self help with tarot cards

Step Off

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on creativity, or rather on creative blocks (such as writer’s block, for example).

The guided meditation discussed how it isn’t in pushing yourself that you can overcome these blocks, but rather in letting go.  Taking a moment of stillness and peace, of mindful existence in the present, and using that step away from the blockage, whether it be for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, or longer, to clear the mind of that frustration and drive.   And, that once you do this, creativity has a way of returning to it’s natural flow all on its own.

As is often the case, today’s meditation correlates well to today’s daily draw, which is the Ten of Swords. This card is a representation of culmination and completion in the areas of the mind, logic, intellect, communication, and ambition.

As you can see from the very RWS rendition of this card, that culmination and completion can often be painful, and is followed by a time of rest before one can then move on.

Sometimes, this card can come up as a warning, but I believe that for today’s draw it is speaking of a need to let go.  It speaks of now being a time not to get wrapped up in bustle and chaos, but rather to “step off” and close that door, and move on to better and brighter things.

It seems that I need this message from time to time, primarily because there are times (even daily) when my self destructive urges niggle at me to enmesh myself in unnecessary struggle and strife, especially mentally.   With the subdrop soon upon me, this is not the time for that on any level, and this card is telling me that I need to be seeking rest and peace instead.

Instinct vs Intuition

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was focused on working on the inner self.  It discussed how society is so focused upon the external progress, that we often forget about working on our inner selves where our emotions, instincts, and sense of self lives.

To me, this related to the importance of shadow work, and the necessity of knowing yourself.  Not just the parts of yourself you want to know or accept, or believe that others will accept… but knowing your whole self, including those dark and secret parts you don’t want to acknowledge or admit to.

Today’s draw is the Two of Swords, which is a representation of duality, division, and choices in the area of intellect, the mind, logic, communication, and instinct.   It is a card that deals with making choices, and trusting your perceptions and instincts (as opposed to intuition) to choose the path that is right for you.

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Instinct and intuition are often confused with each other, perhaps because they both speak from a very similar place (your gut).   Instinct indicates that your subconscious is gathering outside data and steering you in relation to that data and one’s genetic dispositions.  Intuition is more esoteric.  It is the “just knowing” that sparks regardless of external input, instead of because of it.

Or, at least, that was how it was explained to me.

Because most people feel both of these through their “gut” or solar plexus, they are easily confused and intermeshed together, and I am no different.   In truth, I don’t care which is which when I feel it in the moment.  I only care that I felt it and react accordingly.   Later on, though, I (we?) often sit back and pick apart these reactions (if not doing it in the moment already), and even then it can be difficult to discern which was in action at the time.

Oops sorry…. wandered off topic.

The Two of Swords… Instinct and decision making.   A choice.

This card represents when there is a choice present that needs to be made, but the scales are level as to which seems the right one to go with.

The Two of Sword’s appearance in today’s draw is a reminder that when such difficult choices arise, it is important to take in all of the pros and cons of each situation, but JUST as important to listen to your instincts.  Bringing in as much information as possible will assist your inner voice of instinct in having all of the information it needs to steer  you in the right direction.

The key?   Don’t discount that voice when it speaks or disregard what it has to say… no matter how much you may want to at the time.

 

An Ode to Intuition

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on intuition and the importance of listening to your inner voice, and how when you foster mindfulness through both meditation as well as your life in general, it assists in giving that inner voice a bit of a boost.

This meditation theme goes very well with today’s daily draw.

Today’s draw is the second card in the Major Arcana, the High Priestess.  This card is a representation of intuition, the subconscious, spirituality, and the sacred feminine.  It is a card in the Major Arcana, which deals with one’s spiritual journey and life paths, rather than any one aspect of the human experience.  In this case, it deals with intuition and that inner voice that whispers from the subconscious.

Have you ever noticed that your gut reaction is always right?  I’m not talking about the stuff you’re taught by others, or lessons you’ve learned along the way, or habits you happen to pick up… I’m talking about that gut reaction right at the beginning, before thought even factors in.  That moment… that fraction of a second when your mind and reasoning is not engaged and it’s all about instinct and intuition.

It’s always right.  We might end up disagreeing with it, or second-guessing. But, that combination of instinct and intuition is always right if you listen to it instead of overthinking it or reverting back to preconceive notion‘s and learned ideals.

This is the instance of that internal debate of “should I or shouldn’t I” when your first gut reaction is that you shouldn’t… but, you do it anyway because you want to. Then, later, you wonder why it turned out badly?   Well, you knew in your gut at the start it was a bad idea and you chose to ignore your inner voice.

This is the situation where instinct and intuition tell you to stay away from someone… but you reason to yourself that you are being unfair, or that that feeling is baseless. And then, later on down the road, you learn a painful lesson by getting hurt by them.  Yet if you’d listen to that first instinct and intuition, you’d have either known what was coming and been prepared, or avoided the pain all together.

These initial reactions from your inner voice are a combination of intuition and instinct, and they are often discounted and disregarded by most people. But, the fact is that they can be a useful tool, and the more that you listen to them the more they will flourish and grow.

The High Priestess card speaks of this.  Of listening to those inner voices and allowing them to grow.  To strengthen.  To assist you and guide you along your life’s path.  The more you listen and respect the messages that your instincts and intuition offer up, the more you’ll hear.  As a result, over time, those messages will become clearer, and easier to recognize and understand.

 

 

Home Sweet Home

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty eight seconds, and focused on being present. That is to say, consciously be mindful of the now instead of being distracted by thoughts of the past or the future.

This mindfulness then allows you to find more clarity and joy in your life.

Today’s draw is the third card in the Major Arcana, the Empress. This card, like all cards of the major arcana, deals with not just one single factor of the human experience, but rather the whole of our journey through spiritual awakening and/or life.

The Empress is the “mother” card, and represents fertility, abundance, hearth and home, the earth and our connection with it, as well as the good and bad factors of a mother’s energy and responsibilities.

This card has appeared in today’s draw as a reminder that work is not everything. It is not the end all, be all of my existence. The Empress is a reminder that home is also important, as is nurturing oneself and those around us.

I often get so wrapped up in my work that I forget about self-care, savoring my home life, and nurturing myself and those around me. Today is my Self-Care Saturday, and as such this is a fitting card to appear today to remind me that there is far more to enjoy in life than just work.

The Little Things Make a Difference

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirteen seconds, and focused on exhaustion and how to deal with it so that you do not suffer burnout.

The guided meditation started with a body scan from head to toe, which I always enjoy, before moving on to discussing how we need to be sure to put time in our schedules for self-care, and be sure that we are not overcommitting ourselves so that the self-care times end up neglected.

Today’s draw is the Six of Swords, which numerologically speaks of harmony, vitality, and cooperation, as well as humanity’s issues and limitations in the areas of the mind, thoughts, logic, and communication.

What I see in today’s card, though, is more of an intuition reading then a numerological one, although I suppose it ties into the latter part of the above explanation as well, now that I think about it. That is because today, the Six of Swords is a representation of “moving on” and finding a new path away from thoughts and mindsets that are not serving me well.

I’ve recently started to fall into a couple of old habits since coming back from mom’s house. Little things that, after some contemplation in the shower today, I realize have been holding me back and tugging me down.

As an example… Prior to heading to visit mom, if I woke up organically in the morning I would get up out of bed and start my day. Recently I’ve been waking up and looking at the clock and then rolling over to get a few more Zs. But what I have found is that I feel better throughout the day if I don’t do this. If I get up when I first organically wake up on my own I seem to have a little bit more energy, and a slightly brighter outlook on the day. It’s a small thing… and yet it isn’t, because it messes with my energy levels and enthusiasm.

The Six of Swords is telling me that these indulgent mindsets I’ve fallen into are really not serving me, and it’s time to find a new path moving away from this type of behavior.

Back to Basics

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and ten seconds, and focused on the uselessness of blame and its origins in anger. It outlined a variety of options and ideas for how to work past that anger that resides at the seat of blame, and redirect ownership of situations to a place of problem resolution rather than stewing and pointing fingers.

Today’s draw is the 5th card in the Major Arcana, the Hierophant. As with all of the Major Arcana, this card deals with personal development and spiritual evolution, rather than any one aspect of the human experience.

The Hierophant is a representation of tradition, institutions, spiritual paths, and teacher/student relationships. The appearance of this card in today’s draw is an indication that it is a good time to consider the traditions, rituals, and practices of my spiritual path, and perhaps do a little research and reach out to a mentor.

I have been very closed off throughout the spring, and I spent a good portion of June focused inward, getting myself back “on track” after my depression came to an end. The Hierophant speaks of turning one’s focus outward in order to either teach or learn, therefore, the card is also a reminder to keep myself open to learning from and/or mentoring others.