New Palladini Tarot

Reigning in Distractions

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes long, and came after the second prolonged yoga/physio routine.  It was another of the harp strings with interval timers, but as with last time, I added in some extra stretching to help ease some of the tension of the new yoga work I’m doing.  I didn’t do the extra work yesterday, and I won’t tomorrow. I want to ease into it so I’m doing it every other day for the time being.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is Four of Water (Four of Cups) which is traditionally a representation of emotional reevaluation of a situation, meditative contemplation, or withdrawal which on an emotional level  can turn into an apathetic outlook.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of today’s card is all the motion and movement.   This is not something that I really associate with the fours of… well, any suit, really.   Fours, to me, are about stability and so all of the movement seems a bit counter-intuitive to the traditional meaning of this card.

The other thing that stands out to me in this card, though, is that the dogs on this card are wearing collars.

The movement combined with the collars brings my mind to the swirling of thoughts that go through one’s head when they can’t settle. And so maybe this does tie back to the traditional meaning after all, because what I see here in this card is the constant attempts of the mind trying to interrupt times of meditation. This is something that happens to everyone, and when we catch ourselves in the middle of meditation that is being interrupted by stray thoughts or emotions, we grab on to the “collar” of those thoughts and tug them back in line.   And yet, they always start running around again soon enough.

The message in today’s card is about accepting that this happens, and that it’s normal that this happens. It’s okay that the mind wanders during meditation as long as you catch yourself and bring your attention back to center again… no matter how many times it takes.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m struggling to maintain motivation.
Question: What aspects of my current routine might be helpful in achieving my goals?

New Palladini Tarot

Reading Summary: My self-defeating behaviors (Five of Swords) are actually a powerful tool (The Magician) in fostering hope and spiritual awareness (The Star).

Take Away:  This is a reminder that not all of my goals are centered around financial stability and security.  Growth in those areas is great, but my distractions and self-defeating behavior (such as slacking off, sometimes falling behind, etc) in these areas also opens myself up to those other types of growth that need to take place. 

DECK USED:  NEW PALLADINI TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question:  Is morality relative?

Tarotbot TarotReading Summary: Some things are constant no matter where you are or who you are (The Sun).

On the other hand, some things are more about inner perceptions (Four of Wands) and experiences (Ten of Swords). These things are relative.

Take Away:  Like the sun in the sky and the need for life on our planet to be nurtured by it, some things are universal and that includes some aspects of morality.  On the other hand, there is a great deal of morality that is based upon perception and experience, either through individuals or through societal experience.

The cards indicate that morality is not a whole, but rather is a conglomeration of pieces that are brought together through both universal values and personal/societal experiences.  So it is both relative in some areas… and not in others.

DECK USED:  TAROTBOT TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  absolute truth // opinion // misconception // lesson

Midcenturian Tarot

Absolute Truth – The World and Wheel of Fortune – All life moves in cycles.

Opinion – Temperance and Eight of Cups – Walking away from something is the same as peaceful restraint.

Misconception – Knight of Cups – Emotions don’t have to be full on all the time.

Don’t forget that the experience of one’s emotions is subjective to the person experiencing them and the memory of those emotions is influenced by what comes out of them.

Lesson – Five of Cups Rx – Letting go of pessimism and that inner narrative of negativity in order to choose a lighter path.

DECK USED:  MIDCENTURIAN TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  What am I being called to create now?

Evolution Tarot

Reading Summary:  You can create balance in your relationship with your responsibilities (Two of Coins) if you’re willing to practice patience and allow for your growth to continue at a slow pace (Seven of Coins). Enjoy your time with those nearest and dearest to you (Two of Potions), and give yourself space to grow (Page of Coins).

Take Away:  What I am being called to create right now isn’t about manifesting a physical item in the world, but rather I am being called to create space within my life for growth, and patience to allow that growth to take place by spending time building my relationships with those I love rather than focusing on pushing forward and rushing things.

DECK USED:  EVOLUTION TAROT

Conservation Through Moderation

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and ended in a short nap, as many of my meditations seem to do these days.  It was one of the harp string meditations and I must have dozed off during the last position of my piriform stretching as I was shifted over onto my left side with my legs still tangled up when I woke up a bit later.

Herbcrafter's TarotToday’s draw is the Seven of Earth (Seven of Pentacles) which is traditionally a representation of slow growth and gradual progress in the areas of one’s finances, resources, health, manifestations, and the physical world.

What stood out to me in the imagery of this card today is the acorns.  Specifically the fact that half of the acorn caps are empty, and yet you see no nuts anywhere, just acorn caps and full acorns.   To me this speaks of consumption, and specifically about regulating consumption.

When you are looking at long-term sustainable growth, it’s more than about patience.  Yes, patience is a good part of it, but so is moderation and restraint, because long term goals need to take in an element of conservation.  Continuous sustained growth in any area requires this because if you consume more quickly than you can reproduce what’s being used… you end up breaking down the cycle and everything falls apart.

The message in today’s card is about having the strength and wisdom (and this is where the meaning of the Oak comes into play for me today) to give that need for conservation it’s due.  Moderation is not easy… but it is necessary.

DECK USED:  HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m so overwhelmed.
Question:  Why do I treat others as more entitled to my time than I am?

Tarot of the Journey to the Orient

Reading Summary: It’s a bad habit (The Devil) that I try to ignore instead of dealing with (Eight of Swords)… that is, making choices that I know are not good for me (The Lovers Rx), and that then lead to imbalance and uncertainty (The Moon).

Take Away:  Weighing other’s needs and wishes above my own is a part of a self-destructive pattern of behavior where I use bad choices in how I prioritize my time and energy to create within my life a situation of stress and uncertainty when things start to fall apart as a result.

Ooph… okay so that really hit home, and framed things in a way that I hadn’t really looked at or considered before.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE JOURNEY TO THE ORIENT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question:  Does learning inherently imply improvement?

New Palladini TarotReading Summary: We all come into this world with the capacity to love and thus emotional fulfillment is obtainable on its own (Ten of Cups).  Everything else takes work and the honing of skills (Eight of Pentacles) to achieve (Nine of Cups), and patience and moderation to master (Temperance).

Take Away:  Yes. Everything in these speaks of progression and improvement through experience and knowledge. Only emotional fulfillment can be achieved without this process, as we are all born with the capacity to love from the start.

DECK USED:  NEW PALLADINI TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  forgive // forget

Minchiate Etruria (Anima Antiqua)Temperance – Forgive yourself for your shortcomings and have patience with yourself. As long as you are moving forward, it’s okay to move forward slowly.  Take into consideration the physical hurdles and handicaps you have to work with, work around, and contend with in order to reach your goal and cut yourself a little slack.

Ten of Swords – Forget the damage done by others and life’s misfortunes. You have the physical scars you carry with you to remind you of the lessons learned along the way.  It’s okay to forget the pain and allow yourself to move on from it.

DECK USED:  MINCHIATE ETRURIA ANIMA ANTIQUA TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  Pick a card for creative inspiration.

The Fifth TarotNow is a time of “percolation and planning”. Allow your creative juices to flow beneath the surface and don’t worry about output or time right now. In yesterday’s read there was a point about not being able to force creativity, and that is the message repeated here today.  You can’t force it… you have to let it rise to the surface, and just prepare to be ready for its arrival so that you can take advantage of its presence when the time comes.

When it’s time to move forward, you will feel that spark of fire within your gut that tells you its time to leap.  Right now is not yet that time.

DECK USED:  THE FIFTH TAROT

Tuning In

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was focused primarily on breathing in cleansing energy, and breathing out pain as I stretched and worked on a few stiff spots in my mobility.  This type of meditation can be extremely relaxing when muscles and pain levels cooperate, but today was not one of those cooperative days.  I did manage to get a little more range of motion going, though, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is is the Ten of Water (Ten of Cups) which is traditionally a representation of fulfillment and completion in the areas of one’s emotions, relationships, and intuitive gifts.

There were a couple of different things that stuck out to me in the imagery of this card today, the first of which was one of the key words at the bottom of the card.  Although I absolutely see the sense in “marriage” as an interpretation of the Ten of Cups, I’ve personally never had marriage come up in relation to this card and it took me a moment’s pause to consider and… eventually, agree.

Also in the imagery of this card it was that the woman here has her eyes closed.   This speaks to me of turning inward, and in doing so, becoming more aware of the emotions you are feeling in the moment.   The slight curve on her lips indicates that she feels both peaceful and positive in this moment captured on the card.

The message in today’s card is to take time and acknowledge your emotions, and savor the good and positive pieces of your life that lift those positive emotions to the surface.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling with self-worth.
Question:  How can I learn to measure my worth exclusively in comparison to my past self?

Tarotbot Tarot

Reading Summary: Don’t close yourself off and hunker down, becoming so focused on stability and security (Four of Coins) that you forget to look around. Opportunities lie in opening your eyes (Two of Swords). Instead make the choice to stay aware and to roll with the punches (The Wheel).

Take Away:  In order to measure my worth exclusively in comparison to my past instead of on my present or future contributional abilities, I need to remember all of the times in the past when life has knocked me on my ass and how I have managed to get up again and again regardless of what has been thrown at me along the way.

DECK USED:  TAROTBOT TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Write something free form inspired by the cards.

Aquarian TarotKnight of Cups – Andrew’s worth had always been measured in his ability to get on well with his comrades and strangers alike. He was known to be a boisterous man filled with stories that made others laugh and a lover that captured the hearts of many women.

Strength – One day Andrew met a woman that he could not sway so easily as all the others.  This intrigued him and drew him to her again and again like a moth to the flame.  And with each visit to her bed he became more enamored with her, admiring her wiles and her wisdom.

Death – Through these many visits she opened Andrew up to a whole new world, and soon he had eyes for no one but her.  Frivolous trysts and clandestine encounters no longer appealed, as it was the strength of Cassandra’s mind he admired most of all and he found that none other could shine as bright as she.

His life forever changed, he committed himself to her and they lived long lives together, challenging each other to grow, their fates entwined like the roots of an oak tree.

DECK USED:  AQUARIAN TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  When am I most creative?

New Palladini Tarot

Reading Summary: When I am regulating (Temperance) my responsibilities properly (Two of Pentacles) and leaving room for endeavors away from my obligations (King of Cups).

Take Away:  I am most creative when I allow myself some time and space to do things that have nothing to do with my obligations and responsibilities.  Exploring creativity in this free environment, without the pressures of money or business or obligation to weigh down the process, allows my creativity to truly be set free.

DECK USED:  NEW PALLADINI TAROT

Rolling Stones Standing Still

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_5153Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and a guided meditation that focused upon vulnerability and creativity.  There is vulnerability in creativity… as well as in all those other things mentioned in the Brene Brown quote on the right.   I’m not sure if I would consider vulnerability the birth place of these things…. but I think that it takes a certain level of vulnerability to allow them in and allow them to have influence over you.

All of those emotions leave you vulnerable to being hurt, and creativity does as well.  It takes bravery to create, to put what you have made out there in the world and allow people to see it.  Whether we want them to judge these creations or not?  They will.  And those judgements can hurt when they are not positive.

Herbcrafter's Tarot - The World - PachamamaToday’s draw is The World card, which is traditionally a representation of the fulfillment and achievement that can be obtained by reaching the end of a journey, transitioning through growth into a new journey, as well as the cycles of life and reincarnation.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the monarch butterfly.  A butterfly’s life is full of cycles.  The cycle from caterpillar to butterfly, the cycle of migration they go through each year, etc.   They are in constant flux of one sort or another, and never fully still or stagnant in life.  At the same time, the stones in the floral mandala also really catch my eye.  These stones are positioned to represent the four directions and thus, the four elements.

The combination of these two aspects are a message of encouragement concerning finding balance and direction. At the moment I am feeling a bit stagnant and struggling with direction, and I feel like the stones in the imagery and how they stand out to me today is an encouragement that taking this time off to just relax and de-stress is a good move.

DECK USED:  HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling with self-worth.
Question:  When did I first start to lose my sense of worth?

New Palladini Tarot

Reading Summary: There were many times in my youth when uncertainty was an issue for me (The Moon) and yet I was left to deal with it on my own as everyone abandoned me during my times of need (Eight of Cups). I did the best that I could with what I had at the time to work with (Page of Rods), but I was judged harshly for the results regardless (The Last Judgement).

Take Away:  This type of behavior pattern from others during my developmental years created a sense of always needing to do better and the mentality that only perfection was acceptable from me. This is something I’ve carried into adulthood, and I’ve only started to recognize as a problem and work on over the last few years.

DECK USED:  NEW PALLADINI TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:  How can I strengthen my relationship with my loved ones?

Tarotbot TarotReading Summary: Be generous (Six of Coins) in sharing your passions with others (King of Wands) and spread your enthusiasm and inspiration around and see what comes back to you in turn (Page of Wands).

Take Away:  By involving them more in those things that I enjoy and find inspiration in.  Most of my creative endeavors and passionate interests are solo activities, but many have the potential to be more by sharing these activities with others.  By doing this, I open myself up to let them in closer, and become closer to them in turn, which then strengthens those relationships.

DECK USED:  TAROTBOT TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  embrace // erase // face

The Fifth Tarot

Emperor – Embrace your power and accept the authority that you have over others, whether you really want it or not. Embrace your role in this family and among others, and your role as a leader. You are the stable protector and provider, the foundation, and that’s okay.

Judgement and Ten of Swords – Erase self-doubt. The struggles that you have gone through do not need to be rehashed again and again in your mind, and evaluated over and over looking for flaws and mistakes. You’ve done the best you could so let these worries go and focus on moving forward.

Three of Lotus – Not even stone can withstand the flow of water, forever unchanged by its currents. Face the fact that you cannot stand stagnant and move forward at the same time. You have to be able to except that things are going to change in all aspects of your life as well as within you as you move along this path of growth you are on.

DECK USED:  THE FIFTH TAROT

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

These Saturday 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 is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

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

New Palladini Tarot, Soulflower Plant Spirit Oracle, Tree Angel Oracle

Earth – The Hanged Man and Bleeding Heart (Independence) – It’s time to take a look at your inner workings and start seeing them from a different perspective. This softer side of you where emotions come from and where the heart rules, are not weak or as vulnerable as they feel.  They are simply under developed and need time to grow.  Do not forsake them for the hard outer shell of logic just because logic is the more comfortable and familiar fit.

Air – The Hierophant and Borage (Optimism) – Lighten up.  You don’t have to be so serious all the time.  People will still take you seriously even if you let loose and allow yourself to have some fun.   A little fun and some expressions of joy will also refresh your enthusiasm for teaching at those times when it feels like you’re dragging a bit in those areas of your life.

Water – The Empress and Campanula (Alignment) – This is an echo of yesterday’s Tarotholics reading.  It is an encouragement to be kind and supportive of yourself by looking at all that you have accomplished, and allowing yourself to take pride in your capabilities and the rewards of your hard work.  Let the knowledge of your accomplishments be a balm for the wounds your inner critic has wrought.

Fire – Four of Pentacles and Iris (Inspiration) – You are well entrenched within a place of stability right now.  Take this time to wallow in your creative spark and let your inspiration fly free. The business is slow but steady, your finances are in-hand.  Now’s the time to do some creative exploration and have a little fun.

Waning – Beech – You may have some trouble with concentration this week and struggle with distractions and memory.  It’s okay, just remember that this time is temporary and look at it as a time to set big decisions and heavy responsibilities to the side until things are back in balance again.

Waxing – Elm – Although concentration may not be your strong suit over the next week, communication will be. Not the inane conversations of small talk and passing conversations, but deep and connected communication is possible this week, including some of those profound word drops that seem to pop into conversations with people out of nowhere and change lives.  So make sure that you pay attention to what you say, and how you say it… be sure that you speak with empathy as well as an open heart and open mind.

Take Away – This week is an ideal time to distance yourself a little more than usual from your responsibilities and obligations.  Fill that time with endeavors that allow that inner spark within you to shine, and with people that are conducive to true depth of communication. Take some time for yourself this week… everything else will take care of itself.

DECKS USED: NEW PALLADINI TAROT, SOULFLOWER PLANT SPIRIT ORACLE, TREE ANGEL ORACLE