self improvement

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

Earth – Seven of Swords – What I steal away and betray this week will come to haunt me and I will need support from others to get through the repercussions.  In other words, there will be repercussions for playing the karmic justice card at the club this weekend, and I’m going to need the support of those that love and care about me to make it through and be alright with it all.

Air – Three of Cups – I need to speak up and communicate clearly what I need from others.  No hemming and hawing about it, just open up and let them know “this is what I need right now”.  They know that if I’m asking it’s not for anything frivolous, and I won’t be refused.

Water – Seven of Cups – This week is not a week for providing emotional stability and strength to others.  Don’t over extend yourself, because you’re going to need that stability and energy for yourself this week.

Fire – Eight of Swords and Horseman of Pentacles –  I’m still in a “dry spell” creatively and I need to take this time to give my creative spark the break that it needs and to instead focus on the more administrative and organizational matters this week.

Waning – The Primary Problem With Language Is Its Magic – Self fulfilling prophesies are a very real thing.  Be careful about what you think and how you communicate with others.

Waxing – Magic Is Either Everything or It Is Nothing and Glitch –  Remember that sometimes people just take things the wrong way, and there’s no controlling that.  If you try to explain and they refuse to listen, they have made the choice to close off rather than allow for things to be fixed.  That is not on you, but their choice.

Take Away – Buckle in.  This week is going to be a bit bumpy, but you have the support you need to make it through.

Your communication skills are going to go through a really crappy phase this week, and there will be a number of misunderstandings and issues because of that.  Just remain calm and centered, and remember that as long as you make an effort to fix things, if it is rejected that’s their choice and not yours.   The repercussions of this weekend will unfold through the week and I’m going to need support to keep myself stable. 

DECKS USED: THE INVERSION TAROT, DIXIT CARDS DAYDREAMS PACK, POSTCARDS FROM THE LIMINAL SPACE ORACLE

Internal Struggles

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Today’s meditation was done on the hardwood floor with my feet up on the bed. I needed the extra support because my back was killing me and the hard surface helped with stabilization and stretching it out. The meditation was not guided and lasted about fifteen minutes of quiet breathing.

Two of Pentacles - Ostara TarotToday’s draw is the Two of Pentacles. This is a card that I usually see quite a bit of chaos concerning. Not in the “Tower” sense of chaos, but just in that it takes a good deal of work to create balance and sometimes that work can feel chaotic.

In this card? It feels even more so. It is the smoke from the bottles, but mor than that, it is the lack of constraint created by the infinity loop that usually accompanies the balancing of the two aspects. There is also the element that the man is floating, which increases that sense of lack of control.

And yet? The birds on the ground are calm and perceive no threat.

Today’s card is a reminder that although creating balance can sometimes feel like a process that is chaotic and anchor less, this is just a trick of the mind. An internal struggle. And if you take a moment to step outside yourself in these moments, you will find that everything is fine, and that the storm is only on the inside.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: How can I be more trusting of my inner voice?

Tarot of the Little PrinceReading Summary: Take some time to look around instead of holding so tightly to the reigns (The Chariot), sometimes you have to look back at the things you’ve done in life and forgive yourself for your faults (Judgement) snd instead focus on all the good you’ve done instead (Six of Cups).

Take Away:  The cards are indicating that I am too hard on myself, and too harsh and stringent with myself. They are saying that if I want an even better connection to that inner voice, I need to let up and treat my inner self better.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Self Care Saturday… On a Sunday

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As I’ve mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

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

Earth – King of Cups – Take some time to project for myself some compassion and forgiveness, especially concerning any limitations that might arise in the week ahead.

Air – The Devil – Am drowning myself with the weight of all the “stuff”. Take a step back and evaluate mental clutter. Search for any obsessions that are not serving me and let them go.

Water – Queen of Pentacles – Going to need some alone time and to take some time to lose myself in fantasy and flights of fancy in order to nurture my emotional side.

Fire – Page of Rods – This week is a time for exploration and discovery. Try something new instead of the same old thing.

Waning – The need to carry my home with me is going to ease. This is not surprising, and is in direct relation to going home tomorrow.

Waxing – A new journey and crossing from the known into the unknown. This card feels like it is connected to the Fire cards in this spread.

Moral of the Story – New adventures ahead, but from home rather than abroad. Keep an eye out for what may be adding unnecessary stress or “weight”. Be sure to make some space and time for myself to breathe.

Deck Used: Morgan Greer Tarot

What Do You Value?

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One of the blogs I follow recently made a post about values, and how we identify with and connect to our values on a day-to-day bases. I really enjoyed this post, and decided to do the little quiz included that would rate my own values, as well as how well I have stuck to my core, main values over the past month.

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The instructions indicate that you first go through and rate each of the values on the list with the V, Q, N scale, and then go back through and use the numeral values at the bottom to rate each of those marked with a V.

VALUES LIST

Very important to you (V), quite important to you (Q), or not important to you (N)

    1. Connecting with Nature: Importance of value to you (V, Q, N?) =V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    2. Gaining wisdom: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    3. Creating beauty (in any domain, including arts, dancing, gardening): Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    4. Promoting justice and caring for the weak: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    5. Being loyal to friends, family and/or my group: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    6. Being Honest: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    7. Helping others: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    8. Being sexually desirable (TO MY PARTNER): Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 5
    9. Having genuine and close friends: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 7
    10. Having relationships involving love and affection: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    11. Being ambitious and hard working: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q (I think?)
    12. Being competent and effective: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 8
    13. Having a sense of accomplishment and making a lasting contribution: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    14. Having an exciting life: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    15. Having a life filled with adventure: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    16. Having a life filled with novelty and change: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    17. Being physically fit: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    18. Eating healthy food: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    19. Engaging in sporting activities: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    20. Acting consistently with my religious faith and beliefs: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    21. Being at one with (MY VERSION OF) God: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    22. Showing respect for tradition: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    23. Being self-disciplined and resisting temptation: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    24. Showing respect to parents and elders: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    25. Meeting my obligations: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 8… Maybe 9
    26. Maintaining the safety and security of my loved ones: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) =10
    27. Making sure to repay favors and not be indebted to people: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    28. Being safe from danger: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    29. Being wealthy: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    30. Having authority, being in charge: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    31. Having influence over other people: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    32. Having an enjoyable, leisurely life: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    33. Enjoying food and drink: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    34. Being sexually active: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    35. Being creative: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    36. Being self-sufficient: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 9
    37. Being curious, discovering new things: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) =       8
    38. Figuring things out, solving problems: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) =  8
    39. Striving to be a better person: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    40. Experiencing positive mood states: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 5 (I get a 10 for effort, though)
    41. Feeling good about myself: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 7 (also get 10 for effort)
    42. Leading a stress-free life: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 4
    43. Enjoying music, art or drama: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 6
    44. Designing things: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    45. Teaching others: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 7
    46. Resolving disputes: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    47. Building and repairing things: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    48. Working with my hands: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 10
    49. Organizing things: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 6
    50. Engaging in clearly defined work: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    51. Researching things: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    52. Competing with others: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    53. Being admired by many people: Importance (V, Q, N?) = N
    54. Acting with courage: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    55. Caring for others: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 8
    56. Accepting others as they are: Importance (V, Q, N?) = V
      Consistency (0-10?) = 8
    57. Working on practical tasks: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    58. Seeking pleasure: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    59. Avoiding distress: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q
    60. Avoiding self-doubt: Importance (V, Q, N?) = Q

Consistency Scoring:

0 = you have not been following this value over the past month
1 – 3 = you have been following this value occasionally over the past month
4 – 6 = you have been following this value sometimes over the past month
7 – 9 = you have been following this value often over the past month
10 = you have been always living by this value over the past month

You don’t really get a total score, as this is more of an exercise to explore your values and what is important to you by breaking them down and rating how much you then incorporate them into your life.

So there you go.  Not really anything all that surprising, I don’t think?

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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SCS

Week five of accountability.  This is definitely working out for me, and I will continue it past the end of August.  Today, I would not have gotten my journaling done on this spread at all without the accountability of needing to post it here.  I’m well aware of that and that the reason I did it is because it needed to get put up here on the blog.

As I mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?

Body – Four of Candles – Now is a time to focus on the progress made.  Do not let what is predictably a slow two weeks each year drag you down.  Celebrate how far you’ve come instead.

Mind – Five of Tomes – Don’t let worries and anxieties about finances and stability overrun me and blind me to options and methods that are there to assist when needed.

Emotions – Explorer of Bells – As the Five of Tomes speaks of keeping the mind open to possibilities and options, this one speaks of keeping oneself open to lessons of the “heart”.  Do not close yourself off, just make good choices.

Inner Spark – Nine of Bells – Do not let the cacophony of self doubt over the next week stunt your progress, no matter how distracting it may be.

Moving Away From – Subdrop… and thank god for that.  The feeling of being swallowed whole bhy the drop will soon pass.

Heading Toward – Self doubt and overly critical thinking directed at the self, especially in relation to my business and finances.

Moral of the Story – Relax and Breathe… It’s going to be okay.

Untitled-1Side note on last week’s Self Care Saturday:

You see this card from last week?  You see that devil there, invisible but on the leash?   I know what that is now.

That is the motherf’king subdrop… walking so nicely beside me, hidden but there. But it’s not on a leash at all. Just when I thought I had it under control, it jumped up and bit me on the ass.

Just sayin’.

Decks Used: Numinous Tarot, Dixit Quest Expansion Pack #2

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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SCS

Week two of accountability on my Self Care Saturday spread in order to foster the motivation to write it down instead of just reading the spread, taking a picture, and moving on.

As mentioned before, these 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 not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?

Body – Temperance – I need to keep an eye on what I’m doing to my body this week and take care to practice balance and moderation with both my physical activity and what I’m using as fuel.  Don’t hurt myself by pushing too hard.

Mind – Two of Rods & Ace of Cups – There are some decisions that I need to make concerning what direction I want to take my creativity for the week.  The new project that I’m considering will bring me joy, but I need to be careful not to overload myself. (In other words, make a choice on what to focus on instead of putting all my fish on to fry at once.)

Emotions – Three of Pentacles – This is the 2nd time that this card has appeared in a reading for me in the past two days, and both times it has appeared in the position of the heart/emotions.  This is all about learning some new skills and flexing my creative “muscles” while putting in the work to manifest my idea into reality.  This ties directly into the new project idea mentioned above.

Inner Spark – King of Pentacles – Very clear here. Grab the reins, Be the Boss. Do It.

Moving Away From – Stripping Illusions & Grounding – It’s time to strip away my second guessing and self doubt.  Stop holding myself back and pushing down the ideas that have been brewing.

Heading Towards – Growth & Psychic Development – Although the question for this reading didn’t direct me towards the project that I was considering, it appears that’s the direction that it went in anyway.  It’s time to grow, move forward, and follow where my intuition is leading me.

Decks Used: Anna K Tarot, Shamanic Healing Oracle