tarot and psychology

Don’t Wallow

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_9165Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretches. And, it’s very clear that I’ve been skipping far too often, because my right hip is stiff as hell and it was nearly impossible to do the stretching as I normally would.  So… a few days of skipping will lead to about two months of time to regain the flexibility I’d been maintaining.  Still, it’s definitely got my attention.

The focus of today’s meditation was clearly about living in the present instead of ruminating on the past or being too focused on the future.  The thing is, though?  I say “clearly” because I don’t remember what was said in the meditation at all, but the graphic kind of speaks for itself.  I know I listened to it at the time, or at least I think that I did, but I think the depression is at a point now where I’m struggling with remembering even what happened a few hours ago with any clarity.

Tarot Skrytych Svetu - The HermitToday’s draw is the Hermit card, which is traditionally a representation of inner reflection and healthy alone time when one retreats to deal with and explore the self.

There are two things that stand out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today, which is the hag stone that the Hermit stands upon, and the geese.

The geese in this card’s imagery insinuate that the Hermit is high in the sky. Far above where geese fly in their migratory trek. This is about lift rising above, and it speaks to me (along with the light that shins so brightly) of the solitary being a healthy and healing experience.

The hag stone that the Hermit stands upon speaks to me of secrets. Hidden secrets that can only be accessed by honing in one’s view and dipping into a side of things that you don’t examine in the day to day.

The message in today’s card is reminder that alone time needs to be healthy alone time.  Just retreating to wallow in your own misery is not okay and not healthy.  If you’re going to spend alone time, make sure that it is in the pursuit of inner reflection and growth, not to allow yourself to sink into unhealthy habits and thoughts.

DECK USED:  TAROT SKRYTYCH SVETU

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What brings my heart joy?

Paulina Tarot

King of Pentacles – Stability and security. When I have that feeling of security that everything is as it should be and all is stable, I then feel free to explore my pleasures and indulge in my joys.

Ten of Swords – Knowing that even the most difficult journey comes to an end eventually. Sometimes bad shit happens.  Sometimes it happens and keeps happening and feels like it will last forever.  But the truth is?  Bad shit eventually ends, and in that moment we have the opportunity to birth a new thread.. a new journey.  It brings my heart hope, and thus joy, to know this.

Justice – That life can be fair, even if you have to work at it. I very much feel a deep seated need for balance in life… for fairness in life.  I can’t help this.  When things feel balanced and fair, even if that fairness takes from my pocket to even things out with another less fortunate, I feel good and pleased and happy.   Fairness and balance are important, and finding as well as fostering these things in life brings me joy.

DECK USED:  PAULINA TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Question:  What personal energy will best facilitate conversation with others today?

Tarot Skrytych SvetuReading Summary: You may still be learning your way (Page of Cups), but you still need to allow your emotions to flow easily and share them with others (Ten of Cups).  There’s no use in tangling yourself up in them while trying to hide from them or avoid them (Eight of Swords).

Take Away: At the moment I am struggling with a major depressive episode and I’m struggling under it’s grip.  The emotions I’m feeling need to be expressed and communicated.  My gratitude and my love need to be expressed and communicated as well. 

My natural inclination is to hide from my emotions, especially right now when I’m vacillating between a painful numbness and extreme bouts of dark emotions. Don’t hold it in.

DECK USED:  TAROT SKRYTYCH SVETU

Daily Self Kindness

I gave myself permission to cry today, and have done so multiple times today.  I’ve napped and tried to treat myself kindly, even setting aside some of my responsibilities of the day to allow more room for myself to feel less choked up and constrained.

Try To Make It Fun

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped.  I’m finishing this post up a few days late, so I’m not sure what it was that caused me to skip it but I think I might have fallen asleep.

Silhouettes Tarot - Queen of WandsToday’s draw is the Queen of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of an alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s inspiration, drive, will power, and inner spark. One way of interpreting this is as a person of authority or strength, that uses that authority and strength to listen to the desires of others (or their inner self) and help them in getting involved in those things that they are inspired by, or need an extra boost of willpower in order to follow through on.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the colors.  It’s the glow of bright yellow from the center of the card behind the queen, radiant and bright as she holds both the thorny vine as well as the beautiful sunflower.

The message that I see in this card is that you may have to be the boss today, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it… or at least try to.

DECK USED:  SILHOUETTES TAROT

The Radical Love Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Loving myself
Question: What self-love do I need right now to help me through this dark time of pervasive depression?

Nano Starseeds Tarot

Reading Summary: You need to work at balancing (Two of Pentacles) that feeling of life’s unpredictability and instability (The Wheel of Fortune) with the solid security of Gideon’s support and love (King of Cups).

Take Away:  You need him.  You need his support and the security that he provides.  You need him to help balance out the chaos of uncertainty that you’re feeling right now.  It’s okay to need him to help you in finding that balance.  Don’t forget that he’s there for you.

DECK USED:  NANO STARSEEDS TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Ask the cards for a positive message to carry with you throughout the day.

Silhouettes TarotReading Summary: Indecision (Six of Cups) causes setbacks (Knight of Swords Rx). So take the reins and push through on what needs to be done (The Chariot). Be the boss (The Emperor).

Take Away: It’s orders day and I have to work whether I want to or not. I have to get shit done, whether I want to or not.  I have to make sure that things are still moving… whether I want to or not.  All I honestly want to do is curl up in bed and never come out.  Not to eat.  Not to work. Not to do anything.  Just burrow into the fragrant softness and let it wrap me up and drown out the rest of the world with that small amount of comfort.

But I can’t.   So sack it up and get your shit done.

DECK USED:  SILHOUETTES TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I… have no idea what I did today that would be considered  a self kindness.  Not any idea at all.

Morning Bonus Read – Monthly Key Spread

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

1889 Lenormand - Monthly Key Spread

Key to Your Heart: What will Guide you to make decisions that are aligned with your heart and your truths this month?

Book – Make sure that you know all the facts before making any important decisions this month.  With you currently in the middle of an MDE, it’s important that you look to stable and informative outside sources to ensure you are seeing the full picture and not just that one view through the grimy glass that your depression affords you.

Anchor: What will ground you in the face of anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and existential dread in general?

Clouds – Remember that this is temporary.  You are well and deeply sunken into the pit of depression and it is causing a good deal of confusion but you’re doing well at keeping the overwhelm in hand. Remember that this is familiar to you.  It’s something you’ve gone through before, and something that you will get through this time as well.  The depression may be heavy, but it’s temporary.

Star Wand: What will accelerate your magic, creativity, and manifestation powers?

Ship – Focus on the things you have invested in and in fostering their continued good health.  Don’t worry about growth, that will take care of itself.  Just keep everything afloat and let the rest go for right now.  If it’s still afloat at the end of the depression, you can then work on pushing things forward and encouraging their growth.

Blessings from the Stars: The Universe has got your back – how will you be supported this month?

Bouquet – The universe is rooting for you and pushing you to find what joy you can, however you can find it.  Even little joys will help brighten up the darkness around you, so allow them in and do your best to take pleasure in them.

One Trick Up Your Sleeve: A life saving idea or inspiration for any unexpected challenge or difficult moments?

Anchor – Don’t forget that you have spent a long time setting yourself up for the security and stability that you now have in your life.  Things feel like they are out of control at the moment, but this is an illusion created by your mental instability, and it will pass.  The true stability  you  have created in your life is still there, and will be there waiting for you when you begin to find your way out of the darkness.

Emergence Pt 1: What is emerging within you / within your reality right now?

Man – It’s okay to focus on yourself right now. It’s okay to be selfish right now. It’s okay to need to put yourself first for now.  It’s needed.  Do it.

Emergence Pt 2: What are you expanding towards?

Child – You are at the bottom of the pit.  Seek out the light and the fresh air. Don’t wallow but keep reaching for the new breath and fresh openness  that is waiting for you on the other side of the darkness.

DECK USED:  1889 LENORMAND ORACLE

Choppy Waters

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_9037Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long and was another of the guided meditations from the Calm app with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The focus of today’s meditation was something that really resonated for me.  What it said was, “It’s easy to get used to things not going our way. When we’re met with challenge after challenge, we may start to believe that life is unfair, or that we’re undeserving, or that our circumstances may never change.  But then, when good things do happen, we may be so conditioned by our pessimistic filter that we won’t even see them.  Through mindfulness we can challenge this condition. When we notice that we are perceiving life through a negative lens we can recognize that this is our habit and we can step back to view things more objectively.  And we can remind ourselves of the universal law of impermanence, that things are always changing. We can embrace this principle, releasing misconceptions that we’re undeserving, and embracing goodness when it arrives.”

Ad Orbita Tarot - Ace of CupsToday’s draw is the Ace of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of new emotions, new relationships, and new connections with our creativity and intuition.  It’s all about that seed of newness and the watery element of the emotional realm.

What really catches my attention in this card’s imagery today is the choppiness of the water below.

Sometimes, newness inherently involves a bit of a rocky start.  That turbulence comes from the aspect of change and the time it takes us to grow and adapt to that change.

Today’s card is a reminder that even when something new feels like a rocky start, it can evolve into something as dazzling and spectacular as shooting stars in a night sky.

DECK USED:  AD ORBITA TAROT

LionHart’s Mercury Retrograde Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question:  How can I best work with the energy of Mercury Rx this month?

The Byzantine Tarot

Patriarch atop Five of Cups Rx – Learn to practice self forgiveness.  Not everything has to be perfect all the time.  Sometimes learning is messy… sometimes life is messy.  And remember that the path to self forgiveness and a healthier relationship with occasional setbacks may boil down to long known tried and true methods.  We’re not talking about new concepts or methods here… and it’s not rocket science.

Count of Swords atop Death Rx – Don’t allow yourself to stall out or stagnate.  Self discipline is important, especially in times when you’re stuck in that “don’t feel like it right now” mindset.  Lean into what you know is going to work.  Keep moving.  Now is not the time to dig in your heels.

Four of Swords – Get some rest, but make sure it’s of the healthy variety.  No burrowing under the covers to hide, but you need to make sure you’re getting the rest you need.

DECK USED:  BYZANTINE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Do the Imbolc Spread

Ad Orbita TarotWhat seeds need planted in my life right now?

The High Priestess – It’s time to start getting in touch with your feelings, intuition, and inner knowing. Sometimes during a depression this can be difficult to tap into as cleanly and clearly as you’d like, but the depression won’t last forever and if you foster the seeds of beginning in that connection now, the strength of it and future growth will recover and continue far more smoothly than letting things sit and stagnate.

What preparations do I need to begin making to prepare for this growth?

Knight of Pentacles Rx – Let go of your issues concerning feeling restless with slow going progress. Beware that if you go too fast or let these feelings take control, you’re going to spill everything on the floor and make a damned mess.  There’s a fine line between slow but steady growth, and not moving at all.  It’s a fine line with a very big difference.

What in my life is beginning a phase of reawakening and renewal?

King of Wands Rx – A time of releasing responsibilities.  Set down the big plate full of crap that you need to do and pick up a smaller plate that will leave room for more extraneous, pleasurable things.  You can be responsible and still support and foster the growth of your business and goals, while carrying a bit less on your shoulders.

How can I best foster that awakening?

Two of Cups – Allow others to support me in my journey.  Delegate and work together with these others so that what was once a solitary endeavor becomes a balance of like minds that care about the same things, the same results, as well as each other.

DECK USED:  AD ORBITA TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took a few breaks today during the process of getting my orders ready to go.  I can’t say that I didn’t feel restless and a bit guilty during these breaks… but I did take them anyway.

Finding What Works

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

IMG_9019Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long and was a guided meditation via the Calm app with an added interval timer for my piriformis stretches. I nearly skipped again, but I managed to fight off the temptation and actually do the meditation instead.

The focus of today’s meditation was about perspective, and how important it is to listen to others and gain their input.  Sometimes when you are sure that your way is the right way, it’s difficult to remember that it may not be the only right way.  At times like that, it can be difficult to reach out for other’s input and perspectives, and yet with every time we do just that… we ourselves grow and become more than we were before. We learn and become better as a result.

Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot - Ace of SwordsToday’s draw is the Ace of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of communicating with others.

This card is one of the cards in the deck that actually convinced me I had to have this deck.  I was one of those that didn’t manage to pick up the deck through kickstarter, but rather much later down the line when they were briefly (for a few hours) available through the creator’s Etsy shop. This was the first card I saw of this deck, and I was so enamored that I just had to have it.

The feathered quill here speaks of both the air element, which is the element of the Swords suit, but also of the themes that have to do with intellect and communication. The message I see in this card today is about finding new methods of communication, and is a topic that I am very familiar with.

When I was rendered mute, I had to seek out and experiment with many different new methods of communication.   Here online, not much changed.  I was able to communicate as normal and no one even realized anything had changed.  It was like “coming home” to return back to old and comfortable methods each day when the rest of my day was filled with the struggle of maneuvering the world by new and different ways of communicating.

That’s what this card made me think of today.  Sometimes?  We have to try something new whether we really want to or not. The point of doing this is to find what works for us… and discover what doesn’t. Experimentation and trying something new is not about succeeding or failing.  It’s about finding the shoes that fit best and are the most comfortable to wear.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Questions:  I. II. and III.

Dark Days Tarot

I. What is the main theme of this Mercury Retrograde for me?

Page of Wands atop Two of Wands – This Mercury Rx for me will be about finding new ways to look at my plans and goals.  This could involve a new perspective in how I deal with planning things out, but will have an impact on how I do things in the future, and allow for me to learn a better method of working out those details.

II. How am I asked to honor my feelings or the current Rx vibes?

King of Pentacles Rx atop Two of Swords – Your vulnerable undersides are showing. Make sure that you’re not acting hastily and causing more damage as a result.  Sometimes, standing still and allowing the world to turn around you is a better choice than stepping blindly forward onto the ice and having it crack beneath your feet.

III. What am I asked to reflect on throughout Mercury Retrograde?

Knight of Wands atop The Chariot – Why are you rushing?  Why is it so important that you get things done at inhuman speeds?  Why do you force yourself into the stress of unreasonable deadlines when you are the one setting these deadlines in the first place?

DECK USED:  DARK DAYS TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread 4 

5 Cent TarotHow do you most commonly misinterpret reading the cards for yourself?

Justice – I often judge myself too harshly and my feelings on needing to be punished for these things I am judging myself about sometimes comes out in my readings.   At these times (and when reading on these topics), my reading accuracy is often hindered by the fact that I see repercussions being dealt out to me that are unnecessary and never come to pass as a result.

How do you most commonly misinterpret reading the cards for others?

Ten of Wands – The answer is at the top of the card.  It has to do with failing to see the accomplishment within the message.  My focus during a reading is often honed in on what needs to be done, what needs to change, what needs fixing or adjusting or what help is needed.  This proactive approach often neglects to also take in what has been done or fixed or adjusted.

How can you improve at reading the cards so that it doesn’t keep happening?

Nine of Cups – Include more positivity in the readings. Empowerment is already there but there also needs to be an emotional connection.  Something that connects the emotions to positive feelings and a feeling of accomplishment instead of it all being about what’s needed or not been done or the more unpleasant aspects of the situation.

DECK USED:  5 CENT TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’ve started using the MyNetDiary app on my phone again to keep track of my blood sugar readings, and I’m doing a bit of tracking of my sugar levels before and after eating as an update since I haven’t done this in a while.

When Everything Falls Apart

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped because I didn’t feel like it, which… at the time felt like a valid excuse to skip it for the day, but now I realize that it’s not and I should have realized it from the start.  I just felt such a heavy lack of enthusiasm and dread about it that I had a “fuck it” reaction and didn’t do it.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Ten of WandsToday’s draw is the Ten of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of feeling overwhelmed and/or overburdened.  It is about struggling under the weight of one’s projects and responsibilities.  I often end up getting this card as a warning when I am approaching burnout.

What stands out to me the strongest in this card’s imagery to day is the upraised hands.  It’s as if we have caught this man in that single moment when what was a neatly stacked and bundled collection of wands decides to go awry and spread out.  The hands then raise up in an “oh shit” to try and catch what has clearly decided to split, separate, and break free.

We all have times when everything is neatly in a row and then suddenly one of the ducklings goes off track and chaos ensues. It’s not always about having overburdened yourself… but about losing control of that burden unexpectedly.     The thing is?   That is also a form of overburdening… as it’s important to leave some wriggle room for when that moment of “awry” happens so that you can deal with it instead of it overpowering you.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question: What am I asked to take with me moving forward?

Mundane Magick Tarot

Reading Summary: Let go of your perceived failings (Judgement atop Emergent of Coins Rx), while taking forward into the future your empowerment (The Magician) and hope (The Star).

Take Away:  It is hard to let go sometimes when you feel you’ve fucked up or suck at something. Or, at least it’s hard for me to let go of it.  Especially if the repercussions involve destabilizing my security or hurting someone else.  The key to a healthier future, though, is to remember that from these experiences you learn and obtain tools that help you in dealing with them better in the future, and do what you can to focus on the good you can do moving forward.

DECK USED:  MUNDANE MAGICK TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is your greatest vice you’re not consciously aware of?

Guardian of the Night TarotReading Summary: When finding myself at the end of a journey (Ten of Swords) and thus the beginning of a new one (Ace of Cups), I often fail to pause and take stock (Four of Pentacles Rx) before moving forward.

Take Away: I’m so constantly going full bore from one thing to the next that I often forget that I need to take a break and find my footing again between one adventure and the next one.

Instead, I move on from what has been finished and dive enthusiastically into the next, allowing my pursuit if enjoyment and pleasure to carry me away into the new “thing”, whatever that thing might be, without that necessary pause to take stock, restock, and find my balance before continuing on.

DECK USED:  GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHT TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I turned the water off for the sink and decided not to fuck with it today.  It was really frustrating me, as it’s still leaking.  It didn’t at first.  Not for the first few hours after I’d taken it apart and put it back together.  Then it started leaking again while we were doing the dishes.  So obviously… it’s not fixed.  I needed to step away from it for a bit, so I have decided not to deal with it today or tomorrow since it’s the weekend anyway so if I need to get hold of Moen, it won’t be possible until Monday at the earliest.