tarot and psychology

Strength Comes In All Forms

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Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Sacred Sisterhood Tarot - La Force- StrengthToday’s draw is the Strength card, which is traditionally a representation of inner strength, persuasion, manipulation, and compassion.

I know that in this image, most people would focus on the mother as the symbol of strength in the imagery. But, I disagree. I think it is the baby that is the symbol of strength. The card is about persuasion and one’s influence over others. The child, at this age is the one calling all the shots.

Today, I spent my morning and the early part of the afternoon with an elderly woman that lives in my building. Not necessarily because I really wanted to, but because she needed the company. We spent the time on the balcony working with her plants out there, and then a short time just hanging out while she told me about her family.

Today’s card is a reminder that strength comes in all forms. Sometimes it’s in just being there. Not in doing anything, necessarily. Just being present. A silent witness. A presence that lets someone know they matter. Sometimes that is enough.

DECK USED:  SACRED SISTERHOOD TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I decided to just do my COTD today instead of the full readings that I’d planned, and put off the majority of my client readings until tomorrow in order to give myself a bit of a break.

Means to an End

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

4 Worlds Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of capability, potential, resourcefulness, action, and manifestation.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card is the little figure trapped inside the globe down at the Magician’s knee.  This small figure… are they protected? Or are they trapped?  They watch the Magician create while caught beneath glass, and I am left asking…. why?  Why is the figure caught there under glass? Why are they not free, and what purpose do they hold in the Magician’s plans?

The imagery in this card asks us to consider what lengths we will go to in order to accomplish what we seek or desire?  How far are we willing to go? What are we willing to destroy? Who are we willing to hurt?  Does the end really justify the means?

Today’s card encourages us to look beyond our own desires, and take account of how our actions may influence others, and remind us that our moral compass, ethics, and compassion are all important factors to consider when reaching to fulfill our desires.

DECK USED:  4 WORLDS TAROT

To Cull & Gather #VennoxesTarotChallenge Prompt
Questions for September 21st thru 24th – TO FEAST

Spirit Cards OracleWhat enriches me?

Earth Spirit – Time in nature. Stability provided through earth energies. This element is the one that you relate to most strongly and connect with most deeply. It is where you find your strength, your calm, and a nurturing stability you need in your life.

What is my biggest hunger?

Light Spirit – To know. To see. To understand. Your biggest hunger lies within your curiosity and your desire to always know more. There is a hunger here to grow that goes beyond intellectual pursuits and delves into the spiritual and the intuitive.

What do I bring to the table?

Medicine Woman – You have a habit of giving people what they need to heal from their past and move forward into something better. The earthen stability that you exude helps to create a “safe space” for people to heal and restore themselves.

Where do I need to be mindful of excess?

Sea Priestess – Take care that you don’t push so hard to find balance between your life’s responsibilities and the more squishy parts of life (emotions, et al) that you miss the mark entirely.

DECK USED: SPIRIT CARDS BY JOHN MOSELEY

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for September 21st: What are the 3 major weaknesses of humanity?

4 Worlds TarotSix of Wands – Social Conformity – Peer pressure and allowing themselves to put too much stock in the opinions of others instead of following their own values and moral compass.

Demiurge – Materialism – Too much focus on the material, whether this be money or possessions, success or a constant drive for more.  Focusing so much on what they can possess instead of upon aligning with one’s values and moral compass.

Light – Hope – A virtue and a weakness… hope is both.  Hope can be a light in the darkness that helps guide us forward, or it can blind us to the truth and be the thing that causes our downfall when we put too much trust in hope instead of being proactive in guiding events to go in the direction we desire.

DECK USED: 4 WORLDS TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I spent time with Gideon in play today and it helped a lot in easing some of the subdrop feelings I was having earlier in the day.

Stick a Fork In Me

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Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Autumn Miss TarotToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of painful endings, closure, the end of a harsh and difficult journey, and in some instances, severe injury.

No blood (red drape aside)… he’s just done. He’s done. As in “stick a fork in me, I’m done” except in this case it’s swords.

This is the second day in a row I’ve pulled the Ten of Swords for my card of the day, and as a budding stalker in my life, this card asks… suggests… perhaps even demands that we examine those places in our lives where we are pushing ourselves too hard. Root them out, and accept that it’s time to take a break in those areas.

(This message is then conveniently reinforced by the fact that when I was putting this card back into the deck, the Four of Swords fell out, which is all about rest, recuperation, and recovery.)

DECK USED:  AUTUMN MISS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Question for September 19th and 20th

Untamed Mystery Tarot Illusion Edition and Messenger CardsWhat lessons can Libra season (begins on the 22nd) teach you this year?

Deal with moments of misfortune (Wheel of Fortune) “like a boss” (King of Swords),and you will come out the other side happy with the results (The Sun).

Stop – Jaguar and Hummingbird – Crowding yourself in and limiting your potential.  Your growth and the connection you share with the world around you and all that is within it is being smothered by your self-neglect and destructive tendencies.

Start – Raven’s Dream – You have a great deal of potential to explore within yourself, and can sore if you allow yourself the room to spread your wings.  Only when you give yourself the room to grow can you fully stretch into that space and connect with the growth eager to be activated within you.

Continue – Bear and Raven – Continue to seek to understand yourself better and explore those deeper parts of yourself. Continue to cut loose the chaff in your life and clear away that which no longer works for you by getting in touch with yourself and the truths held deep within you about who you are and who you want to become.

DECK USED: UNTAMED MYSTERY TAROT ILLUSION EDITION AND MESSENGER CARDS

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for September 19th thru 22nd

Autumn Miss Tarot and Bad Girl TarotHow do I choose hope over fear?

Ace of Pentacles– By seizing opportunities when they arise, you will always be able to choose hope over fear, for pursuing one’s dreams and being open to opportunity is one of the greatest demonstrations of hope thriving within us all.

How can I put myself first?

Two of Swords – Putting yourself first is a conscious choice and takes decisive action. When you dither on it, you fall to the default of self-neglect.

Can I accept myself – even my faults?

Page of Cups – Find joy and take pleasure in your imagination and curiosity. In doing so you will find acceptance of all parts of who you are. Just remember this is a learning process for you.

Do I feel I deserve…

Love – The Devil Rx – Not of the healthy variety.

Compassion – Eight of Cups – Clearly not. You expect people to turn their backs and walk away.

Empathy – The Hierophant – No. Instead you expect to need to teach others this quality, usually by example.

Take Away – Honestly? I’m a self-destructive pessimist with an aggressive negative inner narrative. I almost always expect the worst when it comes to what I might receive from others in these areas… and then am pleasantly surprised (and sometimes also confused) when I get something good instead.

DECK USED: AUTUMN MISS TAROT AND BAD GIRL TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took the card’s advice and only did easy stuff today instead of pushing to get the harder things done.  I was just too tired.

The Silent Pause

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

I Naibi Di Giovanni Vacchetta Il Meneghello EdizioniToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of painful endings, closure, the end of a harsh and difficult journey, and in some instances, severe injury.

The blue ribbon in this card’s imagery ties all the swords together as united and speaks to me of the calm that comes after a storm. Those silent moments where it seems it is not just silent, but as if there is a vacuum of space and time, for just a moment, where the world stands still and sound does not exist.

In this moment, you have a chance to pause, take a breath, and reorient yourself. Sometimes, though, we waste that chance, and then when movement and sound returns we are sent careening off kilter.

Today’s card is a reminder of that pause. That gift of a silent and still moment after chaos in which to ground and gain our footing. It encourages us to not waste that moment by fussing, dithering, rehashing, or retreating. Use it instead to find a moment of peace, and soak that peace in so that it can steady us for when the world starts moving again.

DECK USED:  I NAIBI DI GIOVANNI VACCHETTA IL MENEGHELLO EDIZIONI

OwlandBonesTarot’s #BothSidesOfTheTarot Prompt
Questions for September 19th and 20th

Dante Tarot and Mantegna TarotWhat holds you captive?

The Lovers – There is a constant tug-of-war within you between your self-destructive tendencies and your efforts to turn over a new leaf and treat yourself better. You feel that this tug of war often holds me back from being to see with clarity and making the best choices I could.

Where do you feel free?

Ace of Swords – You are a free thinker and like to form your own opinions. This doesn’t mean that you disagree with others at every turn, but rather that you want to listen and understand, and then make up your own mind.

Finding Balance Between the Two – You need to cut yourself a little slack and accept that you’re doing the best you can (Fameio). Understand that your journey in this life is not a race. Things move at their own pace, and take as long as they take (Astrologia).

Where have you been playing it safe?

Death Rx – You have been pushing back pretty hard against change this year. Yes, change is uncomfortable, but pushing back against it just delays the inevitable.

Where could you be more bold?

King of Cups – Push for more time with Gideon instead. It will do you both good.

Finding Balance Between the Two – You can kill two birds with one stone (Zintilomo) by spending time talking with Gideon about the changes taking place in your life and how you feel about them (Rhetorica).

DECK USED: DANTE TAROT AND MANTEGNA TAROT

Mr Lionhart’s #TheSeptemberTarot Between Dusk & Dawn Prompt
Questions for September 19th thru 21st – CREATE

I Naibi Di Giovanni Vacchetta Il Meneghello EdizioniWhat have I created for myself the last few months?

Eight of Cups – You have successfully moved away from depression and practices that were allowing it to keep a hold on you well past the spring.

What am I currently creating for myself?

Ten of Swords – You are creating space for a moment’s pause before the next journey begins.

What should I be mindful of?

King of Cups atop The Sun – Be mindful that your happiness resides in Gideon. Spending more time with him makes your life better.

What is something I should create for myself between now and the end of 2022?

Three of Swords atop Three of Cups – Foster connections willing to be there through thick and thin, and work on strengthening them through time spent together and enjoyed by all.

DECK USED: I NAIBI DI GIOVANNI VACCHETTA IL MENEGHELLO EDIZIONI

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap.  I mean, it’s a huge orders day but I just couldn’t think straight so I napped for a bit and feel much better.

The Camel and The Straw

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

Story's Doll Telling TarotToday’s draw is the Ten of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of burden, overwhelm, burnout, and unrealistic expectations or obligations.

Look at those bulging eyes and gaping mouth. The apples they wear his hats on their heads are clearly too heavy for those long and skinny necks. Instead of taking their hats off, they stand tall and struggle. The thing is, are the hats really worth the struggle?

There are lots of little inconsequential things in life that we feel obligated to carry, regardless of if they are suited to us or not. All of these little things pile up over time like a pocket change tossed into a jar until suddenly there are so many little things that their weight becomes substantial, and they then contribute to feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. And, because we see each of these little things as individuals instead of part of a bigger pile, we don’t recognize them as a problem.

Today’s card asks us what are you weighing yourself self down with that you could set aside? What are you doing for appearances only, or out of a feeling of unrealistic obligation, that is one of the very last bits of straw that the camel’s back can handle before it breaks?

DECK USED:  STORY’S DOLL TELLING TAROT

OwlandBonesTarot’s #BothSidesOfTheTarot Prompt
Questions for September 18th

Oracle of the Great MysticsWhat do you see in technicolor?

Your Path of Light – You are always looking forward toward what you want and who you want to be, where you want your life to go. You follow your moral compass and allow it to guide you along this path. This is where your hope resides, and your optimism as well.

What do you see in black & white?

Whispering Wind – You see the present as black and white with very little chance for change in the moment. You see the past as done instead of something that can be molded into what you want it to have been.

Finding Balance Between the Two – Just as you see the future as fluid and full of opportunity, so too can your past be this way if you open up to seeing the past from other people’s perspectives instead of just your own (Goddess of Compassion). The past is only stagnant because you do not seek to explore  other viewpoints and perspectives of those that were there in the moment with you at the time. If you are open to doing this, then the past can be changed through how you see it and remember it (Meandering River).

DECK USED: ORACLE OF GREAT MYSTICS

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2022 Challenge Prompt
Topic for September 18th – Do Spread 3

Story's Doll Telling Tarot

Amber – Where do I need to work on my emotions to create more balance in my life?

Ace of Swords Rx – Keep an eye on your inner narrative (sword comes out of mouse’s head). How you talk to yourself is important to your emotional balance (stance of legs on mouse), and you need to keep it uplifting (clown nose) instead of allowing it to drift into negative territory.

Cedar – How can I use my present day fortitude to strengthen my future protection?

Strength Rx – Remember that there are always going to be people that will try to manipulate you (inner angle of darts toward the nutcracker). Pay attention now (eyeball-like bullseye) to those around you so that you can identify who those people are. This way, in the future when you are feeling out of touch and less aware, you will not fall victim to their machinations (music box key).

Marigold – Where should I focus on my health in order to develop a happier outlook?

Princess of Swords – The most important place you need to focus on your health for a happier outlook is in your mental health. Make sure you are not turning a deaf ear (the headphones) to positivity and optimism (figure is looking up), as you need these things to combat the sharp edges (sharp crystal jutting out of the bubbles) of your pessimism and that negative inner narrative that whispers in your head. Make sure that you are letting others help lift you up (the mice).

Lapis Lazuli – What hidden truth can self awareness bring to light in my life?

The Empress Rx – You neglect yourself and your need to connect with nature (disconnect of top of Matryoshka with solid foundation), because you feel that you are undeserving (stern expression on the matryoshka’s face).

Walnut – How can I be more discerning in picking positive friendships?

Eight of Disks – Use past experience to your advantage as you take care to keep your circle of friends small and close (trunk looks like a hunched figure wielding a tree trimmer). You don’t need a lot of friends, you need quality friends.

Sapphire – How can I best discern between logical thought and true wisdom?

Ace of Cups – Consult (two figures in the cup) your emotions to provide input (golden light coming from above), as they can help influence your perspective, even on things with a solid foundation based in logic (golden glow around the base of the cup).

Yarrow – How can I facilitate my move from a place of trauma into a place of healing?

Ten of Wands – This isn’t something that you need to burden yourself with right now (too heavy hats on skinny necks). You have more than enough already on your plate as the holiday rush approaches, adding more weight on at this time would be too much (the nutcrackers’ bulging eyes and gaping mouths).

DECK USED: STORY’S DOLL TELLING TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I juggled work so that I could spend a bit more time playing with Gid today.  I just… really need the connection, no matter how much work I need to get done.

No Pressure… Don’t Push

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

Tarot of the Drowning WorldToday’s draw is the Temperance card, which is traditionally a representation of moderation, measured efforts, balance, and patience.

I see this sentiment expressed in the imagery of this card, with a girl with wings too small to create lift floating in a body of water among flowers. Should she move too quickly she will get tangled up in the vegetation, or should she fill her cup and pitcher too full she may become too weighed down and sink. Therefore, she must take things slow and take care to be moderate in not just her movements, but also in how much she takes from the water she floats within.

For me personally, the Temperance card is often a “self-care” card, as moderation in general is something that I struggle with a great deal. When this card comes up in personal readings it invariably means that I am going overboard in some manner that is not healthy for me. And thus, the card appears to remind me that I need to take a more measured and temperate pace.

So the question becomes, where do you need to monitor your pace and take things more slowly?

For me, although it’s time to start catching up on orders from my time off, today’s card is a reminder to make sure that I don’t go overboard or allow myself to become stressed out by limitations of how much I can get done in the hours available to me.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE DROWNING WORLD

To Cull & Gather #VennoxesTarotChallenge Prompt
Questions for September 16th thru 20th – TO SHARE

World of Visions Tarot and Envolées Sauvages OracleWhat do I have an abundance of?

Three of Pentacles – You have an abundance of creative ability to manifest ideas into reality.

The collaboration and teamwork aspect of the Three of Pentacles is missing from the imagery of this card, but that too ties into what you have an abundance of. You have others in your life that want to help you in your creative endeavors, you have only to reach out to them and allow them in.

How can I avoid being shut off from generosity?

Page of Wands atop The Emperor – Rather than being bossy about what you need, learn to share your passions with others in a way that invites them to join you, and opens up a creative and receptive environment for all involved.

Where can I be more compassionate?

Eight of Swords – You need to be more compassionate with yourself. Your self-recriminations hold you back from seeing just how much you have to offer and how good a person you truly are. Each negative inner narrative ties your hands and blinds your eyes to seeing yourself how others see you.

Where can I be more charitable with my…

Time – Vulture’s Dance – In order to have time to be charitable, you have to shed away those things that are not working for you. There are only so many hours in the day and if you want to be more charitable with your time, something has to go to make some room.

Feelings – The Black Swan – Again we see an encouragement to be charitable with yourself and how  you see yourself. You are not the ugly duckling nor are you a clumsy oaf. You glide through life with far more grace than you realize.

Thoughts – Beauty of Creation – You need to take time to appreciate your accomplishments, including those things that you may not have done as well as you would have liked, but still managed to do. Some things are a learning process, and there is accomplishment even in these moments.

How can I help others?
(Oddly fitting since the cards managed to turn the above questions to be all about you.)

Seven of Swords and Glorious Storms – Use your past experiences and the skills that you have gained from them to advocate for others that are in need of help. Due to your experiences, you have developed a unique set of skills that can be of great value in helping others through difficult times.

DECK USED: THE WORLD OF VISIONS TAROT AND ENVOLÉES SAUVAGES

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for September 16th thru 18th

Tarot of the Drowning WorldHow can I silence my inner critic?

Two of Cups – Connect with others who love and care about you and ask for their perspective. This way you have something with which to combat your inner critic’s voice.

What needs to be different in my life?

The Lovers – You need to work on making healthier choices for yourself, instead of either going with the flow or allowing your self-destructive tendencies too much slack in the reins.

How can I love myself more?

King of Coins – Look at how far you have come and how much you have accomplished and appreciate these things. There will always be further to go, but you’ve built a good foundation that you should be proud of. Take time to appreciate these things instead of setting them aside as inconsequential.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE DROWNING WORLD

Daily Self Kindness

I spent time playing with Gideon tonight while working on bracelet orders.  Two birds, one stone, and the play helped me feel better.