Next World Tarot

Everyone Is Lovable To Someone

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was relatively uneventful and quiet.  Which is honestly a little surprising because that never seems to happen anymore.  The fire alarm decided to wait until after I’d gotten through my meditation to go off tho, so that was nice at least.

And yes, everything is fine.  It looks like someone was trying to break into the storage room and a buddy of theirs went and pulled the fire alarm to work as a distraction to give them time without interruption.    They didn’t get in so… yeah.

Next World Tarot - Three of CupsToday’s draw is the Three of Cups, which is traditionally interpreted as a “joyous joining” of friends whether in celebration, or collaboration, or just in friendship on its own.

Honestly? I’m not sure how I feel about the pink smiling shark.  I find it really distracting in the imagery of this card, and so I suppose I should consider it as the message.  The fact is, though? It’s just weird.

That said?  I can work with that.   It stands out…. so lets go with the shark.  The shark in this card appears among others and does not show its teeth.  Instead it is a shade of friendly pink and sports a smile.  This actually hearkens back to something I was thinking about in the shower yesterday. I had a client recently that insisted that they were unlovable and would never find a partner.  They were very upset and I refused to do a reading for them on that day. Instead, I told them I had something for them to think about.   I told them that even some of the shittiest people in the world that have people that love them.  Assholes and abusers, haters and closed minded bigots.  These horrible people managed to find someone to love them, so someone like him that isn’t horrible? Has not just as much of a chance of finding someone, but even more of a chance at it.

The shark clearly has friends in this imagery even though it’s a predator swimming among creatures he considers food.  Instead the shark gets along with them, makes friends with them.   So too can those that feel they are unlikable or unlovable find friendships and love.

The message in this card is that no one is unlovable.  No one is unlikable. We just feel that way sometimes.

And can I just say?  Sometimes at the end of the month I’m not ready to move on to different decks and wish for more time with the ones I’ve worked with for the month… but this month?  I’m so ready to move on from this deck and the Tarot of the Sidhe.  I can’t wait for the decks that come up for these pulls starting tomorrow.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: What’s the next actionable step I can take to move forward down the path of healing?

Tarot of the Dream Enchantress

Reading Summary: Stay strong (Strength) in the face of change (Death)… your foundation might feel precarious but it is sturdy and will be okay (Four of Pentacles).

Take Away:  It’s about perseverance. Sometimes actionable steps are not actions at all, but more about being aware and standing strong.  Change is a part of life and sometimes those changes that happen can feel like the end of the world.  The cards here are a reminder that it isn’t the end of the world.  It isn’t all going to fall apart.  Your foundation and will continue to stay solid and strong. 

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE DREAM ENCHANTRESS

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Write something free form inspired by the cards.

Spark and Pen TarotLate at night in the deep deepest darkest hours before twilight, the green lady with the crown puts down her torch and her book, and pulls on her cape (The Empress). She goes to visit Coney Island to ride the Wonder Wheel and enjoy all that Luna Park has to offer (Wheel of Fortune). Soon, she will have to return to her place watching over the city, and pick up her torch and her book once more for another day (Death).

DECK USED:  SPARK AND PEN TAROT

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Question: How can I best support and nurture myself and my personal growth at this time?

Hilda Tarot

Reading Summary: Accept that sometimes shit happens (Justice) and you’ll have to make the best of it (Knight of Swords). Take those moments to rest and recuperate (Four of Swords) so that she can be ready for the next challenge (The Magician).

Take Away:  The advice here to help me in nurturing myself and fostering my personal growth is that I need to not let the little unexpected surprises in life trip me up so much.  Hurdles happen and just like tripping over a root on a trail in the woods, you have to pick your ass up and keep going because no one is going to come for you if you sit there and whine about it to the trees.

DECK USED:  HILDA TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How would I feel if I was more mindful right now?

Stunning Tarot

Reading Summary:  Hol-eee-shit.  *Eyes the cards.* Okay so if I was more mindful right now I’d be feeling a good deal more defeated (Ten of Swords) and in need of rest and retreat because the world (Four of Swords) would feel like everything is falling apart (The Tower).

Take Away:  The lesson here is that mindfulness is not always your friend. Sometimes you have to be a bit oblivious and obtuse just to get through the day.

DECK USED:  STUNNING TAROT

Always Be Prepared

/ Twist the Leaf / Leave a comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for the shifting of my piriformis stretches.   The topic of the guided meditation today was actually something that I think I needed to hear.

It’s about the semantics of language… and the power of language.  It’s about the importance of how we phrase things, because how we phrase things dictates in many ways how we internalize things.

For example… being conscious of changing phrases in our dialog (both internal and external) from  “I am angry” to “I feel angry”.   There is a very important, key difference between these two phrases.   That is because we are not our emotions. We feel our emotions.

Next World Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician card, which is traditionally a representation of… well, essentially… The Magician is “the man with all the tools”. You know that guy (or gal) that you always go to when you need a tool you don’t own, because you know they’ll have it… even if it’s a tool you’ve never heard of before? That’s the Magician. He has all the tools for any job, and he knows how to use them to get the job done.

Sometimes, these tools are not physical, but also mental.  And that’s what stands out to me in the imagery of this card. The titles of the books sitting before the woman are “Pathology”, “Herbal Medicine”, “Emergency First Response”, and “Feminist Theory”. She sits with a notebook invariably filled with notes and marked notations, post-it notes sticking out every which way. This is is a woman that is not just prepared (look at that pack sitting behind her) but also is preparing.

Today was the drive up north day, and this message was a reminder to make sure I had everything I needed for the trip.  That includes the new box of protein bars that has been sitting on the counter for almost a week, and a few extra bottles of water.   It means making sure I check the traffic before hand so that I can avoid the two accidents along the way that would have increased my drive time by at least two hours.  It means making sure I put my post office box key back in my wallet.

All of these things are things I did thanks to the reminder in this card this morning.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: How can I be proactive in expressing that I have these unreasonable expectations?

Anthro Tarot

Reading Summary: Don’t (Eight of Cups). This is your problem (The Tower) from your childhood (Six of Cups) that you need to deal with.

Take Away:  The expectation that was revealed in yesterday’s reading was unrealistic and narcissistic.   No one can know what I need without me telling them. None of the people in my support system are psychic.  Although they are all willing to step in and help when needed? None of them can predict when that might be.  That’s what communication is for.    The fact that I avoid reaching out isn’t their problem, it’s mine.  It stems from my childhood and is something I need to work on.

DECK USED:  ANTHRO TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: This Month’s Lesson / Next Month’s Theme

Big Things In Small Packages TarotThis Month’s Lesson – The Emperor – I’ve had a couple of lessons this month, but the one mentioned here is that I am working on finding that balance between the new emotional depth I’ve discovered this year, and the authority and responsibility of life. Through most of the summer I have let my emotional growth take the lead, but now that it’s sliding into the fall, I need to start preparing for the upcoming holiday rush.  This month has been a lesson in finding that place of responsibility and control… while maintaining the new emotional openness and depth that I’ve been experiencing.

Next Month’s Theme – Queen of Cups – Where August was about finding a way to bring responsibility and control into the equation with my emotional growth, the Queen of Cups indicates that September’s theme will be about balance and stability in my emotions in a way that will work well with my responsibilities instead of against them.

DECK USED:  BIG THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES TAROT

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Topic: Give a thought to what you want to attract or manifest before the end of 2020 and draw a card of confirmation.

Hero Analysis For the Future #79 MHA TarotWhat I want to Manifest – Super strong holiday season sales with lots of customers buying lots of expensive gifts from my online shops.

The Magician – You have all of the tools at your fingertips to make this happen. Even if there may be things that rise up to stand in your way, you have the tools and abilities necessary to defeat and/or circumvent these issues and continue on to your goal.

Keep your eye on the prize, because success is in your hands. It’s all up to you.

DECK USED:  HERO ANALYSIS FOR THE FUTURE #79 MHA TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I best help others at this time?

Tarot of the Dream Enchantress

Reading Summary: Bear witness (imagery in the Seven of Swords) to their pain (Three of Swords). Actively reach out with kindness (Knight of Cups), and give them something to be inspired by (King of Wands).

Take Away:  Although I am a good listener and always happy to be supportive and help others, I am not particularly skilled at “holding space”.   I am referring to that silent stillness of just sitting in silence with someone who is in distress or in pain.  I feel the need to fix things or actively help in some way.  I know that’s not always possible.

The cards here indicate that when these situations arise, it’s okay to both hold space… and provide hope and a sort of focus that can carry them through.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE DREAM ENCHANTRESS

Healthy Retreat vs. Bad Timing

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was an energy cleansing exercise using selenite and black tourmaline at the end for helping in closing things back up after.   It was very relaxing and went far more quickly than I thought it would.  I hadn’t actually set a timer, just the interval chimes for changing my piriformis positions.   It went well and was very relaxing.

Next World Tarot - The HermitToday’s draw is The Hermit card, which is traditionally a representation of retreating for self reflection and contemplation.  This isn’t about retreating to hide, but rather because sometimes when you are digging deep into yourself you need to do it away from others so that you can lower your defenses and get a clear look at what’s going on and the path to take forward.

What stands out to me the strongest today in the artwork of this card is the colors. The absolutely speak to me of being alone, but they don’t speak to me of the healing that is needed. It means that the imagery on this card today speaks to me not about alone time, but about retreat and closing off.

I feel like closing off today.  I feel like a bit of a failure today, and a disappointment. The thing is?  A little alone time or self reflection may be a good thing, but too much is unhealthy… as is bad timing. Now?  Is bad timing.  It’s not healthy to let these feelings fester and grow, and if I follow that urge to close off right now?  That’s exactly what will happen.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: What can I do to prepare myself for obstacles along my healing journey?

Hero Analysis for the Future #79 MHA Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure that I don’t allow my fears (Nine of Swords) to close me off from (The Hermit Rx) the emotional support and healing warmth that others have to offer (Queen of Cups).

Take Away:  When I am feeling vulnerable, I find it extremely difficult to reach out to others, especially for comfort and emotional support.  This is not a healthy way to deal with things, and the cards here indicate that I need to not just keep in mind that there are people that want to support me, but that my healthiest and most healing option is to reach out to them and allow that support and comfort to wash over me.

DECK USED:  HERO ANALYSIS FOR THE FUTURE #79 MHA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Which is more real… mind or matter?

Vivid Journey TarotReading Summary: Matter carries on (Ten of Pentacles) long after the mind has passed on (The Fool), no matter the legacy we wish to leave behind (Queen of Wands).

Take Away:  Reincarnation is very much a part of my faith, and thus the Fool in this spread is a representation of rebirth.  And yet, in our rebirth, we do not automatically maintain the memories of our past lives and experiences. We must start anew.  This is why love and wisdom are shared while you are alive, and material possessions are passed on after death.   The continued existence of material items even after the death of the mind and moving on of the soul, therefore, makes material more real (in our human reality).

DECK USED:  VIVID JOURNEY TAROT

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Question: Air, how should I begin to apply your teachings?

Monstarot

Reading Summary: Work at looking at your work in a different way (Eight of Pentacles atop The Hanged Monster) and resting when you need it (Four of Swords). The emotional and inspirational connection will come back if you stick with it (Ace of Cups with Knight of Wands).

Take Away:  The teachings referred to here have to do with yesterday’s reading about bringing emotions, pleasure, and joy back into my work.  The answer here is that it’s something that will come over time with a bit of determination, as long as I make sure to be mindful about instilling this more joyful perspective into my work and make sure I’m not allowing myself to become overburdened or burnt out by taking healing rest when needed.

When I am overburdened, I shut out the pleasure and joy and emotions… and bear down on the responsibility aspects.  To instill these tenants back into my work, it is important to avoid putting myself in situations where the urge to block out these things rises up.  Be aware, pay attention, and act with intention rather than reacting.

DECK USED:  MONSTAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I get better at expressing my feelings without hurting others?

Spark and Pen Tarot

Reading Summary: Take a pause (Four of Pentacles). What would Gid do? (Knight of Cups) Approach as a friend (Three of Cups) and climb that hill slowly and carefully (Knight of Pentacles).

Take Away:  This is about moving slowly rather than just blurting out in a reactionary manner.  By taking a pause and actively looking to others who express their emotions in more socially accepted ways, I can then learn how to express my own better as well.

There is also a reminder here that I need to approach those that I’m trying to speak to about my feelings as a friend.  This is another skill that is something I’m learning, as my normal mode is not usually so… warm.   These are skills that take time to learn, but I am on that path.  I just need to remember not to get impatient and careless.  It’s not a sprint, but a long journey of growth.

DECK USED:  SPARK AND PEN TAROT

Exploration and Discovery

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped in sacrifice to the gods of work.  Essentially, I decided to put it off until bed time because I wanted to try and get my orders done a little earlier than normal.  You know…. so I don’t have to pull an all nighter, yeah?    So I did end up sacrificing a few things (like my meditation) in order to make that happen.

Next World Tarot - The SunToday’s draw is the Sun card, which is traditionally interpreted as a representation of joy and happiness and lighthearted fun.  It’s about successful endeavors and positivity.

No one specific aspect stood out to me in this card today other than the shining light in the sky that the girl in the picture reaches toward… and the fact that her shoelaces are untied (but tucked).

The laces actually bring back a memory.  For the first few months after I emancipated from my parent’s home, I wore my shoes like that.  Loose and untied with the laces tucked in out of the way.  I’d always wanted to wear my laces that way, but when you wear your shoes untied, there is a habit of scraping your heels on the ground (or you have to march in order to not do so).  My mother would not allow that, and thus it wasn’t until I was on my own that I tried it for myself.   Turns out?  The thunk of heels scraping with each step quickly got on my nerves as well.  Although this wasn’t the reason my mother objected?  It’s kind of funny that I ended up agreeing with her.

Hell of a digression, right?   But maybe it’s not that much of a digression at all.   For what I see in those shoelaces… and in the message of this card today, is that you have to try new things to know whether they’re for you or not.   Discovering the things that make you happy and create joy in your heart is a process of trial and error.

Never lose the curiosity that fosters the discovery of new joyous moments.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: How can I help prevent myself from comparing my healing journey to someone else’s?

Odd Hand Tarot

Reading Summary: Everyone has lessons to learn in life, and most people don’t learn by just being given the answers (The Hierophant).  Use your empathy (Queen of Cups) and communicate in an open and welcoming way instead of in a closed format (Page of Swords).

Take Away: The indication here is that in order to prevent myself from comparing my healing journey to someone else’s I need to remember that everyone’s path is different.  Everyone’s experiences are different.   Two people can, in fact, experience the exact same event… and process it entirely differently… this experience it entirely differently.  Listen to others with an empathetic ear and keep your eyes and ears open to how their experiences differ from my own.

DECK USED:  ODD HAND TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: I Blame Myself For… / I Blame Others For…

Tarot of the Dream EnchantressI Blame Myself For – I blame myself for when my mind and thought processes become fuzzy and clouded (King of Swords Rx) which then results in me dropping the ball concerning my responsibilities and obligations (Two of Pentacles).

There are times when I seem to step into this “foggy” brain space that will last for a few days or even a couple of weeks.  It’s not depression, but rather just a lack of clarity and mental “crispness”.  During these times, I often end up making a lot of stupid mistakes and my time management skills become pretty dismal.  That in turn effects my juggling of all the different responsibilities on my plate.

I Blame Others For – Four of Cups and Wheel of Fortune (imagery based) – I blame others for my apathetic opinion of society. There is so much about the world that I accept with ease, but society is not really one of those things.

The reasons for this are many… and yet they all boil down to other people’s behavior… other people’s mentality… other people’s stupidity.  With every year that passes, I find myself less and less optimistic about humanity at a whole, and more disappointing in what I see in so many.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE DREAM ENCHANTRESS

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Focus on your third eye and draw a card in answer to: Where am I asked to follow or listen to my intuition?

Luminous Void Tarot - Ten of DiscsTen of Discs – My dreams are very much based in the stability and security that is represented in the Ten of Discs.  It is, without fail, my greatest focus, and although I have over time adjusted what I consider to be the definition of that stability and security, and my view of how to achieve it… the concept of stability and security remains my focus.

The thing is, though, that following your dreams is about more than just logic and reason… no matter how comfortable it is to fall back on these things. Sometimes you have to follow your gut to know what to do, and to know what’s right. These things can’t always be reasoned out, but instead have to be felt.

DECK USED:  LUMINOUS VOID TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What do I need to forgive myself?

Big Things in Small Packages Tarot

Reading Summary: Getting fucked over (Seven of Wands) sucks and its easy to internalize these bad experiences (Nine of Swords) and allow the experience to become a heavy burden (Knight of Pentacles Rx).  How you deal with these things determines whether or not you and your life stays in balance (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  The times I have been hurt by others, and I have chosen to internalize that hurt instead of placing the blame where it belongs… on them.  I have a habit holding myself culpable, even though the blame isn’t mine to own.  I need to release this blame.  Let it go.

DECK USED:  BIG THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES TAROT

Confidence vs. Ego

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and a simple relaxing harp strings meditation with an intermittent timer just to keep me on track.  I did some basic piriformis stretching, but nothing particularly strenuous or difficult.  I just wanted a nice, peaceful meditation and that’s exactly what I got for once.

Next World Tarot - Knight of WandsToday’s draw is the Knight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of an active, projective beta energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s enthusiasm and drive.

Interestingly, although I usually relate pretty strongly to the Knight of Wands, the imagery in this card just… doesn’t do it for me.   The barren ground… the smirking expression.  It’s just doesn’t speak of that drive that I usually associate with this card.

Instead, what I see here is ego. It’s that “Yeah baby, I’m so good my farts don’t stink… they fly like chocolate flavored eagles in a sky that wants to emulate my fashion sense.”

Cracks up… and there’s the message right? Watch your ego. Don’t get too cocky.  Confidence is great, but don’t let it go so far that it becomes a detriment  and blinds you to your own flaws and mistakes.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: What do I think a healing journey “should” look like?

Anthro Tarot

Reading Summary: A well planned out direction (Two of Wands), leading to epiphany moments (Judgement), followed by better balance (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away:  Yes, I know that that vision of what a healing journey should look like is unrealistic.  Nothing is ever that simple.   But when I imagine what a “healing journey” should look like… that’s what my idea scenario feels like.  A plotted course that has a plan on where I intend to end up and how I’m going to get there, and moments of realization and epiphany along the way that assist in finding new perspectives and easing self judgements, followed by a healed self with better balance in the different areas of my life as a byproduct.   It’s a wonderful fantasy, yeah?

DECK USED:  ANTHRO TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Remember / Forgive / Forget

Spark and Pen TarotRemember – Two of Wands and King of Pentacles
Remember what you’ve learned about planning turning into paying off. I’m not sure that this is a lesson I’m going to forget very soon, but there are times when I do forget… usually when my enthusiasm and excitement cause me to get carried away.  The message here in these cards though is that you need a direction to climb in in order to reach the top.

Forgive – Six of Cups and The Moon
Forgive yourself for the times in life when you’ve been uncertain and stop beating yourself up about them. In my youth, I made a number of bad choices and a there was a lot of trial and error in learning how to survive on my own and thrive. Sometimes I look back on those times and some of the things I’d done… and I feel a disappointment and negative judgement. The cards here are indicating that instead of holding onto these things, I need to let them go and forgive myself for them.

Forget – Page of Wands and Five of Cups
Forget the hardships that came with learning how to get where you are. Shit happened… There were doubts… That’s no reason to keep emotionally rehashing the past and those learning experiences. You learned the lessons and can retain them without the need to hold on to the emotional pleasantries and negative inner narrative that comes up when these hardships and all that happened during them are rehashed.

Take Away – Hold onto the lessons and let go of the blame and negative self judgement. Everyone learns some lessons in life the hard way, and that’s okay.  Plot  your course to success, and leave the past in the past where it belongs.

DECK USED:  SPARK AND PEN TAROT

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Question: Where can the element of Air empower my psyche?

Magic Tarot

Reading Summary: Enthusiasm (Ace of Wands) and intuition (The High Priestess), flavored by a go get’em creative flow at its core (Knight of Cups).

Take Away:  The element of air empowers my psyche by giving me the tools to go after what inspires my creativity.  Those tools are a combination of enthusiasm and intuition.  As my creativity carries me forward and I dive into those things that stir up my creative juices, it’s those elements of enthusiasm and intuition that feed into and swirl through my creativity to allow manifestation and actual creation to take place.

DECK USED:  MAGIC TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What memories bring me pain?

Monstarot

Reading Summary: Creativity and imagination (Page of Cups) drawing praise from others (Six of Wands), that ends up resulting in being alone (The Hermit).

Take Away:  There have been many times in my life where I’ve had my imagination and creativity flowing, while being encouraged and praised by those around me. That imagination and creativity seems to draw them in and their praise makes me feel like maybe there is a connection there between me and these people, and yet instead of sticking around when I need a little time to myself, they always end up disappearing for good and leaving me alone when I come back from my temporary retreats into myself.  This experience has made me feel used… which, of course, hurt.

This was an unexpected result of the reading of this question.  Not that it’s not true… it absolutely is.  It’s just not something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about or examining before.  A lot of the really thought provoking answers I’ve gotten lately have been about how I relate to others.  This reading adds into those previous readings, creating another angle of perspective for them.

DECK USED:  MONSTAROT

Pulling Out the Blade

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was eight minutes long, and was mostly just my lying there trying to stay still and fidgeting because I had so much to get done and couldn’t manage to ignore the fact long enough to settle and do some pranayama and stretching in peace.

Next World Tarot - Three of SwordsToday’s draw is the Three of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of heartache, hurt, grief, and emotional pain.

The Swords suit is about the mind, and this is especially evident in this particular card, because the Three of Swords is about the head, not the heart…. or rather, it’s about how the head can affect the heart and tear it apart if given the free reign to do so.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the shark.  The shark is actually the hilt of one of the swords, and as mentioned, the Swords represent the mind.  I see that shark hilted sword as the most vicious of them all, and it makes me think of that inner voice that we all have that likes to rip us up inside.  That inner critic we try to hide from others… even while it whispers incessantly in our ear.

The heart in this imagery is in such very bad condition, and the imagery speaks a truth that is sometimes hard to accept. You can’t heal the damage until you pull out the blade.  This is why it’s important to work at quieting that inner critic and fostering optimism and hope… these are things that help heal those wounds and provide the strength needed to pull out those blades stuck in one’s wounded heart.

DECK USED:  NEXT WORLD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthAugust Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling to move past trauma.
Question: How does wishing I’d never experienced the trauma hinder me from healing it?

Spark and Pen Tarot

Reading Summary: You cannot learn from (Page of Wands) and fully lay claim your present (King of Wands and King of Pentacles) without accepting your past (Six of Pentacles).

Take Away:  When you are generous with yourself, giving yourself room and time and a depth of understanding, you are then giving yourself space to learn how to process and move past your trauma.  That then allows you to stand stronger than you were before, and move forward with more confidence than you would manage to obtain by avoiding the healing and just wishing the trauma away.

DECK USED:  SPARK AND PEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Does luck (good or bad) actually exist?

Hilda TarotReading Summary: Sometimes enthusiasm can lead you to making reckless choices (Ace of Wands) and putting yourself in danger by doing stupid shit (The Devil), and yet you still come out the other side just fine, a little older and wiser (Queen of Cups) and yet otherwise unscathed.

Take Away:  I’m not entirely sure of my own personal opinion on this question, but the story told here in these cards clearly indicates that yes, luck does exist.

Sometimes?  Anticipated consequences just don’t happen, even when all logic and common sense dictates that they should. I would consider that luck… wouldn’t you?

DECK USED:  HILDA TAROT

Lionharts #TheAugustTarot #ElementalChallenge
Question: Something I can take pride in about myself is…

Luminous Void Tarot

Reading Summary: I am very good at balancing my need for stability and structure (Queen of Discs) with my spirituality (The High Priestess) and intuitive gifts (Strength).

Take Away:  I’ve never really thought of this as something to take pride in?  That’s not to say that the quality isn’t a good thing.  I’m very happy with the fact that I’m able to have this balance and be comfortable in my beliefs and abilities (with the exception of occasional growth spurts that take me by surprise).  But… pride?  Then again, I guess maybe I do have a sort of quiet  fissure of pride in this beneath the surface.

DECK USED:  LUMINOUS VOID TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I safely share more of my gifts with the world?

Monstarot

Reading Summary: Don’t (Nine of Wands). The better, if not necessarily easier, choice (Two of Swords) is to develop them at your own pace (Page of Cups).  You can then apply them to your life and your goals (Ten of Pentacles).

Take Away:  Whenever the topic comes up about sharing my creativity, I always end up getting warning cards and roadblock cards.  And, here they are again.  “How can I safely share more?”… answer “NO!”  Right?

Ooph.

The cards indicate that it’s important to keep my creative projects and ideas close to my chest.  Sometimes this can be really difficult.  When you have an idea that’s super awesome and you want to shout it from the rooftops, it can be really difficult not to share.  That is where the Two of Swords comes in, because the struggle involved in keeping things to yourself is really difficult sometimes.

In this reading, it makes it clear, though, that keeping things to myself while I learn and develop my skills is very important.  Then, in that time when I am ready to apply these creative pursuits to my life and my goals… that is the time to share them.

DECK USED:  MONSTAROT