be a bit silly and lighthearted today.

Four of Wands – Homecoming and the goodness of home is what this card is about, and with all the little sloths holding different things and busy with different tasks? The imagery of this card is a reminder that there’s lots of fun to be had at home and lots to do that you can enjoy.  It doesn’t all have to be work and seriousness all the time.  Do something today that makes you really appreciate the comforts of home.

DECK USED: KAWAII TAROT

July 9

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long (yes, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I use a timer).  It was based on the “weird is wonderful” Thera-Pets affirmation card, and… this is something I’m very aware of already.  I’ve never been someone that was very good at “fitting in” and have always done far more walking to my own drummer.  I’m happy with my oddities and weirdness, and I have absolutely no issues with being different.  It’s what makes life interesting.

Justice – When you play with fire, you’re eventually going to get burned.  The Justice card is all about cause and effect, and often involves the consequences of our actions, just as the carnival performer in this card dances on a blade with bloody feet while an angel whispers in one ear and the devil in the other.  The imagery in this card speaks to me to say that no one can be good or perfect all the time. What’s important is when you do something bad that you take the time to consider the repercussions and accept them beforehand… because there’s always that chance that what you do is going cause you to have to eat the bitter pill those consequences for breakfast the next morning.

DECK USED: 78TAROT CARNIVAL

Finding the Positive Message for July 4 – 6

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The Masquerade Tarot, The Really Badly Drawn Tarot, Everybody's Tarot, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 4

I am HOME. Fuck god yeah. And before I left Ms B’s house, I had one more wonderful soak in that oh-my-fucking-god amazing bathtub. I have the absolute -best- naps in that tub. It’s so very comfortable. I also did my meditation in there today, although it wasn’t timed because I was not interrupting that holy bliss of water and buoyancy in order to use the timer. It was not my only self-care act of the day, but it was the absolute best one.

Nine of Wands – This card is all about protecting what is important to you and reinforcing one’s boundaries. What stands out to me in the imagery of this card is the fact that both of the figure’s eyes are covered. They are essentially blindfolded, where in traditional tarot imagery, only one eye is covered.

This speaks to me of directing one’s attention to one’s personal boundaries with themselves, rather than the boundaries that one uses with others. It is a reminder that sometimes you have to stand up for yourself… against yourself.

Sometimes you have to tell yourself no and make choices that protect your health and well-being rather than doing what you feel you -should- do or -want- to do. The message in this card today is a reminder that it’s important to put yourself first now and then. Put yourself first today.

DECK USED: THE MASQUERADE TAROT

July 5

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and based on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card, which was a reminder that the negative inner narrative in my head is not me and is not speaking the truth when it tries to tear me down.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m perfectly delightful, as I’m sure there’s plenty out there that would disagree.  But neither am I as pathetic and unworthy of being liked as that inner narrative tries to tell me I am.

Page of Pentacles – This card is commonly about learning new skills, recovering from illness, and learning new methods and abilities that expand upon previously learned material.  It’s about strengthening the skills you already have by learning a new method, a new process, or a new way of doing things.  It tells us that the process is slow, and that sometimes no matter how hard we try?  We can’t -always- be on steady footing, and that that’s okay.

DECK USED: THE REALLY BADLY DRAWN TAROT

July 6

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and the affirmation I focused on for today’s meditation feels like a cheerleader of encouragement, which tells me that chances are I’m going to need that little fox rooting for me in my head at some point.

Wheel of Fortune – And here we are on an orders day and I thought I was all caught up and doing great on getting things put together and sorted for tomorrow’s ship out. Only to get in a handful of not easy and somewhat time consuming orders that, although are definitely needed financially, are going to set me back in being ready to go for tomorrow by hours.

The Wheel of Fortune is about the unexpected and the way unpredictable changes enter our lives as well as how we deal with them.  Combined with the affirmation mentioned in my meditation today, these cards are a reminder to take a breath and not beat myself up too damn badly just because I’ve fallen behind schedule.  It’ll all get done, and everything will be fine.

DECK USED: EVERYBODY’S TAROT

Finding the Positive Message for July 1 – 3

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Mythical Mystic Mini Tarot, Decolonized Tarot, Minchiate al Cigno, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 1

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was based on the affirmation in the attached image. I’m not sure I’m feeling particularly favorable towards this particular affirmation. This is specifically because of the “considering what you’ve been up against part”. Why can’t I just be doing great?

The Chariot – Sometimes when you take things too fast, you end up losing control… just like the charioteer appears to be losing control of their horses. Remember that in some situations, to keep control in hand and preserve precision, you have to take things slow and steady instead.

DECK USED: MYTHICAL MYSTIC MINI TAROT

July 2

Today’s meditation was supposed to be 10 minutes long, but I might’ve sorta skipped it? I should have just pulled a different card and should retire this one from the deck. I hate this card because it’s a fucking lie. If I do my best? It’s not just enough… it’s fucking perfect. Immaculate. Exact and just right and absolutely flawless. Because when I do my best? I goddamned make it so, and will try again and again until it is so. “Just do your best” for me is essentially telling me to break myself to make it perfect. Not the message they are trying to convey in this card and not at all a healthy message for me, because if my best is only “enough”? Then I can do better. Okay, so that’s my rant for today.

Ten of Cups -Take a breath and be grateful that you’ve made it to the other side of the bridge. Ms B is beginning to come back into herself. You can breathe now. Let your worry go and look forward to positive results and rewards that will bolster you emotionally, instead of the stress and worry of what appeared to be a decline (but was actually medication issues) that has been dragging you down.

DECK USED: THE DECOLONIZED TAROT

July 3

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was based on the mantra that “I am a work in progress, and that’s okay”. This affirmation fits far easier than yesterdays, as this is something I struggle with from time to time. Especially in the way I’ve been feeling concerning failing Ms B the last few days when her meds were all out of whack. Having discovered the issue, now I know. Its a learning experience, but it didn’t do permanent damage. Everything’s going to be okay.

Knight of Cups – The Capricorn type sea creature always throws me off a bit in the Minchiate decks, and today was no exception. This card is about going after the things that make you happy and lift you up. Proactively seizing the day for those things that you enjoy. The message here is to make sure you’re not letting yourself be dragged down to the point that you forget you need some fun and play in your life as well.

DECK USED: MINCHIATE AL CIGNO

Finding the Positive Message for June 28 – 30

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Western Way Tarot Anieth Deck, Tarot Gals, Heartscape Tarot, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

June 28

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was focused on the “you got this” affirmation in the attached image. Ms B comes home from the hospital and my shift as amateur home care nurse begins again until next Tuesday. I’m just hoping it’s a bit better and easier than last time.

Ten of Pentacles – You are fiercely protective of all that you have accomplished, as well as those things and people that contribute to your life feeling stable and secure. Don’t become so focused on protecting those things that you forget to take time to appreciate them and enjoy them.

DECK USED: WESTERN WAY TAROT ANIETH DECK

June 29

Today’s meditation was  ten minutes long and focused on the “it’s going to be okay” message in the attached card.  This week is an extremely stressful one, and I’m struggling under the weight of all of the responsibility and stress involved. The affirmation today is a reassurance that, during the meditation and outside of it, I’m trying to take to heart.

Five of Pentacles – I often struggle with a sense of scarcity and that came to the forefront a bit today concerning news that L sent me earlier today.  Today’s card is a reminder that rough times happen and scarcity is not always just in your head… but as the affirmation card in my meditation today says, “it’s going to be okay”.   We have been through worse, and we’ll get through this trial as well.

DECK USED: TAROT GALS

June 30

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and took place in the bathtub, which was sort of a self-care thing for me today since I really love the bathtub here in this house.   I also took a nap in there, and yes, I know that’s dangerous but it’s virtually impossible for me to get my head down far enough to drown without lifting my legs out, so it was pretty safe, all things considered. The “you are capable ~ you can do this” mantra for today’s meditation is another of a number of “cheer leading” messages I’ve been given at late that are assisting me in staying positive as I help Ms B through her post surgery experience.

Three of Wands – Planning and dreaming are all well and good, just make sure that you actually do some doing as well. This is about the work that I brought with me to Ms B’s house.  Yes, this is supposed to be time off, but it’s also necessary to stay a bit caught upon a few things for the business so that I’m not swamped when I step back into work next week.   This card tells me that it’s no good bringing the work along… unless I actually do something with it besides just looking at it sitting on the table now and then.

DECK USED: HEARTSCAPE TAROT