Psychopomp Tarot

Gratitude Is An Offering

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Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes long and attached to the end of my extended yoga / physio practice that I did this morning.  It was a good idea to give it a day between sessions of the new routine in order to let my muscles ease a bit.  I’ll continue the on-again off-again schedule for the next few weeks.   I don’t plan on making the added routine permanent, but I think that until I can get back to the chiropractor on a regular schedule it’d be a good idea to continue on with it.

Herbcrafter's TarotToday’s draw is the Madre of Earth (Queen of Pentacles) which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into a theme of nurturing energy that is both strong and supportive.

I know that in the guidebook for this deck, it says that the hands holding the bowl are making an offering to deity, but when I look at the imagery on this card today, I do not see an offering…. I see an expression of gratitude as those hands accept a gift from nature.

Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush) is definitely one of those things to be grateful for in nature.  It is an extremely useful plant that survives in places and climates that most plants can’t.  It is antimicrobial, fever reducing, and useful in treating a vast array of different physical ills from diarrhea and sinusitis, to general pain complaints and arthritis, anemia, and even stomach cramps.

The message in today’s card is about gratitude and respect.  You don’t take what is not sustainable, and you always show gratitude for what is given and used. This form of respect is something that seems to be lost by so many these days, and forgotten by society at large.  The message here today is to not allow yourself to be one of those that forget. Practice gratitude, be mindful of what you take and what you use, and always show respect for what has been given and where it comes from.

DECK USED:  HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m struggling to maintain motivation.
Question:  How can I accept that willpower is a limited resource?

Dixit Cards v4 Origins Expansion Pack

Reading Summary: Remember all the times that you have intrepidly move yourself forward (Left Card) even when you were out of your comfort zone (Center Card), and how it is so anxiety ridden to be there (Big Eye… Worried Fish). And how refreshed you feel after taking a rest and some time in Gideon’s care (Right Card).

Take Away:  This is about knowing when to yield.  You can push on and push and push and push yourself until you’re a mess of anxiety and tied up in knots, but sooner or later you -have to- let go.  That makes willpower not a personality trait, but a skill or ability.  And like all skills and abilities?  They require times of rest and recharging.

DECK USED:  DIXIT CARDS v4 ORIGINS EXPANSION PACK

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

Tarot MaddonniThere was once a young king named Keern, who ran his kingdom with great love (King of Cups). Sometimes he felt overburdened (Ten of Wands), but he chose to push through these feelings and direct them into providing strength (La Force) to his kingdom by protecting all within his realm (Nine of Wands).

And yet even then, he felt disenchanted (Four of Cups) and alone (Nine of Coins)

Although he was a very picky man (Judgement), he decided it was time to take a wife. And so King Keern began to seek out someone with similar ideals to his own they could help him foster and nurture his people (The Empress).

He met with many women, and there were so many more to choose from! There were so many, in fact, that his search became a burden in and of itself (Seven of Cups).

Then one day on his search, Keern met a poor man down on his luck (Five of Coins) named Heste, who encouraged him to sit down and discuss his problems. The king had love in his heart for all his subjects, and did so.  At the end of the discussion this man helped him to see that he was going after what was expected of him rather than what he really wanted (The Pope).

This conversation helped the king to realize that the heart wants what the heart wants… no matter what others think. Seeing things from this new perspective, Keern then changed his tactics and purpose (Hanged Man).   He opened himself up to more options, and in the end he found his true love among not the women of his kingdom at all.   Instead, it was the wise peasant with whom he’d spoken to that day he found his mind and heart drawn to, and so Keern brought Heste home to the castle to take on their future… together (The Lovers).

DECK USED:  TAROT MADDONNI

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  dream // plan // manifest

Women of Science Tarot

Dream – Ten of Nano – Emotional fulfillment is something that I can’t even imagine, but I do hope for.  I think that perhaps once I have gotten to a point where I’m more comfortable with my emotions that this dream will be more easily realized… rather than a concept that “sounds good”.

Plan – Knight of Nano – Moving forward emotionally is often just like moving forward in any capacity.  Sometimes?  You have to factor in a bit of planning.  I’m in the process of finding “comfortable” with the new emotional levels I’ve grown into over the past few months.  Having a plan in place to allow that growth to settle in might be a good idea to consider.

Manifest – Two of Macro and Eight of Astro – Allow yourself to see the blockages that are self created and standing in the way to getting your new balance of responsibilities set into place.  If you want to make this new balance a reality, you need to be open to those self restricting beliefs and behaviors that are still holding you back.

DECK USED:  WOMEN OF SCIENCE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  How will I know if I have achieved my creative calling?

Psychopomp Tarot

Reading Summary: Elements that will be present include inspiration to move forward (Two of Wands), a sense of connectivity with myself and the universe (The Star) and  And a feeling of balance and rightness in my direction (Justice).

Take Away:  When it all comes together and feels right?  That’s when you’re in your element and have hit that mark.  This is about how it feels in the moment and like the two hands that paint each other in the Two of Wands card, this calling is not stagnant or permanent, but ever changing and cyclical. What is my creative calling ten years ago may not be my creative calling ten years from now… and that’s okay.  As long as it feels right.

DECK USED:  PSYCHOPOMP TAROT

Healthy Seeds… Healthy Growth

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and one of the harp chord meditations with chimes that delineate the different positions of my piriformis stretches.  I’m sore still from having skipped one of my physio practices, so it was a good stretch and a good meditation, if a little difficult to hold my position for as long as each one needed to be held for.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is the Two of Fire (Two of Wands) which is traditionally about making  decisions and plans, and plotting progress in concern to one’s drives, desires, and those things that strike at one’s interests and inspirational spark.

What caught my attention the strongest in the imagery of this card today are the seeds that the spirit above spreads, and how they glow in the night as they fall.

I was also very much drawn to noticing the key words on this card, and I have to admit that incubation and pregnancy are an interesting take on the Two of Wands.  They gave me pause and made me think  But, I see it. And I like it. Two of Wands has to do with preparation and potential concerning one’s drive and passions.  And what represents all of these things more than pregnancy and the potential of impending motherhood?

When the seeds of inspiration fall and are planted into the hearts of men, there is a time of incubation. This time is for planning and brainstorming, preparation and the fostering of all that will be needed to support the birth of the inspiration into action.

My “incubation” period is often done in the unconscious, and by the time it floats to the surface, it’s hard to say how long it’s been lingering there in the quiet undergrowth growing behind the scenes.  Sometimes, my incubation period is lightning fast.  I see something, and I get a spark of inspiration, and bolt immediately into action. In both cases, though, that seed has to come from somewhere.

The message in the cards here today is about taking the seeds given and paying attention.  It’s about allowing that spark to create the inspiration that drives me forward, instead of wallowing and waiting and letting the seeds rot rather than flourish.

Don’t forget to write down your ideas.  Don’t allow them to get lost like falling seeds to decay in damp shadows.  These seeds are gifts, and need consideration and planning.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m so overwhelmed.
Question:  What can I do to remove guilt from the act of saying “no”?

Animism Tarot

Reading Summary: Accept that not everything that looks good is actually a good thing (The Happy Squirrel). Hold onto my past experiences of being overburdened (Ten of Wands), and learn from them (The Hierophant).

Take Away:  This is about both discernment concerning what I choose to go after and accept as a part of my responsibilities or obligations, as well as making sure I remember what the beginning feelings of overwhelm feel like and learn from those experiences so that I don’t repeat them. 

DECK USED:  ANIMISM TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Do Spread #3

Psychopomp Tarot

What have I forgotten that needs to be brought with me upon my path?

King of Pentacles – Over a good part of the spring/summer months I’ve been playing it a little fast and loose with my finances.  Not just in the area of my deck collection, but also in the areas of brand name food purchases, less pricing for groceries in general and deal finding in that area, supply purchases for the business that aren’t entirely necessary right now and could have waited to hit when on sale, etc. Some of this is definitely self-soothing behavior, which does not so much excuse it but does help explain a good part of it. What I have forgotten that needs to be brought with me upon my path is a stronger sense of fiscal discipline.

How can I begin to incorporate that back into my life?

Death – Accept and move forward. Self soothing is one of the ways in which I’ve gone off track with my spending lately.  Between the pandemic and the growth spurt I’ve been going through emotionally over the past few months, it’s not surprising that I’ve fallen into a pattern of self soothing.  In order to move past that and incorporate fiscal responsibility more strongly back into my life, I need to accept that the change needs to happen and move forward into it instead of resisting against it.

Where am I on my path at this time?

Eight of Wands – Zoom Zoom.  Good progress and moving forward.  I’m not stalled out at this time, nor dragging my feet.  If anything, I might be moving a little faster than I’m ready for.  That’s okay as long as the progress continues to be positive.

What should I prepare to harvest at the end of the month?

Page of Cups – Intuition and possibilities abound on the creative side of things at the end of the month. There’s lots of possibilities here and you’re really going to be feeling that creative flow.

How do I begin those preparations?

Page of Pentacles – Make sure that you take things slow and don’t get overwhelmed with all that you want to accomplish and manifest into reality.  Overwhelming yourself with work is not going to help.  Write things down and take them one at a time, a little at a time.  As long as you are taking notes, there’s no rush to complete everything at once.

DECK USED:  PSYCHOPOMP TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  I want… // I need… // I am…

Numinous Tarot

Dreamer of Tomes – I Want more knowledge, opportunity, and stability. Growth, but not through plowing ahead hard and fast… instead I want to take my time and really explore those things that awaken my curiosity.

The Moon – I Need a little mystery and uncertainty in my life, no matter how much I dislike it.  These qualities create a certain kind of energy and a certain kind of “spark” and flavor to life.  Without them, life would become more dull and less satisfactory.  I understand this, even if I’m not entirely thrilled about that need.

Strength – I Am strong inside and out. No matter what life throws at me, I am a survivor, and I will persevere.

DECK USED:  NUMINOUS TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  How can I share my inspiration?

Aquarian Tarot

Reading Summary: Strong sometimes means stoic and wise (Strength).  Gather up and hold on to your ideas (Page of Swords). Defend these ideas in development from those that would take them from you (Seven of Rods).

Take Away:  Don’t.  Stand strong against the temptation to share. Protect yourself and your inspired passions in this manner.  This warning has come up a few times over the past couple of days.  I’m listening.

DECK USED:  AQUARIAN TAROT

The Nature of Things

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Today’s meditation was skipped.  This is because I pulled an all-nighter last night with L packaging orders to ship out today.  We didn’t finish until nearly six in the morning.  At which point I went to bed to sleep and woke up just in time to haul ass to go get the packages out in the mail before the last mail truck left.  So… I didn’t get to either my yoga/physiotherapy or my meditation today, and I’m sure to pay for it for a couple of days to come.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is the Eight of Air (Eight of Swords) which is traditionally a representation of… well essentially, being in your own way and/or blinding yourself to your own obstacles and as a result making things more difficult than they have to be.  It’s all about getting in your own way, and all of the ways in which that can play out.

This is not what I see in this card, though. At all. I’m actually a bit confused by my reaction to this card as I’m struggling with the color combinations, which I find a bit disorienting.

What I see in this card today is in the imagery of the fox and the goose.  It is a display of one’s inner nature, much like the old fable of the frog and the scorpion.  It feels like a warning, although I’m not entirely sure what the warning is about.

So I would say that the message in today’s card is about making sure you are paying attention to the world around you, and those that surround you.  If something seems off and out of place? Pay attention. Be aware when people’s actions are not matching the energy you feel coming from them.   Don’t discount it as a fluke or unimportant.  It’s not as inconsequential as you would like to believe.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic:  I’m so overwhelmed.
Question: What can I do to release my fear of saying no?

Midcenturian Tarot

Reading Summary: Embrace the natural cycles of life (Ten of Swords) instead of fearing them (The Moon). Focus on developing your skill at regulating output and practice some patience (Temperance).

Take Away:  I’ve had a bit of a stalker thing going on with the Temperance card lately, and I wonder if this is the message that the card is trying to convey.  It is a message about honing my regulating and moderation skills, and incorporating patience to do so.  This is especially important in the saying “no” to adding too much onto my plate at once.

Add to that the need to get a handle on the trepidation that I feel when it seems something might be coming to an end.  I try and sustain too much because I want to keep going what is before me and try new things and develop new possibilities.  The problem is, when you preserve one while still working on adding and growth at the same time?  Your plate fills up super fast.

Together these two messages indicate a need to learn how to decide on what “phase out” and what to keep going.

DECK USED:  MIDCENTURIAN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:  Where do I need to focus on directing more gratitude?

The Fifth TarotReading Summary: When you’re feeling overwhelmed by choices (Seven of Shells), don’t just toss in the towel and walk away (Eight of Shells Rx).  Instead stick around and weather through the storm (Apprentice of Feathers), and allow Gideon to help support you through these times (Elementor of Shells).

Take Away:  The support that Gideon provides me in my day to day life is what I need to focus more gratitude toward at this time. He is there for me every day, and in any way that I need him.  All I ever need to do is reach out, and there he is, ready and not just willing to help, but eager to help. He is my comfort, my anchor, my rock… and he is the calm in the storm when I am feeling overwhelmed and struggling with my own inner demons… or the outer ones as well.

I feel that I often come off as ungrateful for all of these things.  Too wrapped up in my own shit, I forget to look up and look outward, and to acknowledge how much he loves me and how very invested he is in me.. in my life.  In anything and everything I need from him.  I am so very lucky.  And so very grateful.  I wish I was able to express it better, but I will continue to try to both notice these things more… and express my gratitude more clearly and more often.

DECK USED:  THE FIFTH TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Topic:  sharpen // soften

Student Tarot v4 Godard's BirdsSharpen – Page of Wands – Now would be a good time to sharpen your focus upon those things that inspire you and create within you a spark of curiosity.  Experiment and explore the ideas that kindle your inner spark, and release those that can’t hold up to that sharper focus.

Soften – Queen of Swords and Eight of Pentacles – Stop judging yourself and your work so harshly.  Use your keen intellect to find potential outlets for your skills that will be of benefit instead of standing on the fence and waffling because your inner critic is having a heyday in your head.

DECK USED:  STUDENT TAROT v4 GODARD’S BIRDS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  What do I feel when I work on something creative?

Psychopomp Tarot

Reading Summary: Release (Ten of Wands Rx and Three of Swords Rx) and the birth of positive emotion in its place (Ace of Cups).

Take Away:  There is a release in being creative. When I have pent up creative energy, it becomes a burden of sorts.  A struggle of tamped down and clogged up energy that builds in pressure within me. When I create something new and allow my creative spark freedom to play, it releases this tension in my chest and it is like opening up a special part of my soul to breathe.

At the same time, this release can also be emotional, as when I create there is an element of emotion to it. A letting go of doubts and worries and inner judgements in order to instead wallow in potential and energies that feel positive and pleasing.

In both of these types of release, there is then an opening for something else to sweep in.  And when I am enjoying my creative process, what sweeps in to replace these unpleasant sensations, emotions, and energy… are feelings of positivity.  Emotional positivity that is new and bright and shiny, and not yet touched by or tarnished by the unpleasant effects of my inner critic’s negative dialogue.

DECK USED:  PSYCHOPOMP TAROT

Youthful Exuberance

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and I dozed off somewhere at the end of it, although I don’t think for very long. I was just feeling super relaxed and my allergies made my eyes feel good when closed… that combination sort of snuck up on me a bit with the nap.

Herbcrafter's TarotToday’s draw is the Hija of Fire (Page of Wands) card, which is traditionally interpreted as a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s drive, passions, interests, and inner spark.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the stuffed tiger up in the corner, and the amber sphere. The tiger speaks to me of youthful innocence and comfort. Even now in my 30’s I still can hug a stuffed animal up to my chest under my chin and find comfort in the soft fuzziness and squish in my arms.

Amber, on the other hand, is a healing stone. Not in that it heals, but in that it draws out negative energy, which then stimulates the body, mind, spirit into healing itself. Combined with the stuffed tiger, it reinforces that sense of innocence. The energy of the amber pulling out the negativity in the scene, sponging away pessimism, to leave behind youthful exuberance and innocent creativity.

The message in today’s card is a reminder to enjoy yourself. Exploration and creativity should be a fun process, not a chore. Do the things that interest you and let them carry you away into that place of positive energy and eager excitement.

DECK USED: HERBCRAFTER’S TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling with self-worth.
Question: How can I reframe self-worth as something I possess intrinsically, rather than something I need to earn?

Wild Unknown Tarot

Reading Summary: Make a choice (The Lovers) to move away from uncertainty and self doubt (The Moon Rx) and accept that your sense of fulfillment comes from within (Ten of Pentacles).

The imagery for the Ten of Pentacles in this deck looks like a tree’s rings to me. The pentacles are clustered at the center, speaking of the value being within the core of the trunk from the beginning and remaining as a part of the inner make up rather than from anything external. The motion of the geese in the Lovers card reinforces the “moving away from” aspect of the reversed Moon.

Take Away: What keeps me from framing self worth as something intrinsic within me is my self doubt. If I can make the choices that move me away from that self doubt, I will find it easier and easier to see the worth of those “inner rings of growth” within me and their weight and strength will more easily shine brighter within my eyes.

DECK USED: WILD UNKNOWN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Should I make this few days off break a monthly thing (other than during the holiday rush)?

Star Seeker's TarotReading Summary: Times of stillness create new perspective (The Hanged One) which create a sense of clarity to assist me in the choices I make (The Lovers). Opening up the door to a whole new world (The World).

The color coordination between the water in the first and the sky in the second connects these two cards into a flow of energy, connecting the perspective gained in the first card into the clarity of the sky in the second. The third card is completely different in color scheme and appearance, reinforcing the “whole new world” aspect.

Take Away: Yes. Do it. It will help you view your work and your life through a different lens, and in turn give you a more positive outlook both concerning your work, as well as concerning your free time. As you are stepping forward in trying to restructure your organization of your responsibilities and into your emotional growth, this change could assist in fostering both of these things.

DECK USED: STAR SEEKER TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Question: Mercury goes direct: release // return // retry

Psychopomp Tarot

Release – Ten of Wands – It’s time to release the last remnants of that sense of betrayal that came with the arrival of “the letter” last fall/winter. The dregs of that pain has continued to be a block to my creative flow.

Return – The Magician – In releasing the pain mentioned above, I can then return to the confident creative man I’ve always been without the restraint of fear and pain holding me back. My skills and abilities can then shine bright and I will be able to apply them to my endeavors freely and without restraint.

Retry – The Sun – Finding joy in my work. This is something that has been a progression since the mess that “the letter” created. In stages I have tried and stalled out, then tried again. I will continue to work at instilling more joy into my work and appreciating my craftsmanship as well as the pleasure I take in sending my work out into the world to bring joy to others as well. I will continue to try and try again.

DECK USED: PSYCHOPOMP TAROT

 

Full Moon in Capricorn – July 2020

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The full moon is a time of release and letting go, and this is doubly true during this month’s full moon in Capricorn. The influence of Capricorn on this month’s full moon is one of transition and a reminder of patience.   This is a theme that has been very prominent in  my personal readings of late, and is echoed in the energy that surrounds this full moon.

As we honor the completion of this moon’s cycle over the next couple of weeks, it’s time to reflect upon our growth and how far we have come… and remember that the way forward is not a race toward a destination, but a journey along which we must be conscious and aware, and savoring each step along the way.

Full Moon in Capricorn - Psychopomp Tarot

Yesterday was the full moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us.  Today’s spread is brought to you by Ethony‘s Tarot By the Moon series.

1. What long term plans are calling me?

The High Priestess – This is a reminder that the development I am going through is mostly  unseen by others.   It is an internal growth, and although I openly share that growth and struggle through my readings and this blog, the truth is that it is about changing things on the inside more than the changing of habits on the outside.  Only by changing how I see things, feel about things, and my internal perspectives will I be able to change my actions and methods.  The High Priestess says…. focus inward for outward results.

2. What foundations do I need to lay to succeed?

The Chariot – Control.  In this case (and as indicated by the position and angle of the tip of the spear towards the warrior’s Achilles tendon) the control has to do with getting control over my own bad habits and hidden weaknesses.

3. Where do I need to apply patience?

Eight of Wands – Don’t give up on this journey that you are on, and remember that these types of transitions take time.  You are too impatient with yourself.  Ease up and let things move at their own pace.

4. Where do I need to think BIGGER?

Queen of Pentacles – Look for ways in which you can foster stable and responsible growth in the area of your home and finances.  This isn’t a time for big growth spurts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some small progress that keeps things stable and on track.  Nurture these areas of your life without training your entire focus upon them.  They only need a little encouragement to do better and not become stagnant while you focus on other things.

5. Where do I need support?

The Empress – Hey Gideon… do you remember a few months ago when you asked the cards what I needed from you and you drew the Empress?  *Points to the Empress*   You’re up.  (I’m teasing… but not entirely joking here.)

The Empress indicates that the areas where I am in need of some support are in those more caring and nurturing areas that I’m not all that good at providing for myself.

DECK USED:  PSYCHOPOMP TAROT