self development through shadow work

📆 Transitioning from January to February

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Month End Check In Tarot Reading with the Tarot of Sacred Feminine

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

The Moon Rx atop Strength – You are struggling within your uncertainty and the vulnerability it breeds.

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

Queen of Coins Rx atop Page of Coins – The instability involved in trying to advance your position needs to be set aside for now. It’s time to pause. If you push to advance it will only cause disruption to your stability.

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

Queen of Cups Rx atop Seven of Wands Rx – You seek less violence and intensity in your emotions, including less reactivity to perceived threats.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Death Rx – Stagnancy. Just because you’re not charging forward doesn’t mean you need to stay still. Don’t let stagnancy sneak in and drag you into the mire.

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

The Hermit Rx atop Ten of Coins Rx – It’s okay to need time to yourself, just make sure that it is healthy time that won’t insert a wedge between you and your support system.

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

The High Priestess – Remember that you may not always like the results of following your intuition. That doesn’t mean that you turn away from it, but rather that it’s giving you what you need instead of what you want. This isn’t a bad thing.

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

Six of Cups atop King of Swords – Use the past to steer things in the direction you want them to go. Using nostalgia as a tool, you can hit your target cleanly.

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

The Devil – Deception is afoot. Stay alert and watchful for cracks in the masks of others.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Four of Swords – Rest and restoration needs to be your focus right now. You have the opportunity to recuperate at this time and need to take it while you have it.

Message from the Spirit World – Instead of forcing yourself to spend time with others, and risking their machinations influencing your stability and mental health, spend some time recuperating and push them to do their own thing.

Message from the Mind’s World – Lean heavily into learning instead of doing when it comes to your uncertainty right now. You’re not in a place to handle the aggression needed to do more than sit back and watch at the moment.

Message from the Physical World – This is an echo of the Nostalgia position further up in the reading.  Overcome the temptation towards stagnancy by digging into your memories for past experiences that were beneficial to you. (Restock good sellers!)

DECKS USED: TAROT OF SACRED FEMININE

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Tarot of the Hidden Realm and Oracle of the Seelie & Unseelie Fae

Earth – Shadowdance and Mermaid – Your current emotional state (water creature) makes you weak to giving in and overindulging. Take care of that you don’t drown yourself in your temptations and addictions this week.

Air – The Hierophant and Selkie – Get in a session with your shrink this week if you can, and make sure that you are utilizing tried and tested methods this week in caring for your mental health.

Water – Ace of Pentacles Rx and Chiastolite Fairy Cross – Settle in instead of looking for new opportunities this week. Emotionally, you are in need of stability and comfort, not the imbalance and possible chaos of trying to turn against the current tide.

Fire – Page of Swords and Robin Goodfellow – Use your faith and spiritual path to help you cut your way through the darkness. Staying open to the spiritual side of things will keep you from

Waning – Lily and Anchor – Just because he says that you need to avoid subdrop doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Don’t push for the sexual side of things and just allow things to be calm and steady instead for now. Remember your relationship is far deeper than the sex.

Waxing – Stork and Cross – Focus on working your way through the slump that is going on rather than resting your way through it or lollygagging. There are things you could be doing, hard work you could be accomplishing. Get to the busy work.

Note, this is not in contrast to the reading in the water position, for it is not saying “work at changing things” but rather just work at getting things done that need done, and would need done whether or not you were in a slump.

Take Away – You are emotionally vulnerable right now and need to avoid things that can further imbalances in your life.  Use work and the tried and true methods that you’ve discovered work for you to help you in finding a greater sense of stability, and your faith to assist you in believing in the light at the end of the tunnel.

DECKS USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, ORACLE OF THE SEELIE AND UNSEELIE FAE, PENTAGRAM’S WOODEN LENORMAND SET

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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.

Remembering the Sweet Fool Tarot - Six of Cups, Queen of Hills, Queen of Pentacles, Sun, Four of Cups - and RootWeaver's Vintage Lenormand

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Earth – Queen of Hills – Focus on fostering your stability this week. Save instead of spend. Meditate instead of worry. Give yourself what you need for a better sense of security and stability.

Air – Six of Cups – Continue to consider those things you have done in the past and carry forward those that have served you well before and can be repeated. Make sure when you do so that you keep your sights on the positive. Don’t get lost in the dark.

Water – The Sun – Continue to hold space for fun and optimistic thinking. This is an echo of the “don’t get lost in the dark” mentioned in the previous card. It’s important to continue to counterbalance those negative tendencies of yours so they don’t get out of hand.

Fire – Nine of Cups Rx – Don’t settle for this lull in your business being the new norm. Remember, that things will get better, you just have to keep working at it and not give up hope.

Waning – Snake and Star – Stop allowing your negative inner whispers corrupt your efforts towards positive thinking and optimism. That snake in the grass needs to be left behind so that hope and optimism can have a chance to shine through.

Waxing – Ring and Heart – Make a commitment to lean into being a kinder and more loving person, not just to others but to yourself as well.

DECKS USED: REMEMBERING THE SWEET FOOL TAROT AND ROOTWEAVER’S VINTAGE LENORMAND 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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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?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with Indigo Adrift's Mystical Tarot and Pentagram's Wooden Lenormand Set

Earth – Ten of Wands Rx – Take care not to overload yourself on work or responsibilities. Remember that you have help and that you can take things one small thing at a time instead of doing everything at once.

Air – Page of Swords Rx – Take it easy this week. You can learn new things and explore new ideas later. Just take this week to rest instead of diving in headlong.

Water – August and Nine of Pentacles – Treat this week like it’s the slowest part of the year and take a break to appreciate all that you’ve done and how far you’ve come instead of trying to strive for more. You need to be focusing on rest this week mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Fire – Justice – If you ignore the warnings on this week’s reading and decide to charge forward, you will sacrifice with your creativity and spiritual practices. There are always consequences to the choices we make.

Waning – Coffin and Heart – You have put all your heart and soul into the holiday rush and, before that, caring for Ms B.  Now it is time for these things to draw to a close.  Release your heart from the ties that bind it to those things it has had to commit to over the past year.  Free your heart to begin seeking it’s own desires again.

Waxing – Crossroads and Mountain – Remember that advice from the other day about taking things one small step at a time? Here it is again.  A mountain is only a mountain when you look at its whole. If you take on the mountain one step at a time, it is no longer so intimidating.  Piecemeal out the things you need to do instead of trying to do them all at once.Take Away –

DECKS USED: INDIGO ADRIFT’S MYSTICAL TAROT AND PENTAGRAM’S WOODEN LENORMAND SET

Transitioning from December to January

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Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with the Bearot Deck

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

Ace of Swords Rx – You are not communicating. You need to share with others how you are feeling and where you are struggling, but instead you are still keeping it all to yourself.

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

The Tower – It’s time to cut out the catastrophizing. You need to work on leaving this mindset behind. Chaos and sudden change really isn’t the end of the world, so don’t make it out to be in your mind and self talk.

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

Nine of Cups – You are seeking a state of emotional satiation. Over the past year (not just during the holiday rush) you have had to close yourself off from your emotions. You are overdue to let them out and find the state emotional well-being that you’ve been missing.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Page of Cups – Your emotions are raw and hurting right now. It makes it hard to uncover them and air them out. Take care not to let them steer your reactions as you are working to untangle the knots.

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

King of Cups – Gideon may be going through his own crises right now, but but don’t forget that his presence is still the same stable emotional support for you as he has always been.

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

The Magician – You were raised to always be capable and on target, to utilize your skills and tools towards your goals and thus not just succeed but shine. This impossible standard has created a perpetual “not good enough” mentality that is now ready for some healing.

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

Knight of Cups – You’ve made a lot of progress in getting in touch with your emotions over the years, and you can absolutely do it again. Take time to reflect on your past methods to find the path forward in the present.

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

The Empress Rx – Don’t allow yourself to fall into self abuse and neglect. You are at a transition point and you need to focus on self care in order to steer yourself onto the right path moving forward.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Seven of Wands Rx – Less fighting, conflict, and struggle. More peace, serenity, and comfort. You have the opportunity at this time to turn the tables from stress and strife to a better, more comfortable way forward.

Take Away – There is a lot here about your current transition from the stress of the holiday rush into a better and healthier emotional and mental place.  You are being encouraged to make sure you stay on track towards balance and self care. Focus on being kind to yourself, not suppressing your emotions, and sharing your feelings with others.

DECKS USED: BEAROT DECK

📆 Transitioning from November to December

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Month End Tarot Reading with the Urban Incantations Tarot

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

The World – Major transitions happen around this time of year for you, with the holiday rush changing just about every aspect of your life in one way or another.  Your growth throughout the year comes to a culmination as your focus is drawn elsewhere and held for a stretch of six weeks, and your entire world changes.  Remember that there is a new journey that can once again focus on you and your needs once the race of the holiday rush comes to an end.

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

Knight of Pentacles – The time for slow movement is at an end. Things are picking up speed and you’ll need to move at a faster pace to keep up and succeed.

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

Queen of Pentacles – This month ahead is filled with the potential for the wealth and success needed not only to fulfill your own needs, but also care for and support others.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Five of Cups – Sour grapes and negative inner narratives are not your friend. Make sure you are aware of those self-criticisms and negative self-judgements, and do what you can to counterbalance them for a healthier outlook.

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

Nine of Pentacles – Instead of focusing on failings and struggles, as mentioned above, make sure that you are focusing on your successes and accomplishments.  Boost your outlook through positive feedback instead of being a slave driver to yourself that is never pleased or satisfied.

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

King of Swords Rx – Impulsive moments and acting without thought usually ends badly for you… but not always. When it does, though, you kick yourself for these moments instead of letting them go. Work harder to see them as learning experiences instead of failings.

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

Death – You have done well with all the changes that have gone on in your life this year. Don’t lose sight of that ability to adapt and keep going as you move forward this month.

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

Ten of Cups – Watch out for threats to your emotional security and familial ties. Stay aware of those things that could cause disruption to your “happy family” feelings that you share with others.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Seven of Wands Rx – Remember that sometimes empowerment doesn’t require outward expression. It’s okay to keep your opinions and beliefs to yourself, and stand firm in them without justifying them to others.

Message from the Spirit World – Keep in mind that happiness and success sometimes require you to yield instead of standing strong.

Message from the Mind’s World – Slow progress to your goals and beyond them is still progress. You’ll get there, and soon you’ll be in a position to not just work towards your goals, but support others in working towards theirs as well.

Message from the Physical World – Lack of motivation and strategy combined with negative thoughts equal more and more uncomfortable change in your life.

DECKS USED: URBAN INCANTATIONS TAROT