self improvement

Transitioning from September to October

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This is a spread that I do at the end of each month to close out the month.

Tarot Leaves and Forces Flora + Fauna Oracle

Individuality – Ace of Pentacles, Ten of Swords, The Bison – Opportunity through the path of painful endings. You are willing to sacrifice for the greater good and have the courage to do so, but it may not feel like much of a sacrifice with the abundance you currently have and the potential opportunities that doing so open up for you.

Dependence – Ten of Pentacles and The Fern – You feel like with the preparations for the holiday rush that you are leaving behind all the good stuff and all of the public as well as secret joys and pleasures life has to offer.

Creativity – Four of Wands and The River – What you want at this time is more time to relax and enjoy wallowing in being home and enjoying the pleasure of all that.  You’ve had yourself a taste of what it’s like to chill and enjoy life, and it’s hard to gear back up when you instead want more of what you’ve had all spring and summer.

Limitation – Two of Swords, Five of Wands, The Moon – You can choose to fight against the changes that happen at this time of year all you want, but that choice will do you more harm than good. That said?  it’s still difficult to set that stuff you’ve enjoyed so much aside.

Change – Ten of Wands and The Acorn – Look beyond the feelings of overwhelm that you are feeling and see the potential for abundance that is inherently in your future over the holiday rush. Yes, it’s stressful and overwhelming, but the key to getting motivated and staying that way is focusing on all the good stuff that comes out of those six weeks that are quickly approaching.

Sympathy – Page of Cups and Earth – Trying to find a balance between the new experience of your emotional growth and the grounding and stability you need is hard.  Last year, you slipped on that and allowed your fear to grow and fester in your heart.  This year, you have a chance to do better.

Luck – Judgement and The Rat – The times when you have been clever and worked to quickly adapt, you have come out the other side to look back and be proud of the results.  Don’t cling so tightly to the present that you miss the opportunities presented to you for the future.

Power – The Empress Rx, Ace of Cups, The Badger, The Storm –  There is potential in the future to fuck up the emotional progress you’ve made and drop the ball on your self care. This would create  turbulent times ahead not just in your finances and business, but also in your home life and with those you are close with.  You can prevent this by taking to heart the advice offered in this reading.

Responsibility – Eight of Wands and The Mushroom – Step into what you want to create in life and do your best to foster that.  Now is the time to move, and you need to make sure that you’re using your intuition and intuitive tools that are available to you to help keep you on the right path.

Message from Spirit World –  Dropping the ball on you’re emotional well being and self care at this time would be catastrophic to your future success, creating a sense of overwhelm that could easily have been avoided by acting on your needs rather than ignoring what you need.  That negative inner dialog of yours has an opposite counterpart that whispers about what you need to feel good and be balanced and well. Pay attention to those whispers.

Message from Mind’s World – You’re in a good place and there’s lots of opportunities going on.  Don’t allow the pain of changing gears to torch what pleasure you can still eek out of the small amount of down time still available to you.

Message from Known World – Neither ignoring what’s going on and what’s to come, nor fighting against the flow of time and natural progression of things, is going to get you anywhere good.  Take a breath and engage that remarkable ability to adapt so that you can make this transition more smoothly and make your way through the busy season in a manner you can look back on with pride.

Take Away – The end of this month is marked by the fact that my mind and emotions are all tangled up in the preparation for the holiday rush.  There’s a lot of reluctance to dive into it this year, and a lot of struggle to let go of the more laid back energy that has been a part of my spring and summer.  The overall message about where I am on my path at this time is that I’m at a crossroads where I need to either jump in, adapt, and allow the changes to run smoothly as they should…. or fight against it and/or try to ignore what’s coming and end up regretting it later.

DECKS USED:  TAROT LEAVES AND FORCES FLORA + FAUNA ORACLE

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?

Hardy Tarot, Forces Flora + Fauna Oracle, Wisdom of Tula Oracle

Earth – Ten of Cups, Seven of Wands, The Rat – You will have the chance this week to gain some emotional fulfillment over your financial situation and home life this week. Make sure you stay focused on what is important, which includes making sure you are protecting those things you value most.

Air – Ace of Disks and The Whale – Be kind to yourself and show yourself a bit of compassion concerning the way you see yourself managing things right now.  New opportunities will come and you need to make sure you’re not just jumping at them because they’re there. Passing up these opportunities for self care reasons is not a failure, don’t allow your inner voice to say otherwise.

Water – Prince of Swords and The Moth – Do not impulsively plow forward, but instead move with purpose. You are not in danger, and you are not going to lose anything that you don’t intentionally discard. Stay calm, let your intuition guide you, and move forward with determination.

Fire – Six of Wands and The Thistle – Don’t allow the compliments and admiration of others to turn your head.  They can bolster your mood, but they should not be what drives you forward.  Instead, rely upon your strength and resilience to carry you forward and keep you going.

Waning – Forgiveness – Forgiving ourselves is always our biggest hurdle, and you might find things rising up this week that you are not forgiving yourself for.  Some of these things will require shadow work to sort out and work through, and now is not the time to be starting that type of work.

Waxing – Observer – Write it down to deal with later. This is a carry over from the Waning card of Forgiveness. The Observer card indicates that these issues are things that need to be noted and acknowledged. The shadow work that needs dealt with needs to be written it down revisit once the holiday rush has come to an end.  Put it down on paper, type it out, somehow… in some way… write it down so that you can let go of it for the time being.

Take Away – Be picky in the opportunities that you decide to pursue this week so that you don’t overwhelm yourself.  Allow the negative issues you’re feeling to come, acknowledge them and write them down, then release them.  This is not about burying, but rather allowing yourself time to process subconsciously while you deal with what needs done in the present.  It’s going to be a bit of a rough week emotionally, but you knew that already.

DECKS USED: HARDY TAROT, FORCES FLORA + FAUNA ORACLE, WISDOM OF TULA ORACLE

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?

Tarot Leaves, Supra Oracle, Tea Leaf Fortune Cards, Tree of Life Oracle

A note on the use of the Supra Oracle in this spread.  I do not have the guide book for this oracle, and thus all meanings interpreted from these cards are entirely through intuitive interpretation alone.

Earth – Five of Cups, Bridge, Fire – You may feel a bit strapped for cash this week, but keep in mind that this is perception and not reality.  Overcoming this perception will require leaning into your passions and focusing on the things you enjoy instead of on where you feel things are lacking.  Redirect your attention away from where your feelings of scarcity are originating, and everything will fall into place.

Air – Hanged Man, Hat, Earth – A new role and a different perspective are awaiting you this week.  Make sure you are grounding regularly and meditating daily in order to help give you a solid foundation, so that the newness of it all doesn’t set you off-kilter. Take your time with digesting things and you’ll be fine.

Water – Page of Swords, Ear, Individuation – The message here in the position of emotions is to listen to what others say and take the time to learn from what they say and adopt for yourself what works for you.  It’s essentially saying “take what resonates, and discard the rest”.

Gideon and I have been talking a lot about my emotions lately as I struggle to understand how I can carry my growth forward into the busy season ahead.  The message here is to go over my notes, suss out that stuff that resonates with me, and absorb this wisdom so that I can use it to make a positive difference in how I handle things later this year.

Fire – Judgement, Eye, Voided Block – Don’t worry so much or judge yourself so harshly concerning what you’re not doing and the procrastination you have going on right now.  That black hole of hesitation won’t last forever.  When the time is right to move forward with preparations and dive in with both feet? You’ll know.

Waning – Family – The family card in this instance indicates that I will be moving away from a feeling of connection and unity with the world around me. This could indicate a need for introspection, or that I need to bear down and focus on my own shit for the week.

Waxing – Branches Fallen – Echoing the moving away from connection to others comes a need to start pruning my own “garden”.  It’s time to take stock of my responsibilities and good fortune, and weed out those things that are no longer needed or not working for me at this time.

Don’t be afraid to remove anything not working for you at this time that has the possible potential of working for you later on. Remember that those things you prune away and discard have the potential to grow back better and stronger in the future if given the time to do so.

Take Away – Don’t worry so much about the preparation for the holiday rush and stop beating yourself up for procrastinating on getting shit done. Take this week to work through processing some of the things that Gideon and you have discussed and internalizing them, while letting go of some of the baggage that is tying my hands and holding me back.

DECKS USED:  TAROT LEAVES, SUPRA ORACLE, TEA LEAF FORTUNE CARDS, TREE OF LIFE ORACLE

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?

El Goliath Tarot 2nd Edition, Connected and Free Oracle, Bad Kardma Oracle

Earth – Justice and Beginnings – You reap what you sow, and when you reach the end of a cycle? You start again… and seek to do better the next time around.  This is true in farming, and it’s true in life.  You’re coming up on an opportunity to start again this week.  Although you don’t know what that new beginning and opportunity might be? Make sure to keep your eyes open for it, as it’s your opportunity to financially balance the scales.

Air – Death, The Tower, Responsibility –  Death and The Tower together in the same position is a bit of overkill but makes it clear this week is going to be a challenge to my new way of doing things.  Responsibilities are going to push at you, creating pressure and trying to trip you up and reset you back on your old path, undoing all of the change and progress you’ve made this year.  Make sure you are not allowing yourself to fall into that trap.  That path is not for you any longer.

Water – Five of Wands, You Are Exactly Where You Need To Be, Base Chakra – Hold your ground. You are just exactly where you need to be in relation to your emotional growth and how you’re dealing with things.  Just because things might feel like they get a little hairy tgus weej does not mean you yield to those pressures.  Instead, it is time to ground down, dig in roots, and give yourself the most stubbornly steady foundation you can so that you can hold your ground through the storm.

Fire – Eight of Swords and Final Step – You have been moving forward on this  journey of growth all spring and summer, and here this week you will find yourself standing at the “final step” of this journey for the time being.  The business is going to try and pull wool over your eyes and blind you in order to draw you in and tie you down into old habits.  Make sure you are paying attention to not just your actions but your inner dialog.

Waning – Welcoming Satan Into The Home – This week is time to focus on shutting out the things that don’t serve you.  Habits that need to be put back under control, negative self talk that needs to be silenced, etc.  These issues are something that needs to be told to take a hike .  Now is the time to stand firm and strong.

Waxing – Blind Trust – As you release those things that are not serving you, reach deep and trust in your intuition and moral compass to carry you forward.  These two qualities have never once in your entire life steered you wrong, and they will continue to keep your path true today just as they always have in your past.

Take Away – This week is full of transition and tests.  Make sure you are grounding and holding strong to the values that you’ve developed over the past year as well as the wisdom of your moral compass and intuition.  Emotionally, you have made it to the point where you can stabilize and hold firm, and weather the storm without losing what you have gained, but to do that you’re going to have to stay aware not just of your surroundings, but your inner negativity and its influences on both your choices and emotions.

DECKS USED:  EL GOLIATH TAROT 2ND EDITION, CONNECTED AND FREE ORACLE, BAD KARDMA ORACLE

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?

Sasuraibito Tarot, Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle, Sacred Rebels Oracle

Earth – Ten of Swords and Golden Poppy (Dream) – It’s time to let go of what has distracted your focus and latch on to your dreams of the future. The sedative side of the Golden Poppy is expressed in the Ten of Swords in that there is a time when you change from one cycle to the next where there is a moment of pause. A moment to rest and re-calibrate. Take this week as an opportunity to do just that. The last quarter of each year is a blur of responsibilities you’ve been able to coast slowly on over most of the year so far. It’s time to shift gears.

Air – Ten of Cups and St John’s Wort (Stabilize) – Now is the time to find your balance emotionally and focus on the abundance of positive relationships you have in your life. See clearly and communicate your feelings and your gratitude for those in your life that enrich your experiences day-to-day. Taking time to do this now will help you feel more stable and secure in the future, as you are building a foundation of confidence and comfortable security that will help balance out harder times to come.

Water – Judgement Rx and Violet (Attract) – Work on being a little less judgey and a little less of an ass.  This may not currently be being expressed blatantly in an outward way that others can put their finger on, but you know it’s true. Even hidden, these habits cause a negative reaction in others.  Make sure that you’re not jumping to conclusions this week, and you’ll be far more likely to remain in everyone’s good graces.

Fire – Ace of Pentacles and Marshmallow (Adversity) – This is not the week to start any new projects or change the status quo on any of your investments. Doing so will be an uphill climb that will expend far too much of your energy for far too little result.  Instead, take the advice given in the Earth section of this reading and use this week as a time of rest and re-calibration.  You’ll have time to explore new projects later on.

Waning – Shock of the New – Over the course of this year I’ve done a lot of exploration on “the New”.   New emotions. New ways of doing things. New ways of thinking about myself, my work, and the world around me.  So much new that at times it’s been a bit overwhelming, but I’ve allowed the tides and eddies of flowing newness take and buffet me along.  With the fall now upon us, this card indicates it’s time to start winding down on all of “the New” this week.

Waxing – Softly, Softly, The Tender Touch – Don’t push. The theme of this week is rest and re-calibration.  That doesn’t mean turn on a dime and push full force into autumn preparations.  It means taking time to gently and carefully pack away what is going to be in the way over the next little while.  This is not a funeral, it’s a gentle and temporary storage.

Take Away – Lets repeat it again.  Rest and Re-Calibration.   This is the theme that has surfaced through this reading.  Although I’m aware of the approach of the holiday rush and have plenty to do to get prepared for it, it’s going to be important that I don’t push too hard this week.  Take this time to ease into the mindset needed.  Don’t bury… don’t release… don’t smother or otherwise discount any of the work you’ve done over the summer and spring.  It’s all valid, it’s all important.  Acknowledge it and gently place it in safe keeping.   Don’t make any big decisions this week, and put some conscious thought into not being a judgemental ass… externally or internally.

DECKS USED: SASURAIBITO TAROT, HEDGEWITCH BOTANICAL ORACLE, SACRED REBELS ORACLE

Transitioning from August to September

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This is a spread that I do at the end of each month to close out the month.

Month End Tarot Check In - Hilda Tarot, Roots and Wings Oracle

Individuality – The High Priestess, Six of Swords, Earth Mother – I’m in the process of trying to find a balance between my intuitive self and my more grounded qualities.  I’ve recently discovered that to find an easy balance is going to take scrapping old methods and rebuilding a dynamic that is more hospitable to both.

Dependence – Nine of Pentacles, Nine of Cups, The Divine – As I move further into the fall and closer to the holiday rush, I begin to step away from a sense of wallowing in the comfort and security I’ve created.  Although spirituality will continue to play a part in my life even through the silly season, I am aware that I will need to let go of some practices for a bit until things calm down again.

Creativity – King of Wands, Potential, Wildness – I leave behind the shelter of wallowing in comfort in order to reach for what I want out of the months to come.  I focus ahead now, seeking the potential that the holiday rush represents.  It’s a wild ride, but one I willingly do each year as my finances depend upon the holiday rush to balance out.

Limitation – Seven of Swords and Perseverance – While looking ahead toward the holiday rush, don’t freak out about the time passing by.  You only have so long to prepare for what’s coming, but you need to accept as well that distractions happen and using time for self care and other things that are good for you  isn’t wasting time.  Yes, it might mean you get a bit less done, but it means that you are building yourself up to last longer in the long run.

Change – The Magician and The Void – The Magician has been following me around a lot over the past few days.  It is a reminder that I am a strong and capable person, well prepared and well educated, and more than able to deal with anything that comes my way.  Do not allow uncertainty to convince you otherwise.

Sympathy – The Star, The Fool, Vulnerability – These cards are a reminder of a past event that is relevant at this time.  The message here is about how sometimes you just blindly have faith and go after what you want and… even though such times often result in uncertainty and vulnerability… you always end up coming out the other side okay.  Wounds heal… experience lasts forever and teaches you how to deal with things a different and better way the next time.

Luck – The World and Transformation – I have a chance to make lasting changes at this time.  It’s important to not look back, and not backslide.  Keep your eye on the prize and reach for those changes and strive for forward motion.  I’ve spent the lions share of this year working at not just emotional growth, but in finding a better balance between work and life.  Now that I am entering into the time of year that is the most stressful for me, I need to make sure that my focus on preparation doesn’t turn into obsession and edge out the progress I’ve made over the last few months.

Power – Wheel of Fortune, Knight of Pentacles, Joy – Don’t allow the little irritations and upsets steal away my confidence, my progress, or my joy.  Just yesterday I did a reading that spoke on this.   Shit happens.  You need to roll with the punches and keep moving.  Adapt and continue instead of letting hurdles stand in your way and block your path forward.

Responsibility – Eight of Pentacles, Time, Hope – The future opportunity here is about my work and time management. It’s about making sure that I am staying optimistic and using my time wisely to prepare for what’s coming.  I’ve gone through the rush a number of times now. I know what I need to have done ahead of time to make things go more smoothly.

Message from Spirit World – You are capable and strong, knowledgeable and powerful in your own right.  Life is a series of ups and downs, but you have the grounded spirit, the capable hands, and the know-how to take on the world and suss out what you want from it.

Message from Mind’s World – Move forward from the swaddled comfort of the summer and into the new energy of the fall.  This time of harvest for so many is your time of preparation.  Allow your spark to catch fire and lead you forward to where you need to be mentally, physically, and emotionally. Preparation for the holiday season is about more than just the supplies and products that need to be made and stockpiled… because you need to be readied as well.

Message from Known World – Spending some time having a bit of fun might feel like a waste of time, but it’s actually a deeply seated need that you have to attend to in order to continue to grow and get to where you want to be not just in the physical world with your business, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

Take Away – Balance. This is all about balance and making sure that I’m not neglecting the needs of my body, mind, emotions, and spirituality by sacrificing them on the altar of work and commerce. It’s okay to take time for yourself.  It’s okay to have a little fun and allow your mind to slide away from work and the business prep for the holidays for a bit now and then.  It will not be the end of the world if you aren’t focusing every single ounce of your attention and energy on what’s coming in November.

DECKS USED:  THE HILDA TAROT, ROOTS AND WINGS POCKET ORACLE

Side note:   I just noticed for the first time in this post that when I am doing readings for myself, I bounce between first person and second person as if I am both simultaneously reading to myself as myself… and reading to myself as if across the table from myself.