optimism

Life Raft Inflation Techniques

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The Tarnished Tarot and Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Wisdom Prompt for October 18th : Magick

Today’s draw is the Five of Cups combined with the affirmation “You are not Failing. Depression lies. Keep going.”

When I started doing this exercise a couple of years ago, I was extremely skeptical as to their efficacy. I have been a life-long pessimist, and my brain’s litany of negative input and abuse is pretty impressive and extensive.

The psychologist proposed using an “affirmation a day” app and meditating on each affirmation that came up, but I didn’t relate to the affirmations, and meditating on them felt stupid as hell.  So I adjusted the practice to (at first) make it a card of the day practice with tarot, the goal being to find a positive message to carry with me each day through whatever card came up that day.

Over time, I’ve done different things with the practice.  I’ve made myself a few affirmation decks that I connect with more strongly than the affirmation apps I’d tried.  I’ve picked up a few affirmation decks with the same themes so that I can connect to them easier as well.   I’ve also begun sometimes combining affirmation decks and tarot cards or oracle cards.

And the thing is?  It works.  I was shocked.   Does it take the negativity away?  Does it make me -not- a pessimist?  No.  No it doesn’t. What it does, though, is create a ray of light in the darkness.  It’s like a little extra air in a partially inflated life raft.  On its own, that air doesn’t really account for much, but when added to what’s in the raft? It helps keep me that much more afloat so that I don’t sink into the depths quite so easily.

DECKS USED:  THE TARNISHED TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Question for October 18th : The weird ones chant beneath the stars, what strength lies underneath my scars?

Tarot Obscuro - Seven of Swords, The Empress, Eight of Swords, Queen of WandsReading Summary: There is strength in the stillness needed (Seven of Swords Rx) to sort out what is real and what is not (Eight of Swords). This allows you to be judicious in where you direct your energy (The Empress) and what projects you choose to support (Queen of Wands).

Take Away: One of the things you have learned through painful experiences in your past is to pause and pay attention rather than just reacting.  By listening and watching first,  you see more and that gives you a greater understanding of what’s going on and those involved.  This knowledge is helpful in making good choices not just for yourself, but sometimes for others as well.

DECK USED: TAROT OBSCURO

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2024 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for October 18th : Is there an afterlife?

The Tarnished Tarot - The Hermit, The Lovers, Six of WandsReading Summary: It’s not about others experiences or pleasing others in life (Six of Wands Rx), but instead is all about you and learning to know thyself  (The Hermit), as well as the choices you’ve made and motivations behind those choices (The Lovers).

Take Away: The answer here is that the afterlife is an individual thing.  Some people experience an afterlife, and others don’t, won’t… or even, can’t.

Whether someone experience an afterlife or not, as well as what that experience may entail, is dependent upon what choices they’ve made along the way and how they’ve lived their life.

These cards indicate that whether or not there’s an afterlife is about who you are deep within yourself, how you’ve grown, and who you have become through the journey of your life and your spirit.

DECK USED: THE TARNISHED TAROT

@HealingThruTarot’s #httOctoberTarotChallenge2024 Prompt
Prompt for October 18th : Limiting thoughts that need banishing.

Norwegian Woods The Soul Oracle CardsFae Dance – The limiting thought that others opinions and wants should outweigh your own. As independent as you are, you still fall into people pleasing habits. In doing so, you put your welfare in the hands of others and allow them the ability to rip you asunder. It is a no win situation.

Blood Drop – You’ve heard all your life that it’s not a good job until you bleed on it. Who says that everything has to be -that- perfect that a blood sacrifice is required?  This limiting thought holds you back from trying things, and pushes you to overextend yourself when you do.

Conquering Crow – Vengeance and ensuring people you’ve defeated are securely put in their place is unnecessary and limits you from moving on from conflict and adversity once the dust has settled. Contrary to what you’ve been taught, it does not always keep the troublemakers from coming back to try again.

DECK USED: NORWEGIAN WOODS THE SOUL ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

This post is a catch-up post, and I’m not entirely sure what my self kindness was for the day.

Practice Makes Perfect

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Dark Angels Tarot Seven of Cups and Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Wisdom Prompt for October 17th : Growth

Today’s draw is the Seven of Cups combined with the affirmation “Feeling worried doesn’t mean anything bad is going to happen. You are going to get through this fine; you always find a way.”

There are times when you feel overwhelmed by choices that you end up frozen and unable to make any choice at all.  During these times, those choices become a burden and they fluster us, often because we fear making the wrong one.

This paralysis happens to everyone.  It’s a part of life.  As we pause in these moments, we are plagued by fears that should seem minimal, but in the moment of our overwhelm seem insurmountable.

The message in today’s cards is that if we actually make a choice, any choice, we are able to move past that moment of frozen uncertainty and learn from it.  Sometimes it’s in that moment after the choice that we are able to see the best choice that was sitting in front of us all along.  That’s when the phrase “I changed my mind” comes in, and a course correction is needed.

When we experience this process enough times?  We begin to grow from the experience and know ourselves better, making choices becomes less intimidating,  and allowing us to better see what we want from the start instead of needing to “change our minds” after in order to get to what we wanted all along.

DECKS USED:  DARK ANGELS TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Prompt for October 17th : Sisters of the Moon Full Moon Spread

Night Fairies Oracle and Dark Angels Tarot - Ace of Swords, Four of Wands, Six of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles, Ten of Cups

Sisters of the Moon, we rise, what do I channel beneath the Moon sky?

Six of Pentacles atop Four of Wands; Patience – It’s okay to take this time to rest instead of diving in to work. The holiday rush is not yet here. There’s no need to put yourself into the headspace of the rush so soon, especially while things are still so slow. Enjoy your time at home instead of making yourself get worked up too early.

The Witch’s Moon hangs soft and low, what magic grows within her glow?

Ace of Swords and The Portal – Now is the time to communicate with those beyond the veil. The moon will amplify their voices, making them easier to hear.

The Moon reveals what hides from day, what may guide me here today?

Two of Pentacles atop Ten of Cups; The Fire Within – Make sure that you are factoring time to indulge in those things that inspire happiness and enjoyment in the day to day. These feelings help kindle the spark within you, allowing you energy and motivation to keep going.

DECK USED: DARK ANGELS TAROT AND NIGHT FAIRIES ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

This post is a catch-up post, and I’m not entirely sure what my self kindness was for the day.

Don’t Give Up

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Spooky Halloween Cat Tarot's Strength Card and Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Wisdom Prompt for October 16th : Embrace

Today’s draw is the Strength card combined with the affirmation “You’re doing fine; don’t give up.”

The Strength card is not always about brute strength, but is most often about finesse.  It reminds us that sometimes you have to embrace a more subtle approach in order to get those that might be resistant to you on board with your goals. The first step is taming the beast… and from there, the rest is cake.

Working with others can be a frustrating thing, and working to get others to follow your lead can be not just frustrating but aggravating… but the rewards are well worth it.  Don’t give up.

DECKS USED:  SPOOKY HALLOWEEN CAT TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Question for October 16th :On wild and wicked paths I stray, what hidden truth can guide my way?

Medieval Oracle of the Beasts by Libra Moon IncRaven – The Raven reminds us that things slip out of the shadows to be dealt with, not to be buried or ignored. Lean into your intuition in these matters, and use your skills with the cards to help guide your way.

Crow atop Hedgehog – Here again we see another prophecy card in the Crow, reinforcing the message of the Raven above, while the presence of the hedgehog reminds us that it is important to have boundaries in place not just for others but also for yourself. Be smart with what you allow and how you execute your ethics.

Leopard atop Heron – Make sure that you keep in mind that those that do not have your best interests at heart are unpredictable and cunning. They will use whatever mask they can to get to the goal they are aiming for with you. Instead of feeling vulnerable, reach out to others you trust to find balance, and make sure you are doing your grounding exercises to ensure you have a stable foundation under your feet.

DECK USED: MEDIEVAL ORACLE OF THE BEASTS

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2024 Challenge Prompt
Question for October 16th : What do you need to focus on for self-care for this full moon?

Spooky Halloween Cat Tarot - The Sun, Three of Pentacles, Six of Swords, DeathReading Summary: It’s time to work on moving away (Six of Swords) from the assumption that success lies in what’s yet to come (The Sun Rx), and look instead at all you have accomplished and appreciate those things (Nine of Pentacles). Don’t fight against it (Death).

Take Away: This is a recurring theme over the past few days. These cards indicate that things are going to be slow for a while yet with your business, and instead of beating yourself up about it and trying to change things, you should spend this time appreciating all that you’ve done so far. Embrace the change instead of fighting against it.  Remember, everything is temporary, even slumps and slow times.

DECK USED: SPOOKY HALLOWEEN CAT TAROT

@HealingThruTarot’s #httOctoberTarotChallenge2024 Prompt
Prompt for October 16th and 17th

78Tarot's Creatures of the Night OracleHow to ward myself from energy vampires.

Matron Witch and Bat – Use your spiritual practice and long developed skills in that area to help protect yourself. Spellwork and wards are encouraged.

This includes using divination to sense the world around you more clearly than you can with just your mundane senses and abilities.

What is withering away this full moon?

Mad Scientist – This full moon brings with it a withering away of creative inspiration. Don’t look for motivation from your creative spark right now, and make sure you aren’t giving in to feelings of guilt or restless about it. Everyone needs a break now and then.

DECK USED: CREATURES OF THE NIGHT ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I ate out for dinner today instead of cooking.  It delayed me getting home by a bit, but was worth it because I didn’t have to cook.

Dopamine Chasing

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions on the Calm app.

The meditation session for today focused on how it isn’t in our end goals that we find success and happiness, but rather in how we get there and the journey.  It was a reminder that sometimes we get so focused on the future and our goals that we forget to be mindful of the moment we are in and enjoy the present.

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Orchid Valley Tarot and Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Wisdom Prompt for October 15th : Ground

Today’s draw is the Devil card combined with the affirmation “Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”

Fomo (Fear of Missing Out) is not your friend, and neither is that wonderfully addictive dopamine rush you get when you indulge in your addictions and obsessions.

When temptation to indulge in these things rises to the surface, today’s cards remind us not to dive in, but to instead take a moment to take a breath. Remind yourself how seductive that taste of dopamine can be, and how recklessly greedy for it you can become if you indulge in it too often.

Ground yourself before acting.

DECKS USED:  ORCHID VALLEY TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Question for October 15th : Through tricks and trials, I wander wide, what courage blooms when fear subsides?

Halloween Forever Oracle ReadingReading Summary: Appreciate what you have with mindfulness and gratitude (Owl Faerie). Be gentle with yourself (Moon Moth), and wear your confidence on your sleeve for all to see (La Catrina).

Take Away:  The courage that is ready to bloom is your self-confidence. By taking time to practice gratitude and pay more attention to those things that you have accomplished, you encourage your self-confidence to strengthen and grow.

Don’t hide that confidence from the world when it rises to the surface. Instead, allow it to shine for all to see.

DECK USED: THE HALLOWEEN FOREVER ORACLE

@HealingThruTarot’s #httOctoberTarotChallenge2024 Prompt
Prompt for October 15th : How to put what haunts me to rest.

Orchid Valley Tarot - The Star, Three of Pentacles, King of Wands, Four of CupsReading Summary: Allow yourself to depend on others (Three of Pentacles), no matter how ephemeral and illusory it might feel to do so (The Star). Focus on where you want your passions to take you (King of Wands), while taking care to be mindful of where you are now (Four of Cups).

Take Away: As today’s meditation session mentioned, happiness and success are not measured at the end of your journey, but experienced along the way with each and every small reward and accomplishment you experience. Lean into the trust and optimism needed to invite others on this journey with you.  You’re not alone.

DECK USED: ORCHID VALLEY TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’ve been having some stomach troubles over the past few days. I finally had enough of waiting for them to sort themselves out and took some Imodium.

Transformation Through Healing

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Hand of Doom Tarot's Wheel of Fortune and Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Motion Prompt for October 14th : Healing

Today’s draw is the Wheel of Fortune card combined with “I am as magical as a sorcerer’s spell.”

It is an absolute miracle that we are able, as people, to heal ourselves of many issues and trauma through self reflection. This quality is one unique to humanity, that we are able to take our  negative experiences and transform them from trauma to treasure through the healing process.

Sometimes, it feels like it’s too much.  Like what is being put on our shoulders is unfair, and yet we still learn from them.  The reminder here in today’s cards is that even when our “luck is down” and we’re struggling with life, there is always a silver lining to any experience if we’re willing to heal and grow from the situation we find ourselves in.

DECKS USED:  HAND OF DOOM TAROT AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Question for October 14th : Barefoot I dance, so wild, so free, what should I seek, embrace, or see?

Skele-Tarot - The World, Seven of Wands, Eight of PentaclesReading Summary: If you want to move forward into something new (The World), you will need to let go of being so defensive at every turn (Seven of Wands), and embrace putting in the hard work that it will take (Eight of Pentacles) to get there.

Take Away: Putting in hard work and letting go of defensive reactions is the path forward to turning over a new leaf in your life.

Don’t worry so much about fighting back against those that don’t matter, and instead focus on the work that needs to be done.   Only through that hard work will you step into the future with confidence.

DECK USED: SKELE-TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2024 Challenge Prompt
Question for October 14th : Spellwork : What new theme needs manifested in your life now?

Hand of Doom Tarot - Two of Cups, Six of Swords, Knight of PentaclesReading Summary: Turning over a new leaf towards a healthier future (Six of Swords) requires depending on those that you trust (Two of Cups) to help you in moving forward. Even when moving forward takes a long time (Knight of Pentacles).

Take Away: It’s time to consider that your request for help from those that you love and trust doesn’t have to be of the “just right this minute” variety.

You have a tendency to see your requests for help as temporary and short term, but its important to remember that it absolutely can be something longer term if you need it to be.

DECK USED: HAND OF DOOM TAROT

@HealingThruTarot’s #httOctoberTarotChallenge2024 Prompt
Prompt for October 14th : Burden to lay to rest in the graveyard.

Dark Grimoire Tarot - Four of Swords, Wheel of Fortune, Knight of Swords, Six of WandsReading Summary: Don’t be so impulsive (Knight of Swords Rx) in your desire to please others (Six of Wands Rx). Give it a rest (Four of Swords) and let them take care of themselves instead (Wheel of Fortune).

Take Away: Why do you try to help and/or please those that could give a rats ass about you and your own well-being?  Instead, let them deal with their own issues and step away to take care of yourself more and please them less.

Those that need your help and -care- about you, will understand that you need to do things your way and at your own pace.  Bury the rest.

DECK USED: DARK GRIMOIRE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I had myself a little extra cuddle time with Ms Luna today.

Surviving the Fray

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Tarot of Vampyres, Prince of Knives, Knight of Swords, Halloween Affirmation Cards@GlitterbyInk #OctoberCauldron24 Prompt
Cauldron of Motion Prompt for October 13th : Transform

Today’s draw is the Prince of Knives (Knight of Swords) combined with the affirmation “You have an amazing track record of surviving difficult things.”

You have been through a lot. A lot of accidents. A lot of struggles. A lot of pain.   Through it all, you continue to move forward and survive.

At the core of everything?  You are a survivor, and you have used your cleverness and intelligence each and every step of the way to help you forge your way ahead. Even when you want to lie down and quit, you continue survive and strive.

The cards for today are a reminder that with each experience, no matter how difficult it is, you learn more about the world and more about yourself, and in doing so transform yourself into someone even stronger than you were before.  Sometimes, to make it in this world? You have to be a fighter.

DECKS USED:  TAROT OF VAMPYRES AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN AFFIRMATION DECK

@Lionharts #TheOctoberTarot Season of the Witch Prompt
Prompts for October 10th thru 13th : Fire Water Earth & Air Ritual

Haunted: A Cursed Appalachian Tarot - Five of Pentacles, Three of Pentacles, Seven of Swords, The FoolIn fire’s dance I see it burn, what lesson am I here to learn?

Five of Coins – There is a difference between true scarcity and the impression of it, and there are all kinds of scarcity in the world. Are you sure that your personal feelings of scarcity are money related? Or are you assuming it has to do with finances, when in actuality you should be looking elsewhere for the culprit?

As rivers carve through stone with grace, what shall I wash away today?

Three of Coins – It’s time to shave off that recalcitrance you feel towards asking for help from others. No general wins a war by themselves, and you won’t either, no matter how “out there” you project your ego. Let go of your pride and ask for what you need.

With feet on soil, I feel the weight, what grounding force will guide my fate?

Seven of Swords – You often see the elements of a situation that others don’t. This ability gives you an advantage. Use it to your advantage to suss out troublemakers and deal with them quickly.

I seek the road both foul and fair, what is whispered through the air?

The Fool – If you don’t want to be the fool then don’t play foolish games. Keep in mind that ignoring those niggles from your intuition?  That right there is a very foolish game.

By Fire, Water, Earth & Air I conclude this ritual.

DECK USED: HAUNTED: A CURSED APPALACHIAN TAROT DECK

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2024 Challenge Prompt
Prompt for October 13th : Do Spread 2
Question for October 17th : Skeleton : What secret are you hiding that needs exposed?

Halloween Postcard Oracle and Tarot of Vampyres - Ace of Swords, Queen of Wands, The Star

Reading Summary: The color link between the Ace of Swords Rx and the jack-o-lantern faces speaks of  your inner demons, and how they are keeping you silent and fearful of communicating what needs to be exposed.

Movement of the panther in the Queen of Wands card is reflected in the direction the witch flies in the anchor card, while the glowing skin of the Queen of Wands herself is reflected in the moon behind the witch.  These connections speak of moving forward into the future with inspiration. There’s always uncertainty in what lies ahead, but don’t allow your fears to dim your light.

The Star card does not reflect up into the anchor card, but rather the roses in the Star card reflect into the Queen of Wands card with their glowing red hues. This connects these two cards, indicating a need to move forward with long seated passion projects even in times of uncertainty, using hope and optimism as motivation.

Take Away: The secret here is in just how uncertain you are feeling concerning moving forward with those passion projects that are currently on your plate.  There’s a lot in your life right now that feels uncertain, and a lot of things looming on the horizon that are compounding that uncertainty and creating a feeling of vulnerability as a result.

Instead of keeping these feelings to yourself, hiding them away in dark corners due to your vicious inner narrative in your head, you need to share them with others and trust that things will work out when you put them out in the open.

DECK USED: TAROT OF VAMPYRES AND SELF-MADE HALLOWEEN POSTCARD ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap in my car today before coming home because I was feeling like crap, and after eventually puking, I took Nauzene to calm everything down. (After puking, because something I ate clearly needed to come up and get OUT first.)