Neon Tarot

Self Care Is Important

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_8874Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.   I can’t really remember what the guided meditation was about, even with the graphic prompt to the right.  It was about mindfulness obviously, and using it to break habits or be mindful of the things you do.  But honestly?  I just don’t remember.

Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot - Queen of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Queen of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s home life, finances, the material world, resources, or health.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of today’s card is that the crone is tangled in thorns.  She’s clearly up to some sort of spellcraft, as she’s holding a chicken foot, but it’s the thorns that really catch my attention here today.

Those thorns bring me to thinking about a common pitfall that a lot of caretakers fall into over time, where they begin to focus so much on others and what others need that they begin to put off caring for themselves.  The excuse being that everyone else needs them, so they just don’t have the time or energy for their own needs.

It’s a flawed thinking, and dangerous as well.  How can you take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself.  Without self care, there’s nothing left to give to others.   This is something I myself need to hear now and then, especially concerning my business and responsibilities. That reminder is what today’s card is about.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is a negative thing in your life that you don’t need to stress over?

Neon TarotReading Summary: The worry that fighting for what feels right , what you stand for, and what you believe in (Seven of Wands) is going to tear down everything around you (The Tower Rx) and leave you lost and alone (The Moon).

Take Away: This isn’t something that I worry about all the time, but more a worry that whispers in the back of my head now and then, especially when I step up and am in the thick of it.

It isn’t a fear that holds me back from standing up for what I believe in, but it is something I worry about.  Not everyone appreciates a healthy and strong standing moral compass or those with the strength of will to stand up for what they believe in after all.  And I do worry that some day I will be left… alone.   An old queer dude with no friends and no loved ones left, no family and no future generations either.  Will it happen?  I have no idea… but it is something I find myself concerned about now and then.

The cards here are saying it’s not something I need to stress over, and to let that fear go.

DECK USED:  NEON TAROT

Purefield.Healing’s Taking My Power Back Challenge Prompt
Two Cards: Where have I given my power away to avoid conflict? / Where have I given my power away to avoid standing out?

Future Vision Gem Tarot

Where have I given my power away to avoid conflict?

Ten of Wands atop Four of Cups – I will hand my power, my responsibilities, and my control over to others that I trust when I am feeling overwhelmed and overburdened and it’s causing me to need to distance myself emotionally and step away.   In these times, I have no choice.  I need to let go in order to give myself time to breathe, center, ground, and find my balance again.

Where have I given my power away to avoid standing out?

The Hermit Rx – When I am in the middle of a self-destruct and I’m trying to retreat into myself and go into hiding.  When I’ve reached that place… that mentality? It’s either drop the ball, or hand that ball over to someone that can deal with it until I’m in a better place mentally.

DECK USED:  FUTURE VISION GEM TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

Today’s self kindness was in taking a moment to actually feel good and happy with the small chores I got done around the house instead of berating myself on all the things I haven’t gotten done.   It felt good to sit down and feel like I got a few small good things done today like filling the hand soaps in the bathrooms and kitchen, refilling the shower spray bottles, etc.

Tending Wounds

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_8514Today’s meditation was a little different than the norm of late.  Instead of doing a guided meditation or using a timer, I settled in with my earbuds and my favorite meditation music playing, and focused on a little poem/quote that I saw on Casper the Boy Diviner‘s Instagram this morning. He wrote it, and it really spoke to me.

Sometimes I forget that not everything is about self improvement and moving forward.  It’s important to remember what we’re doing now… right here in the now.   And that’s what this little poem said to me today. I think that much of the time, I spend far too much time trying to strive for more and better instead of enjoying what and who I am in this moment.

Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot - Ace of CupsToday’s draw is the Ace of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.  This can arise in the form of new relationships, new emotions or feelings, or new creative ideas among other things.

What stands out to me in this imagery is that the blood moon is bleeding. Honestly, I wouldn’t normally associate this card with the Ace of Cups, because… it’s red.  I’m not entirely sure why I feel that way about the color red, but it just… I dunno.

Anyway, what I see here is a moon bleeding.  Blood on the moon bleeding into a dark ocean.  And to me this speaks more of endings than it does to beginnings.  Perhaps I would feel differently about this imagery if I read the guidebook for this deck, but I’ve yet to dive into the book.

The good thing about endings is that beginnings come afterward.  But first you must lance the wounds of the battle that has passed and wash away the cuts and bruises.  Here, this is what I see.  I see a representation of that time at the end of a journey when you finally get to take a shower, tend your wounds, lance the infection out of the wounds that became infected, and then move forward after.   Here in this image, I see that lancing taking place… the preparation that must come before the beginning can… begin.

This card’s appearance today is a reminder to take time off to breathe and recover, to make sure that your wounds (especially those inner emotional ones) are being tended to properly and are healing.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic: Something I am asked to work on during January.

Neon Tarot

 Reading Summary: More self-restraint (Knight of Wands Rx) on the things that I am obsessed about (The Devil) will in the end make me happier (Ten of Cups) rather than feeling so uncertain (The Moon).

Take Away:  Uncertainty is bred by allowing my addictions and obsessions to run wild.  This isn’t just about things that cost money like brand name cookies and decks, but also addictions like working too hard, pushing myself too far, etc.  This month I’m asked to work on “slowing my roll” a bit, and a bit of a breather so that I can find balance and help my self find a comfy happy space.   This is not one of my strong suits, but I am doing my best… and will continue to try.

DECK USED:  NEON TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: How have you grown over the past year?

Bridgett's Mosaic Dream TarotReading Summary:  Don’t worry so much (Temperance) about what other people think (Six of Wands)  and just go for it (Eight of Wands).

Side note… I’m almost burnt out on the new years themes now.

Take Away: These cards are about being myself and allowing others to see the true me rather than the diluted and carefully restrained impression of me that I usually show.

I’ve always been very, very aware of my issues concerning social norms and ability to socialize “normally” with others. It has never been one of my strong suits.

Over the past year, as I’ve spent less time trying to please others and more time just trying to express myself clearly and do what I enjoy (as well as take care of myself) I’ve found that I’m far less hesitant to step in and offer my two cents or show parts of myself, my interests, and my personality that I would have otherwise kept hidden away from the world.

DECK USED:  BRIDGETT’S MOSAIC DREAM TAROT