self care check in

📆 Transitioning from March to April

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Month End Check-In Oracle Reading with the Botanical Dreams Oracle

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Observe – You are focusing the lion’s share of your energy on taking a step back at the moment. Observation is an important tool in understanding others actions and motives. You recognize this fact and are trying to distance yourself emotionally in order to get a better view of what’s going on around you.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Abundance Rx – It’s time to let go of the scarcity mentality that makes you feel as if you’re never able to do enough or “catch up”. Instead, spend time appreciating just how far you’ve come.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Soulmates – That special connection you have with those that truly “get you” needs recognition and celebration. It’s time to make sure you aren’t taking them for granted.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Blessings – Watch out for those that go overboard in stressing how valuable they are to you, or how valuable you are to them. Look for the hidden motivations for why they are so dead set on pointing out and drilling home the silver linings of this relationship.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Summer Dreaming – In a reinforcement of this week’s Self Care Saturday reading, the advice here is to give yourself permission to loaf off and be a bit irresponsible right now.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Confidence Rx – Reflect back on experiences where you have lost your confidence due to feeling exposed and vulnerable. It’s in these experiences that you can find healing at this time.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

The Warrior – Take time to acknowledge and celebrate your wins. They aren’t a fluke, but instead are truly a reflection of your skills and abilities.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Pearls of Wisdom – The “pearls of wisdom” soon to be offered to you aren’t truly to your best interest. Instead, they have the potential to entangle you in a mess of restraints you don’t need and that will be far too heavy for you.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Spider Woman – Balance is coming. You have the opportunity to be skilled and dexterous on the web of others traps and snares if you are wise enough to stay aware and not ignore warning signs as they arise.

Message from the Spirit World – Take care that even while you are loafing off and being irresponsible that you stay vigilant in protecting yourself from the potentially negative influences of others disguised as help or advice.

Message from the Mind’s World – Combat that negative inner narrative of scarcity in your head through enjoying a bit of extra time with your “tribe” of like-minded souls.

Message from the Physical World – You are a fighter and a survivor. This mantra needs to be remembered and repeated when you are not feeling at your strongest.

Take Away – This month ahead is going to bring a lot of trip lines set by those trying to ensnare you deeper in responsibilities you don’t need and can’t healthily take on. Embrace “irresponsibility” instead of being drawn in, and remember to “stand back and watch” instead of engaging.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Saucer Magnolia Painted on Bamboo for Perseverance

DECKS USED: BOTANICAL DREAMS ORACLE

📆 Transitioning from February to March

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End of Month Check-In Tarot Reading with The Somnia Tarot

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Queen of Swords – It’s time to rise. Leave behind what is needed to rise to your potential, and accept help from those in the know rather than doing all the work yourself. You can put on an unaffected front even if you are more deeply involved in the equation than it seems. The Queen is the power behind the crown (as opposed to beneath it), guiding the way, as each powerful and wise King has one whispering in their ear.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Knight of Pentacles – Practicality and slow movement can only get you so far. The time for movement and action is now upon you. Leave the drag of sluggishness behind and get moving.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Two of Wands – To move forward you have to have a plan. Don’t waist the time of stillness in inaction that you’re unable to get past or control, but instead use it wisely to plot your course forward.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Seven of Cups Rx – Take care that you don’t become stymied by too many options. If you don’t stay laser focused on what you want and the opportunities that can get you there, you will become mired in indecision.  Lots of options isn’t always a good thing, so don’t let them become a distraction.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

King of Swords – Decisiveness is the key to getting where you want to go. Listen to good sense, and don’t let those previously mentioned opportunities that have nothing to do with your end goals distract you and bog you down. Now’s not the time to become scattered, but rather to strategize and make strong, focused decisions.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

The Chariot – Remember that even in times when you are forced into a corner, you still have choices and autonomy. In those moments, you may feel powerless, but just because your options are limited doesn’t mean there are none. It just may take some creative thinking to continue moving things forward in the direction you want to go.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

The Tower – Remember with every “shit happens” that you have survived, you have become stronger. It may feel like the world around you is crumbling, but it’s only adding to the ground beneath your feet, lifting you up so that you will sit higher, and thus have higher ground for the next round.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

The Hanged Man – Delay in stagnancy is all well and good when you have something to contemplate, but sometimes it’s just a delay for the sake of a delay. You have the opportunity to mitigate the effects of that if you stay focused on your goals.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

The World – Finding the finish line isn’t always easy, and sometimes even when you reach it you think you have a long way yet to go. Make sure you are paying attention so that you don’t miss your moment to finish things.

Message from the Spirit World – Use your times of stillness to strategize towards finishing things.

Message from the Mind’s World – Times of slowness can allow you to seek council in plotting your course.

Message from the Physical World – Seize control of your moments of indecision in order to avoid chaos and possible tragedy.

Take Away – After a very long time that felt like stagnant inactivity where life and the cards both seemed to be saying to “wait” and let things move at their own pace, here is a call to action. It’s time to begin moving again, and the first step to that is planning and strategy. Time to get your ducks in a row.

DECKS USED: THE SOMNIA TAROT

📆 Transitioning from January to February

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Month End Oracle Reading with the Land of Giants Oracle and Spirit Cycle Oracle

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Building and New Look – Well, we can’t get more on the nose than that. Tomorrow, the first payment of the levy for my condo building’s repairs come out and things are put in motion to begin the work. There’s been a lot of stress involved in getting the money for the levy together. These cards indicate that with papers signed and payments lined up, everything is now on its way to moving in the right direction.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Force and Barriers – You don’t have to keep pushing in this area.  You’ve fought your hardest through the month of January, and are battle scarred as a result. There’s no force needed now, though. Any pushing you do at this point will only make things more difficult.  Now that you’ve managed to get done what needed done, and the ball is now beginning to roll? Settle in and let things move at their own pace instead.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Dead and Dawn – Your need for vengeance is riding you hard right now. The clusterfx of January has someone to blame, and you want your pound of flesh for making such a mess of things. It’s okay to let it go now, though. You’ve already done enough. Like the boots left behind by the dragon after his meal, there is no need to choke down the boot leather as well as the traveler who wore them.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Past and Yearning – There’s no point in looking back on what was and wishing you could return to it.  There’s going to be a few hurdles still to go before things calm down for you again, and you need to keep your eye on the prize and optimistic about getting there, rather than looking behind you and wishing for what’s been left behind in the past.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Frugality and Dream Tree – Having to refinance your mortgage has really helped you in getting all your ducks in a row financially, and this new level of organization is allowing you to not just see where your funds are going, but the possibilities of what you can do with them moving forward as well.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Indolent and Self-Awareness – Stop looking at the times you need a little rest or are enjoy a bit of relaxation as laziness. That word… “laziness” is an echo from the past. It’s not your word, but a viewpoint you have been conditioned to see through past treatment from others.  It’s time to work on re-framing these moments into a healthier perspective.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Absolution and Nurturing – When you seek forgiveness from within, it helps everything feel a little healthier and a little better.  Sometimes you just have to accept things as they are rather than always judging yourself harshly. No one else holds a grudge against you like those you hold against yourself. Cut yourself some slack and give yourself a little kindness, and you will thrive far better than starving yourself of these things would ever manage.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Imploring and Rough & Ready – Don’t ignore the danger hidden among the weeds.  Don’t give second chances to those that don’t deserve it. Keeping your eye on the prize is one thing, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be looking around and acknowledging the risks and dangers that are far closer than you think.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Famous and That’s All – I can’t say that fame has ever been one of those things that I’ve ever been interested in, but I do enjoy being admired.  These cards indicate that the opportunity is there. That when you remain close to those that matters and watch over them, you earn the most valuable kind of admiration of all.  What more recognition does one really need?

Message from the Spirit World – Working hard towards something doesn’t have to mean it’s all about immediacy and force. Sometimes it’s important to take things a little at a time instead, and in the end you achieve what you really value most instead of the less important goals you’d set your sights on in the first place.

Message from the Mind’s World – Sometimes the negative inner narratives in your head that hold you back can’t be overcome by force.  Instead, a chance of scenery is needed to put them in their place and show them just how inconsequential they are.  Get out in nature and breathe deep.

Message from the Physical World – You are in need of rest and self-care.  You’ve been through a lot of stress lately, and it’s time to give yourself the TLC you deserve (not to mention have more than earned in the past month of struggle, strife, and tribulation).

Take Away – It’s time to step back and let things move at their own pace.  Not just with the mortgage and the bank, but with the levy, with your work worries, and with everything else too.  Don’t push right now. Not yourself, not anything else either.  Just take it easy and let things roll along. Whatever pushing you do is only going to get in the way and slow things down right now.

DECKS USED: LAND OF GIANTS ORACLE AND SPIRIT CYCLE ORACLE

📆 Transitioning from December to January

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Month End Lenormand reading with the Petit Lenormand Noëldine

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Anchor and Fox – You are finding yourself with the urge to avoid risk and take things slow with others. Although you are feeling stable and comfortable in who you are, you are currently feeling cautious about moving out of your shell, and feel the need to take things at a slow and careful pace.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Woman and Ship – The absent woman needs to remain absent. Although they are on their way, they are still at a distance and have been missing for some time. Now is not the time to welcome a return with open arms.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Star and Man – A hopeful, positive, and optimistic outlook with a sense of self-possession and stability. Your dominant temperament is rising. Make sure you take these urges to a good place, and don’t let your negative tendencies smother them or turn them toward somewhere dark.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Fish and Book – Financial tomfoolery is afoot, and there are important lessons to be learned from an incoming experience that you are not going to enjoy. This makes perfect sense considering the building levy quickly approaching that you need to make time to see a financial advisor about this month.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Key and Path – New avenues are about to land in your lap that you need to open yourself up to. Just because they aren’t the plan you had in mind doesn’t mean it’s not the right path for you. Don’t be stubborn. Be open minded and don’t allow yourself to get stymied by indecision or bullheadedness.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Tree and Bear – There are those in your past that were meant to create a sense of stability in your life, but did not. This lack of stability from others when it was so sorely needed may have made you the fiercely independent person you are today, but has also had long reaching negative effects on your health.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Sun and Moon – Take time to reflect upon those in your life that have helped you to sort through your emotions. They are the light that shines upon your moments of uncertainty, and help everything make sense. Be mindful to turn toward them instead of away.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Letter and Mountain – Do not allow communication to stagnate between you and others. The longer you hold back and more you avoid dealing with communication issues, the more insurmountable those issues will begin to feel.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Mice and Birds – People talk and the assholes are restless. Make sure that you are paying attention to what’s going on around you, and any hint of whispers on the wind. You are not being paranoid, but instead need to be prepared to act quickly and decisively as soon as any issues arise.

Message from the Spirit World – In times when struggles approach and you feel held back or cornered in, be true to yourself and listen to what your gut is saying instead of the murmurs and whispers of those that seek to break your self-confidence.

Message from the Mind’s World – It’s okay for the softness within you to be on the retreat for a time. Know thyself. Know your needs and own them. Embrace the dominant side and have fun with it while it’s on the rise.

Message from the Physical World – Protect your health with time proven methods you’ve researched and developed over time. When you feel better physically, you feel better emotionally as well.

Take Away – There are warnings here about harmful rumors approaching and troublemakers trying to skirt along the edges. Be proactive and stay on top of these issues instead of putting them off until later.  Being decisive is needed in this area.

Take care of your physical health, and make sure that you are communicating openly with others about how you are feeling emotionally.  These two aspects of  your well-being are connected and work together.

Deal with the levy issue as soon as possible and don’t plant your feet in whatever plans you’ve been making in the back of your head.  That financial advisor has good advice to give and a  possible better route through the financial struggles to come than the ideas and worries that you’ve been percolating on.

DECKS USED: PETIT LENORMAND NOËLDINE

📆 Transitioning from October to November

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Month End Tarot Reading Check-In with the Tarot Noir

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Trois de Denier – You are part of a team. In these moments left before the holiday rush arrives, you are building stability through your connections with others, and inviting their skills and abilities to the table on your behalf.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Valet d’Epée – Release those things that are not yet manifested. There is a lot you’ve been considering working on or thinking about bringing into reality. Now is the time to set those ideas aside until later, after the holiday rush has passed.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Sept de Coupe – You want options. There is a freedom in being flushed with opportunities and having an abundance of choices at your disposal. Being backed into a corner sucks. The more options that you have, the better chance you have of coming out on top.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Six de Coupe – Do not allow nostalgia of good times to blind you to the dangers in the present. Shared history does not always equate to loyalty or steadfastness, regardless of how you feel that it should.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Dix de B̢ton РOver the past few years you have learned how to identify when you are feeling overwhelmed, and how to ask for help when you need it. These lessons now allow you the tools needed to deal with overwhelm and head off burnout before it can take hold.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Trois d’Epée – There are always going to be disappointments in life. The key is to remember how you have risen above them in the past and can do so again. There is no avoiding heartbreak completely, so don’t even try. Instead, focus on recovery and healing after the dust has settled.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Six de Denier – It can be hard sometimes to accept the generosity of others, but make sure that you are paying attention to when they offer. Saying yes is difficult, but it is often the healthiest option.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Deux de Coupe Rx – There is still time to circumvent that betrayal by someone you trust that is resting on the horizon, and has been predicted in the cards often over the past month. You are asking the wrong questions… or rather, it’s the fact that you are not asking any at all.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Neuf de Bâton – Your fear of change is unfounded, and you have an opportunity to move past it with grace if you are willing to release your need to “brace for impact”. Don’t worry so much about the “what if” scenarios.

Message from the Spirit World – The one you have been warned about is going to try to use your time of overwhelmed during the holiday rush to slip past your defenses.

Message from the Mind’s World – You’re a novice when it comes to asking for help and communicating your needs. Remember that diversifying is better than doing it all yourself or only using the minimum amount of help that you can get by with.

Message from the Physical World – Leaning to deeply into the past and how things used to be will create disappointment. Instead, keep your options open and be kind to yourself when you fuck up.

Take Away – There is potential for the person that you’ve been warned about for the past month to come to head over the holiday season. Keep an eye out for those that are trying to find a way in while you were at your most distracted.

Make sure that you are leaning into innovation in your business, instead of allowing yourself to just fall back into what has worked in the past. Make sure, as well, that you are asking for as much help as you can get instead of just as much as you think you need.

Roll with disappointments instead of letting them trip you up.

DECKS USED: TAROT NOIR

📆 Transitioning from September to October

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Month End Tarot Reading with the Ostara Tarot

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

King of Swords – You are a good leader, cunning and clever, but you are holding yourself too far apart from others in an effort to protect yourself from getting hurt. Allowing yourself vulnerability won’t wrest your power from your grip, but will instead only make you stronger.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Page of Cups – This specific card has a tendency to come up for this question around this time of year. It is a reminder that with the holiday rush right around the corner, your time to explore emotions and work on your emotional intelligence is coming to an end for the year. Time flies, and soon it will be nose-to-the-grindstone with the holiday rush.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Ten of Wands – This card indicates that “ideal states” are like perfection, they don’t really exist and are overrated. You -want- to take on everything, put it all on your shoulders, and deal with it with alacrity and grace. This card is a reminder that that vision in your head is a lie.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

The Tower – Chaos is not your friend right now. Work on staying organized, and when things don’t go exactly as planned, relax into the fall instead of tensing up.

(Note: “Relaxing into the fall” is a term used in tight rope walking and areal gymnastics to encourage going boneless when falling in order to minimize injury. Much in the way drunks often have serious mishaps without injury.)

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

The Magician – You are independent, strong willed, and well rounded. You have all that you need to not just “make it through” but to accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Make sure that you are tapping into these qualities when they are needed.  You are far from helpless.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Page of Swords – Sometimes, like a kid running with scissors and someone gets hurt, people say things without thinking and carve a piece out of you in the process. Just like that kid with the scissors, it’s not intentional and not meant to be malicious. Make sure that you are looking beyond the injury to see the motivations of others clearly. Remember… accidents happen.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Knight of Pentacles – Sometimes the hard work isn’t worth it… but not often. When you continue to stubbornly push forward even when conditions are horrible, the rewards are nearly always worth the effort put in and then some. And, in the glow of accomplishment afterward, it’s easy to forget just how horrible the journey was now that it’s behind you.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Three of Wands – Watch out for the feeling of moving forward when you’re really just circling the drain hole. Keep your eves open for opportunities for real progress instead of just the illusion of it.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

King of Cups – Look to Gideon for support when you need it. He can help you in finding emotional stability if you let him guide you and follow his lead.

Message from the Spirit World – We take pride in your efforts to learn more about and understand your emotions instead of continuing your ignore them. It may feel sometimes like your running in circles, but you are in fact developing lifelong skills that will help you with future goals.

Message from the Mind’s World – Make sure that you don’t let your inner dialogue’s sharp tongue push you into taking on so much that you buckle under the weight. Loved ones are there to help. Use your freshly learned interpersonal skills to diversify the load.

Message from the Physical World – You’ll make things far harder on yourself than they need to be by not taking care to acknowledge where you are still learning and in need of help or guidance. Lean into those that can give you guidance when you need it instead of stubbornly insisting on going it alone.

Take Away – You are not abandoning your emotional intelligence journey by focusing on the holiday rush that approaches. That journey will still be there for you when you return to it after the rush is over.

Make sure you are delegating your work load instead of taking it all on yourself.

DECKS USED: OSTARA TAROT