Stolen Child Tarot

No Ignoring Self-Care

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Today’s meditation was once again not particularly useful.  I did make an effort this morning, but that effort was thwarted by a multitude of interruptions and…. it just didn’t end up happening.  So…  I will give it a go tonight before bed again.   That said?  I really need to do a better job of fitting it into my mornings, as I get a far better effect from a morning meditation than  I do an evening one.

Knight of Pentacles - Hush TarotToday’s draw is the Knight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a beta energy, personality, or person in the area of resources, finances, and the physical world.  This often translates into themes of productivity and hard work carrying someone forward toward rewards.

What I see in the imagery of this card is the support represented by the hands that the bird perches upon, as well as ingenuity in the string the bird holds, and industry in the ant crawling upon the fingers.    I see the key speaking of how these things are a solution… a way forward.

The message in today’s card is about working toward my goals and finding the best way to do things rather than doing them as they’ve “always been done”.   To move forward, sometimes you have to look for paths and methods that take you “outside the box”.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#TarotForGrowthMarch Challenge Prompt
Question: What about myself have I been underrating?

Law of Attraction Tarot

Reading Summary:  This reading split into a trio of answers.  The big pic including all of the cards is about balance between fun/positivity and passions/drive. There is also a clear definition between the two left cards, which speaks of balancing responsibilities and fun/optimism…. And the right side which is also about the balance between responsibilities and fun/pleasure.  In each case, the cards reinforce the meaning of the whole.

Take Away:  These cards indicate that what I have been underestimating about myself is the ability to balance fun and pleasure into my business.  This is something I’ve been trying to tap back into after the fog I’d been experiencing through the winter, but I admit to have been struggling with it.

DECK USED:  LAW OF ATTRACTION TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMar2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self care for this full moon?

Animal Totem Tarot

Reading Summary:  The imagery of all four of these cards is extremely grounded… and ground-centric.   This speaks of a need to stay well grounded even as I take possession of my interests and passions, and move forward toward my goals.  Make sure that I am not leaving my care behind in favor of these other interests.

Take Away:  I have a habit of getting wrapped up in interests and passions, and allowing other things to fall away into the background.  Although the winter sort of distracted me from this habit, I’m well aware that as I start to feel better, it will return   The cards indicate I need to make sure I’m paying attention to this tendency and not allow myself to get carried away.   Instead, continue to focus on the slow-and-steady progress I’ve been making and don’t push my self-care practices off to the side… they are important.

DECK USED:  ANIMAL TOTEM TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: Share a pic of your favorite tarot or oracle deck.

Okay…. so I couldn’t choose just one.  Or two.  Or three.  So here’s four.

Favorite Decks - Tarot and Oracle

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, HUSH TAROT, STOLEN CHILD TAROT, THE FAERIES’ ORACLE BY BRIAN FROUD

 

It’s Going to Be Okay

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Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and focused on the fact that sometimes meditation isn’t peaceful.   That is to say that sometimes, there is so much going on in our minds that it isn’t possible to sink into stillness.   It also discussed how this is okay.

This is a struggle that everyone deals with, but meditation isn’t about that silent calm.  It’s about seeking mindfulness.   If that means you don’t reach calm, but you are mindful in those moments of the present and what is going on with you.   Then you are still meditating.

I think that’s an important message.  A lot of people try meditation and feel that they are failing at it.  But the truth is, if you are trying?  You are succeeding.   It’s not about success, it’s about the journey.

Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, and may I just say…. I’m so happy to be home and able to use the Stolen Child tarot one last time for this purpose before the month shifts to October.  I really love this deck.

Ok… on to today’s draw.   The draw for today is the Nine of Zephyrs (Swords) and the King of Oak (Pentacles).

The Nine of Zephyrs is an “oh shit” card, and you can see this in the belly-to-the-ground pose of the hare in the card’s imagery.   There is a whole lot of uncertainty there, and a sense of a “the sky is falling” mentality.   In the traditional meaning for this card (the Nine of Swords) it is much the same.  It is a card of overwhelm and anxiety, depression and turmoil in the area of the mind, logic, intellect, and instinct.

The King of Oak’s energy speaks to me of self-possession and abundance.  The young king is surrounded by plentiful gifts, and the closing of his eyes in this card does not appear like ignorance so much as like a communion and gratitude.   Like with the previous card, my perceptions of this card’s artwork echo the traditional meaning of the card, which is a representation of a projective alpha energy in the area of resources, finances, manifestation, and the physical world.  This includes themes that involves wealth, abundance, and stability in the areas of business and finance.

Today’s cards are addressing my cyclical “catastrophe” type thinking concerning my business.  This time of year is very stressful for me, for although the dry period that comes each year has come to an end, the pick-up back to the norm takes a little time.

Sometimes it DOES feel like the sky is falling during this time before the holiday rush starts, and I worry that all the preparation will be for naught.   The King of Oak is there to tell me that I just need to center myself and keep preparing.  He speaks of the fact that I know full well what this cycle I’m in with my business is, and where it will go, and that I will become flush again soon enough as the recovery period flushes out into an abundance of business for the six weeks or so that are my yearly holiday rush.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot

 

#5FaveSummerDecks2019 (non) VR to Sophquest Synergy

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This tag was brought to my attention by Simon over at the Hermit’s Cave, but originated from Sophquest Synergy.

In my mind (and on my excel spreadsheet), I very much sort my decks (not all of them, but many of them) by seasons.  It’s not that I won’t use these decks outside of those seasons if it feels right for the situation, but I’m so strongly connected to the seasons that I suppose it’s not a surprise I would associate many of my decks with one season or another.

I’ve limited the decks in this post, though, to the decks that I actually used during this summer of 2019.  Out of the “summery” decks that I’ve used this summer, these are the five that have really stood out for me….

Sum05

Stolen Child Tarot – Okay, so this one quickly stole the show for me this summer.  Or, should I say this September.   The thing is, though, that it rapidly has climbed to my #2 spot for all time favorite decks, right beneath the Tarot of the Hidden Realm.  I love the combination of whimsy and seriousness, the expressive complexity of the cards.  I just really connected with this deck, and the cardstock is just amazing.  It feels great to shuffle.

Sum04

Hanson Roberts Tarot – This has been a long time favorite of mine.  Mary Hanson Roberts does lovely work and I really like her depictions in this deck.  Of all RWS clones out there, this one is at the top of the list for me.  Like all the decks on this list, my “summer feel” is about color correlations, and crispness in artistic depiction.

SUM03

Luna Sol Tarot – You know those super hot days where the world feels baked crispy and white washed by the sun’s rays?  That’s what this deck reminds me of.  In my opinion, it makes a great end-of-summer deck for this reason.

Sum01

Linestrider Tarot (with the Hedgewitch Oracle) – When it comes to these two decks, I just can’t seem to have one without the other.  In my mind, they go together as one.  I know that they both really pair lovely with other decks, but I just can’t seem to separate them in my mind.  When I read with the Linestrider Tarot, I often shuffle the Hedgewitch Oracle directly into the deck.  I do it so often that I might end up leaving them some way at some point.

Sum02

Luminous Void Tarot – For me, this deck is the epitome of sticky summer heat and the melty smudge of cosmetics on women roasting as they go about their days in the oppressive heat of summer.  It’s all about dripping sweat, cloying humidity, and the sweltering of the sun beating down upon the world at the peak of summer.

Like I mentioned earlier.  Seasonal decks, to me, are all about color and the texture within the artwork  (as opposed to the texture of the cardstock).  For me, all of the decks above very much speak summer, and I’ve tried to explain why in each one that I see them that way.

Take Your Time

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and I had a little bit of an issue focusing during the last couple of minutes, so it was really something like seven minutes long.

I did manage a decent first seven minutes though, and the discussion for the guided meditation was about setting intentions at the end of your meditation practice that you carry with you into the rest of your day.

I do this through the card that I draw prior to lying down for my meditation.  The daily draw posted here on my blog becomes my intention for the day.  It is the positive message to focus on throughout my day and help me in fostering perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ace of Zephyrs (Ace of Swords) which is a representation of new beginnings, opportunity, potential, and “the seed” of a start in the area of the mind, intellect, thoughts, logic, communication, and instinct.  This can often be expressed within the theme of new ideas and potential success, breakthroughs that create opportunity for growth, and mental clarity.

When I look at the artwork on today’s card, what I see is not just the brain in the center and the wings that, to me, symbolize the taking flight of new ideas, but the eye above in the center of the crescent moon speaks to me of intuition.  I do not usually associate intuition with the suit of swords, as to me it is more of a water element.   But  here in -this- card, I see intuition.  I see intuition bleeding into the mind, creating inspiration.

The snail in the lower left hand corner of the card also speaks to me.  It indicates that although intuition blends into intellect to create inspiration, sometimes that inspiration is going to need time to percolate and coalesce in order to become something of use.

Sometimes, you have to sit on your budding ideas for a bit and let them grow before you can act on them.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot

Trial By Fire… The Aftermath

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and twenty seconds, and focused on moving forward after struggle or loss.   This is an interesting topic for today, because the card that I’d drawn before meditation is a fitting correlation to this subject.

The guided meditation spoke of there being two different types of people that are displayed best by children.  There are those that build a sandcastle, then cry when the sea comes to tear it down and wash it away.  Then, there are those that watch the sea come to wash it away and begin to build again once it has retreated.

There is also a third type, though.   My type.    When the sea came to steal my sandcastles?  I cheered.  I thought it was the most AWESOME part of the entire process, that reclaiming by the sea.   And even now?  I have the same reaction.  I may not cheer… but inside I am dancing and laughing as I see the sea drag through the sand that’s been sculpted with such care.

I’m not sure -why- I have this reaction, but it is very much something that comes with within.   Perhaps that is why I do not find the Tower card so intimidating.

Today’s draw is the Six of Oak (Pentacles), which is a representation of harmony, vitality, and cooperation (as well as “humanity issues” and limitations) in the area of resources, finances, manifestation, and the physical world.

I usually see the Six of Pentacles in the tarot as a bountiful harvest card. It’s all about what comes after the five. Fives are filled with tests, struggles, and strife… and yet, when we get to the six, the storm is over, light shows on the horizon, and there is now bounty to be had and harmony to savor.

And that is what I see in this card.  I see a tree that has been through much, with dried bark and broken parts.  And yet, it has weathered the storm and still grows.  It produces leaves and nuts, offering its nourishment to the world.

This message is one of hope and encouragement for the trip that’s now looming on the horizon.  It speaks of the struggle I will no doubt go through (considering where I’m going and who I will be visiting), but it speaks as well of the time after.  It speaks of the light on the horizon at the end of the storm, and my resilience to get through the hard times and come out the other side still strong and resourceful.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot

Valuing the Trusted

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty seconds long, and focused on taking time to enjoy life instead of allowing life to push you ever forward in a state of overwhelm.

I think everyone has those times when life is overwhelming and you forget to pay attention to the little joys and small pleasures.  One of my favorite ways to get in touch with those little joys is to take my sister to a toy store.

We never went to toy stores as a kid, and this has become a HUGE fascination for her as an adult.  Take her in a toy store, and he face lights up like Christmas.  She can spend hours (yes, literally hours) going through the aisles playing with all the different toys and chatting about everything she sees.    She never spends a penny, but for her?  It’s like taking her to an amusement park.    And in taking her, she draws me into the silliness and fun that, if I’m honest, I have a difficult time connecting to on my own.

In today’s meditation, it talks about how focusing on those moments of joy and enjoyment are apart of what makes life worth living.   And its true.  Without the shimmer of light to dazzle us now and then, life can begin to feel very plain and drab.  It’s important, when that twinkle appears, that you take a minute to enjoy it and appreciate its presence.

Today’s draw is the Three of Brine (Cups), which is a representation of small gains, harmonious unions, small groups, and communication in the area of the emotions, relationships, intuition, and creativity.  This can come across in many ways such as successful collaborations, friendship and comradery, community celebration… or on the negative side, the “three’s a crowd syndrome”.

When I look at today’s card I see community and friendship.   The three stingray-children that gather together have their heads dipped in a display of the depth of sharing they have with each other.   The one facing forward displays that his heart is exposed, which to me expresses not just that he wears his “heart on his sleeve” but that he feels safe being vulnerable and exposed in this environment and with these people.

This card speaks to me today of remembering who is important and who is ‘safe’ in your life to share those inner most parts of you that, when exposed, leave you vulnerable.  It’s about knowing who to trust, and cherishing those relationships.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot