Pamela Coleman Smith's RWS Tarot

Motivations and Sneaky Shit

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a guided meditation from the Calm app with an interval timer added in for my piriformis stretches.  

The topic of today’s meditation was about closure.  The example used was about romantic relationships, but honestly?  I think the need for closure goes beyond just romantic relationships and can extend to friendships and even acquaintances sometimes. Something said in the meditation about how some people disappear from your life without warning or a trace (triggering in many that need for closure that they didn’t get) brought up a different topic for me.

I am one of those people… one of those friends that sociable people often consider a “bad friend”. I disappear for months at a time… then reappear back in other people’s lives as if no time has passed at all. Sort of like starting a conversation, walking out of the room for an hour, and then just picking the conversation back up exactly where ti was left when you return to the room again.

This is something that a lot of people don’t understand, I’ve found. But honestly? To me? It doesn’t -feel- as if any time has passed. That gap of time and absence? I don’t see it and I don’t realize it’s there.  It’s like, because I think of these friends, sometimes on a daily basis, they are not absent even though I might not be in contact with them. To me, they are still in my life. Still present. (Other times, I just lose time and have no clue that so much time has passed because my memory is missing a few days, weeks, or months. This particular issue is due to a combination of a head injury when I was younger, and mental health fluctuations.)

Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot - Seven of SwordsToday’s draw is is the Seven of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of trickery, strategy, thievery, betrayal, and all around sneaky shit. Mind you, not all sneaky shit is bad shit.  Being cunning and strategic can be a very good quality… but it is still sneaky shit sometimes.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is not surprising. It’s the hands and what’s within them, the homes in the distance, and the blue shade of the cloak that the figure wears.

What I see in this imagery is a warning that not everything is how it first appears, and you need to be aware and paying attention with that in mind. Some people are guileless and they wear their emotions on their sleeves and intentions on their face. Others… are not like that.  They may appear trustworthy, simple, innocent, easy, innocuous, or friendly. But what lies beneath the surface.

The advice here is that sometimes, we have to look at other’s motivations, even when they appear to be being nice or look completely harmless. Everyone has motivations behind their actions… pay attention to what those motivations might be.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What are you clinging to that can be let go of without repercussion?

Divine Masculine TarotReading Summary: My concern that having a bit of fun (Three of Cups) will distract me from my plans and goals (Two of Wands). It’s okay to take comfort (Four of Wands) in those things that bring me pleasure (imagery in the Queen of Wands).

Take Away: This is the influence of my father and how his voice managed to integrate into my inner narrative and make a home there.  It’s the concept that that anything that’s fun can’t possibly be productive or useful because you’re supposed to buckle down and work, be serious and focus to your goals, and not allow “frivilous things” to distract you.

I know that voice is wrong, and I know it’s harmful. I’ve never really considered that I “cling” to it before, but I think in some ways I do… because it seems like the path to stability and security. But on closer reflection, it may get you to stability and security, but at what cost to your health and happiness?

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE DIVINE MASCULINE
 

Daily Self Kindness

I spent all evening and night in play with Gideon today and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.  I didn’t do even a shred of work other than searching for a bin of charms I’d somehow thought I’d misplaced.  I discovered that instead, what happened is I was exhausted when I had the bin out before (along with a different one) and I accidentally put the charms back into the wrong bin.  I suppose that discovering this could also be self care, since as soon as I found those charms, I felt much better.  I was having a bit of an anxiety issue over the whole thing.

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?

Showing results for pamela colman smith rws Search instead for pamela coleman smith rws Pamela Colman Smith's RWS Tarot, Birds Oracle 1 & 2, Visionary I-Ching Oracle

Earth – Seven of Cups and Ruby Throated Hummingbird – The meaning of the Ruby Throated Hummingbird is to take only what you need, and here with it we see a card that is filled with options and opportunities… but you have to choose.  The message here is that it’s not a time for gluttony and piling on more than you can handle.  Take things slow this week and do what you need to do.  Make wise choices about how you spend your time and in taking care of yourself.

Air – Death atop Three of Cups, Great Horned Owl – “Every day there are opportunities to learn something new,” is the message conveyed by the Great Horned Owl.  Death rides atop merriment with others and reminds us that nothing lasts forever and you need to cherish what you can while you can.  Use this time with those you care about to learn what you can from them, for they won’t be around forever to share their knowledge, wisdom, and joys with you.

Water – The Empress and Sulfur Crested Cockatoo – The Sulfur Crested Cockatoo’s message is that it’s time to reassess relationships and figure out which are working for you and which it is time to let go of.  The presence of the Empress narrows this theme down, indicating that you need to hold onto those that nurture and support you, and let go of those that are no longer taking any effort to do this on their part, and thus you need to let go of putting my own energy into them in turn. Not all relationships (friendships, work relationships, etc) are meant to last a lifetime.

Fire – Judgement atop Three of Wands, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl – The message that the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl conveys is about not becoming distracted by “shiny things” and examining what it is that is distracting you from what you’re meant to be doing.  Judgement speaks of this same examination on a grand scale of one’s moral compass and how you feel about  how you are living your life, and the Three of Wands speaks of direction.  Take some time this week to do these examinations and make sure you are still on your true path and not being pulled off course.

Waning – Attention to Detail – Step back and let go. Don’t worry about all the little details that need to be done.  This week, just carry on and let the small shit take care of itself while you focus on the bigger picture and work at getting your ducks in a row.

Waxing – Humility – You don’t know everything and you need to make sure that you are accepting your mistakes with grace, and taking the actions needed to repair the damage and return things to status quo once more.  Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes these mistakes are needed learning experiences. With true humility, balance can once again be achieved.

Take Away – There is a lot of mention in this week’s reading about taking time to examine friendships and relationships, options and opportunities, and your trajectory of your life path as a whole and ensure that all of these things are on the right track.  If course corrections are needed, be humble and accept that you’ve been drawn off course. Through that humility you will be able to then course correct back to your intended path without allowing negative self talk and self-recriminations to drag you down.

DECKS USED:  PAMELA COLEMAN SMITH’S RWS TAROT, BIRDS ORACLE 1 & 2, VISIONARY I-CHING CARDS