Staying Open to Change

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and another of the harp strings meditation sessions.   Another session that I had a bit of a struggle in concentrating, mostly because of the whole aggressive customer issue that was going on this morning and getting that dealt with.  I hate having to turn from kind and courteous customer service into that more firm and authoritative voice.

Anyway, it messed up my groove a little bit and because I was all stirred up and my brain was in “compose this message” mode, I really struggled at staying focused in the meditation today.

Herbal Tarot - Two of Pentacles - Yellow DockToday’s draw is the Two of Pentacles, which is traditionally interpreted as struggling with multiple priorities, the juggling of responsibilities, and finding balance (or being out of balance) between one’s obligations.

What stands out the greatest to me in the imagery of this card today is the combination of the yellow dock on the page, and the two sailboats off in the horizon.   The meaning of the sailboats in today’s message is twofold, as they speak both of freedom as well as adaptability and how, through that adaptability, freedom can be obtained.    The Rumex crispus is one I needed to brush up on, as I could only remember that it was a good cure for athletes food and edible in small quantities.

What I found is that the spiritual properties of Rumex crispus lies in the purging of what is no longer working for you, clearing out stagnancy in order to help strengthen what is left and allow for room and growth.     This message is very much in line with my current goals.

The message in today’s card is a reminder that I need to stay open to change in order for change to happen. If I close myself off, even if it’s subconsciously, it will effect my progress.  So stay present, stay aware, and stay open.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question
: What unconscious rhythms have settled into my life?

Brady Tarot

Reading Summary: This reading is about “greener pastures syndrome” and the fact that when I am feeling fulfilled, I can’t stay still.  The progression here is in the new shiny thing (Ace of Roots) that I learn and master (Nine of Cups) and as a result end up bored or frustrated (Eight of Cups) and ready to move on to the next new thing (Six of Arrows).

Take Away:  Actually, this isn’t an uncommon rhythm for me, but it is one that I’ve experienced again and again throughout my life (although, not as often as Z apparently *LOL* who is where I got the “syndrome” title from).   It has to do with interests only being interesting for as long as they are a challenge, but not so much of a challenge that you can’t conquer them.   So you fall into this pattern of finding interests and exploring them until you feel you’ve reached a level of expertise, and then going “meh” and discarding them for something else.  Fortunately, I have far more staying power than Z, although I do this often with my periphery interests. 

DECK USED:  BRADY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: Philosophical Question: Is it easier to love or be loved?

Grimalkin TarotReading Summary:  In the center of this reading, we have a cat that stares adoringly at a firefly while the firefly is without any interest in the cat at all.  On one side, we have unrequited affection.  On the other we have homecoming and celebration shared with others.

Take Away:  In both scenarios (the right side and the left) there are emotions involved and in both the emotions involved include having “full cups” (even if on the left there are not as many full cups as you might desire.   I would say that, from these cards, it is better to love than to be loved.   I’m not entirely sure that I agree with that, but this is what the cards say to me.  They say that when you focus on your own heart, you will always have love… whereas if you focus on other’s hearts and love directed at you, you will always feel as if you are missing what you seek.

DECK USED:  GRIMALKIN TAROT

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: Think of something you are proud of and draw a card for input.
Pride: Fostering stability and responsibility in my life.

Everyday Witch TarotReading Summary: The Queen of Swords (for once) did not immediately bring to mind my mother.  Instead, in this card she appears to be saying, “Good job.  Your independence is admirable. Keep it up.”   She is a reminder to listen to that good, strong, and proud inner voice that lives within me, and to not allow my inner critic to interject.

Take Away:  You are smart and resourceful. You can be the Queen of Wands without turning into your mother.

DECK USED:  EVERYDAY WITCH TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What good habits do I have?

Tarot of Passing Showers

Reading Summary: The ability to look at personal hardships (Three of Swords) and find the positive (Hanged Man and Art).

Take Away:  In the Thoth tarot (which is the system this deck is based upon) the fourteenth card in the Major Arcana is not Temperance, but rather Art, and speaks of taking something mundane and turning it into something precious.  Balance also plays a part in this card, and when combined with the new perspectives presented in the Hanged Man’s card, it demonstrates how I approach the struggles and strife in my life… and how I heal from them.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF PASSING SHOWERS

Plato’s Split Apart Theory of Soulmates

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and another of the harp strings meditation sessions.  It was uneventful and peaceful, and I got a really good stretch in through the process of it.  I’m still searching for a similar sound track that uses randomly plucked cello strings instead of harp strings. No luck yet, but I’m searching.

Japaridze TarotToday’s draw is the Two of Winds (Wands) which is traditionally a representation of coming to a crossroads and needing to take a moment to make a clear choice.  This impasse requires thought as the decisions here are not easy ones to make.

The imagery in this makes me think of a corrupted version of Plato’s split-aparts.

“Once, a long, long time ago, we all had four legs and two heads. And then the gods threw down thunderbolts and split everyone into two. Each half then had two legs and one head. But the separation left both sides with a desperate yearning to be reunited. Because they each shared the same sole. And ever since then, all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul.” – Plato

What strikes me the strongest is the two profiles coming together to become one face, and what that says to me in relation to this card is the necessity to gather information.  You need to have the full picture before you make a decision, as opposed to just going with your gut.

Today’s card is a reminder that the best decisions are informed decisions. Yes, intuition is a great thing, but it doesn’t lead the way on everything and sometimes you have to do the work (and the homework) to make sure that you are making the right choices for you.

DECK USED:  JAPARIDZE TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question
: What in my life am I not seeing clearly?

The Crystal Tarot

Reading Summary: The. temptation (The Devil) to pretend that everything is fine (Nine of Cups connected to the Devil) is very strong, but I need to remember that it’s okay  for things to not be fine sometimes (Five of Pentacles) and there are others in my life waiting and eager to help me through those times (Two of Cups).

Take Away:  I do that.   A lot.   I have a habit of not allowing others to see when I’m struggling, and pretending to the point that even I can’t tell when shit is not “all okay”. I don’t do it as pervasively as I used to, but that tendency is still there to “fake it til you make it” when it comes to how I’m doing and whether or not I need help.   The cards here are indicating I need to pay more attention to this tendency and work on calling myself out on it more often while leaning on others to help me through instead of just trudging on solo.

DECK USED:  THE CRYSTAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What can I do to help my inner child feel more protected?

Linestrider TarotReading Summary: Keep alive those feelings from my youth (Six of Cups) that made me feel warm and safe (Three of Cups), and don’t allow current thoughts and worries (Nine of Swords) to overtake and cloud those feelings and memories.

Take Away:  This reading echos back to the reading about the little red corvette and talk with my mother when I was sixteen.  It speaks of the fact that that memory still holds those positive memories within it that felt good at that time… even though in the here and now I can see the machinations involved.   Yet, those good feelings live on, even if there is no basis for them to be valid.

The cards here indicate that to help my inner child feel more connected, I need to keep those good memories like that, and the feelings attached to them, alive and well instead of deconstructing and/or invalidating them.

DECK USED:  LINESTRIDER TAROT

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: How can I positively keep investing in myself?

Simply Deep Tarot

Reading Summary: Note the color connection between the Devil and the Two of Coins, creating a dominant theme between them, that is then reduced to being only a small element in the Ten of Cups (the green cup).

Keep on top of that temptation (The Devil) that makes you want to balance more than you’re ready for (Two of Coins) so that you can create for yourself a more fulfilling existence. Color coordination between the first two cards versus the last card where only one cup is green.

Take Away:  I can keep investing positively in myself by remembering my commitment to finding a better way of juggling my responsibilities that allows for more “down time” and more time enjoying life rather than pushing myself harder and harder.

DECK USED:  SIMPLY DEEP TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How have I grown?

Stone Marseille Tarot

Reading Summary: Learning how to better silence my inner voice when it goes into attack mode (Knight of Swords Rx) and to ask for help  (Two of Cups) instead of taking it all on myself. Understanding and accepting (Page of Swords) that a rebuild is needed in creating a healthier method of stability (Ace of Coins).

Take Away: A lot of cards in today’s readings are about that new method and the restructuring of how I go about balancing self care with my responsibilities and obligations.   It feels like this message has really come forward the last few days, and I think the constant reminders are because I need constant reminders right now as the pandemic restrictions start to lift.

DECK USED:  STONE MARSEILLE TAROT

The Person You Want to Be

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and another of the harp strings meditations.  It was very relaxing although I had a little bit of trouble focusing today.  It happens, and I try not to let it be frustrating as I know that it’s a part of meditating, as is bringing yourself back to center after your mind has strayed.  I find it interesting that this meditation seems to work so well for me when usually it is the guided meditations that I gravitate toward.

Herbal Tarot - Goldenseal - JudgementToday’s draw is the Judgement card, which used to be a really difficult card for me.  In fact, for most of my time reading tarot, this was the one card I struggled with connecting to… until last year. I attended a card study that the cards Justice and Judgement were the focus of.  In this study, these cards were presented as Justice being immediate, present- day balance of cause and effect (which was how I viewed it anyway), and that by contrast, the judgement card was about what you’ve done with your life as a whole.  How is your life path going?  Is it going in a way that you like?  Are you happy with the person you’ve become and how you live your life and see the world?

This contrast actually turned my confusion around completely.  By having set the Judgement card beside the Justice card, it made the differences clear to me, and helped me to clearly define my understanding of the Judgement card in a way I’d failed to be able to in the years prior.

What really stands out the strongest to me in the imagery of this card today is that the Hydrastis canadensis is bearing fruit.  The goldenseal plant reproduces in two different ways.  Beneath the soil, the rhizome reproduces clonally and can do so within the first year.  But the second way that this plant reproduces is through sexual reproduction above ground, which it is unable to accomplish until it’s fourth (or more often fifth) year of life.  That is what the berry in the center of the plant’s leaf here signifies.  It indicates that the plant has finally reached full maturity.

The message here in today’s card is about examining what you want in life and “checking in” with where you’re at to ensure you are staying on that path.  It’s not about money or power or superficial matters… its about maturity of the heart and the soul, and ensuring that you are the type of person that you want to be.

I think this is a good message and a very good reminder, especially as I go through the growth concerning my emotions.  Reassessment gives the opportunity to course correct values and just make sure I stay… true to who I want to be along the way.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question
: Where am I nearing a crossroads in life?

Dame Darcy's Mermaid Tarot

Reading Summary:   Note the color coordination connecting the Seven of Wands and the Ten of Swords, as well as the Page of Swords and the Queen of Pentacles.   The Seven of Wands freaks out as challenge starts to transition into defeat (Ten of Swords), while the Page looks back as if to say “see baby, it’ll be alright… just look where we’re going” (Queen of Pentacles).

Take Away:  The cards here depict a common cycle for me between the Seven of Wands and the Ten of Swords.  I fill my plate with all that I’m passionate about until I’m at a point of struggle and overwhelm and everything feels like it’s in chaos and I’m fighting for my life.   I struggle.  I fail.   I hit the ground and my guts spill out.   Then I have to pick myself up and start over again as I regain balance and fill my plate again. 

The Page of Swords in these cards slicing through this cycle and showing a second path.  An exit out of the loop.  At the end of that second path sits the Queen of Pentacles, indicating if I make the choice to break this common cycle of mine and stay committed to doing things differently, I can find a much more stable and comfortable place than that of the path I’ve been on.

DECK USED:  DAME DARCY’S MERMAID TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: How can I begin working on healing my inner child’s injuries?

Sawyer's Path TarotReading Summary: Work on a better way of fulfilling responsibilities (Knight of Pentacles over Two of Pentacles) so you can have some fun (imagery on the Seven of Wands) and a more fulfilled existence (Judgement).

Key note here is in the Seven of Wands and how, although the character in this card is on the defensive and in the  middle of battle… they look like they’re having a hell of a good time while they’re at it.

Take Away:  It is telling that the responsibilities portion of this reading is a pair of Pentacles, and specifically that the Knight of Pentacles overshadows the juggling in the Two of Pentacles.  It speaks of needing to slow down and the necessity to pace myself rather than pushing so hard and being impatient.  The other two cards are a reminder that while I’m slowing down, I need to make sure I’m having a good time (even when dealing with challenges) and staying on track concerning where I want to go spiritually and the person I want to be… which is someone that’s more than just work work work, incidentally.

DECK USED:  SAWYER’S PATH TAROT

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: What can I do, or keep in mind, to make today better?

Tarot of Metamorphosis

Reading Summary: Don’t worry so much (Judgement) about where your emotional growth is going (Knight of Cups). Just focus on not backsliding (Six of Swords). For the moment, it’s the present that’s important and fostering your sense of enthusiasm (The Fool).

Take Away:  Lots of guidance today to help me in getting on track with my emotional growth and keeping myself from backsliding into the bad habits of the past. The cards here indicate that it’s important for me to focus on finding those glimmering inner sparks of joy and enthusiasm and fostering them to life, and not to spend so much time worrying about where I’m going… or where I’m coming from.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF METAMORPHOSIS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How are my goals progressing?

The Golden Girls Tarot

Reading Summary: You are at a crossroads where you are going to have to make a conscious and concerted choice (The Lovers) between pushing back against that emotional growth going on (Four of Cups), or embracing it and letting it continue (Ace of Cups).

Take Away:  I want the Ace of Cups.  Avoiding the backslide into old habits is difficult, but I want that feeling of dappled sunlight on the soul that this growth has created.  It’s the feeling of lying beneath trees as sunlight breaks in dappled warmth through the leaves above.  It’s warm and peaceful and much different than the cold logic of my normal existence to date.  I’ve come to discover that I like that dappled sunlight… and I want it to continue.

I want that exploration of the emotional growth I’ve been experiencing to continue… even if maybe I haven’t really seemed much like it over the past couple of weeks.

DECK USED:  THE GOLDEN GIRLS TAROT

It’s Okay to Not Know the Answer

Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long, as I got interrupted by the fire alarm going off.  Not ours, but the building one.   Everything is fine, but that loud as fuck siren definitely yanks you right out of your relaxed zen state.  It was not pleasant, although… the meditation up to that point was.

Japaridze Tarot - The HermitToday’s draw is the Hermit card, which is traditionally read as an indication of retreat into the self in order to work on personal growth and understanding, self reflection, and a need for a time of independence and introspection.

No one element stands out to me in this card today, nor does it particularly align with my understanding and interpretation of the hermit.  What I see her is abstract chaos.  Random and without rhyme or reason.  The card doesn’t speak to me at all, in fact… which is the message.   I struggled all day trying to find the elements of this card that would mean something, but it is in the confusion and the nothingness where the answer lies.

The message in today’s card is that not everything is always going to make sense, and that’s perfectly okay.  It’s okay to be confused and chaotic.  It’s okay to say “I don’t understand”.   And it’s okay to accept that something is ‘beyond your scope’ if it truly is something you are unable to grasp.

So often we feel as if we have to have all the answers and can never be wrong.  The message here is in the freedom of accepting that we are all fallible… and it’s okay to not know everything.

DECK USED:  JAPARIDZE TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question
: How can I better deal with crisis?

Tarot Sirene

Reading Summary:  Be kind and generous with others (Six of Pentacles), make sure to look over all of your options and make good decisions (Lovers) even when things are feeling out of control (Tower) and you will find yourself coming out the other side with things well in hand (The Star) and return to a sense of stability quickly (Four of Wands).

Take Away:  When crisis hits, I can often have the tendency to turn inward and block others out.  The Six of Pentacles is a reminder that others depend upon me and retreat into myself is not the best choice.  Instead, I need to keep a clear head so that I can observe the situation and grasp all options open to me in order to guide myself and those that depend on me back to stable ground quickly.

DECK USED:  TAROT SIRENE MARSEILLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: Do Spread #1

Dream Raven TarotHow is the rise of summer energy manifesting in my life?
Ace of Wands – I’m being given the opportunity this summer to look at how I handle my passions, how I balance my responsibilities and my entrepreneurial drive, and how to distribute my attention to find more joy and creative pleasure in my life.  The energies this summer are there to lend themselves to finding inspired solutions that I can carry forward into the future.

How can I harness these summer energies to my purposes?
Wheel of Fortune – By focusing on staying centered and instead of allowing myself to spin out of control off on different tangents (as I recently did for about two weeks). It can be difficult to stay centered and focused when you have so much swirling around you looking for a place to land like a spiral of birds flying overhead. Stop looking up at the spiraling birds and focus on organizing my plate instead.

Where would I be best served in directing these energies over the summer?
Judgement and Ace of Cups – In finding ways to silence my inner critic in order to allow myself to return to that “dappled sunlight” exploration of the emotional growth I’ve been experiencing over the spring.

DECK USED:  DREAM RAVEN TAROT

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: What am I invited to meditate on/invest in today?

Fanuna's Tarot

Reading Summary:  Your committed relationship (The Lovers) needs some attention (Nine of Cups) so set aside your drive (Page of Wands) and your need to coax your finances into a more comfortable position (Page of Stones).

Take Away:  Honestly?  That breakdown above is after the fact, because the message I got from these cards when they were laid out before me was “talk to Gideon about the chaos”.   So I did.   In retrospect, I can’t find how I got that message, but it was very clear to me this morning when I first pulled them exactly what they were saying.

DECK USED:  FANUNA’S TAROT

 

One Good Thing Begets Another

Today’s meditation was (probably) about ten minutes long.  It started out with the harp strings as normal and my piriformis stretches, but somewhere between the last position of my stretches and the end of the meditation, I seem to have dozed off and missed the last bell that signaled the end of my practice for the day.   I woke up a bit later with the harp chords silenced and my body still holding the last pose, so I couldn’t have been asleep too long, right?

Herbal Tarot - Saw Palmetto - King of CupsToday’s draw is King of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the areas of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.  This often displays itself in themes dealing with emotional stability and authority, a diplomatic and yet compassionate quality directed towards others.

What stood out most strongest to me in the imagery of today’s card was the saw palmetto… and all the water.   Saw Palmetto is not really a plant that I have a lot of experience with, and so I needed to do a bit of research on this one.

Serenoa repens (aka saw palmetto) is a form of fan palm that grows in subtropical regions and is very common throughout Florida (thus why I have very little experience with it). It is a “bolstering” herb used to create strength and support, which when combined with the theme of all that water is about bolstering one’s emotional well-being and creativity.  This is because water is a representation of emotions, intuition, and creative flow.

The message in today’s card is that I need to spend more time “flexing the muscles” of my emotions and my creativity.  They go hand-in-hand whether I want them to or not, and by exploring the first, the other has the chance to become stronger as well… if I let it.

DECK USED:  HERBAL TAROT

#TarotForGrowthJune Challenge Prompt
Question
: What is my current relationship with food?

Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot

Reading Summary:  Tossing out the traditional card meanings entirely on this one, because they don’t connect at all with what I see in the imagery here.

So many plans bot not a lot of doing going on (first card), instead I’m still cloistered with my loved ones (second card) and looking pretty damned happy about that broken cup that is representing my bad habits picked up during lock-down (third card).  There’s hope on the horizon, though.  You’ll get there… you just have to find the missing piece that will inspire you to hope to it (forth card).

Take Away:  This is about finding the spark… the enthusiasm and motivation to get my ass in gear concerning exercise and taking better care of my body (both in exercise as well as what I’m putting into it).  Thus, my relationship with food at the moment is that I know I should be doing better, but am pretty damned content with not behaving myself.  The Star card here and the missing puzzle piece at the bottom are telling me that it’s okay… I will find that spark of motivation when the time is right.

DECK USED:  PHANTASMAGORIC THEATER TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What inner injury from my childhood needs healing?

The Crystal TarotReading Summary: Mother in the center… Scarcity to the left… New vision to the right.

Queen of Wands – In this reading, this card is self explanatory in that I have often referred to my mother as the Queen of Wands. Depending on how you look at her and how she is feeling in the moment, she epitomizes the card and its interpretations no matter whether it is taken upright or reversed.

Five of Pentacles – The use of the stone here (Hemimorphite) shifts the meaning of this card away from the traditional meaning of hardship and into one of victimhood.  The card here indicates that there was a time when I felt that my mother revealing her true self to me created a sense of feeling victimized.

Ace of Swords – Although I had always been aware that my mother was ‘somewhat’ self-serving and selfish, it wasn’t until a few years ago after my father’s death that I realized just how deeply ingrained and pervasive this quality was in her life.

Take Away:  Although this wound was not from my childhood, it created a painful rift for my inner child, and damaged the trust I had in how I had perceived people and the world during my younger years.  This discordance is something I still struggle with, even as I learn to see and accept my mother’s truth while finding ways to still  incorporate her into my life.

DECK USED:  THE CRYSTAL TAROT

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: Draw a reminder card of something to be grateful for.

Sawyer's Path TarotReading Summary: Even when I try to overload myself too much (Ten of Wands)… some thing always steps in to make sure that I balance back out (Six of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I struggle with my personal expectations of what I should be able to do vs what I really am capable of.  I put too much on my plate again and again.  And yet, most of the time?  Just when I’m about to crash and burn, something happens to force me to drop my plate and rearrange it or set it aside and come back to it later.  Whether that be some sort of emergency, some unreasonable demand I can’t get out of brought about by my mother, a pandemic of global proportions…. there is always something that pops up and saves me from myself.  

DECK USED:  SAWYER’S PATH TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I improve my time spent?

Simply Deep Tarot

Reading Summary: Take control and direct my time spent towards my passions (King of Wands) instead of lollygagging (Five of Coins) and then bemoaning that there’s just not enough time to go around (Three of Swords).

Side note?  Just sayin’, but the King of Wands reminds me of those old 1980’s He-Man cartoons.

Take Away:  I think that we all do this sometimes, but there are times when I can just like waste away two or three hours pretty much doing a bunch of nothing.  I mean I’m reading info, looking up images, maybe browsing through social media or whatever… and suddenly?  Three hours are just gone. Poof! Just like that.

This reading is telling me that during these times, I would be better served to direct my time and energy toward those things that inspire me, rather than just fucking around doing a bunch of nothing then whining about where the time went after the fact.

DECK USED:  SIMPLY DEEP TAROT

 

You Are Not Alone

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was another of the harp strings meditations.  It was relaxing and comfortable, and time flowed quickly as if it had no meaning at all.  The shift in time during those ten minutes is really remarkable, and I have been tempted to bump the meditation up to twelve or fifteen.

Japaridze Tarot - Five of Tides - Five of CupsToday’s draw is the Five of Tides (Five of Cups) which is traditionally a representation of stress, struggles, tests, and trials in the areas of one’s relationships, emotions, or intuition.  This often communicates itself through themes involving grief (depicted very eloquently in this card’s image), as well as themes to do with one’s failures and regrets or pessimistic views.

Two elements stand out strongest to me in the imagery of this card today.  The first is the baby bump the woman is sporting. This speaks to me of temporary grief.  The emotions represented here are deep, as communicated by the deep cobalt color of the woman’s dress, but life will move on past this moment and moments of joy still exist in the future.

The second element is about the emblems on the three caskets closest to the bottom of the card.  To me, the moon represents pagan/esoteric religions, while the Star of David is a representation of Judaic religions, and the cross a representation of Christian religions.  The three of these speak to me of diversity.  They indicate that the emotions and experiences depicted in this card are universal.  They are something everyone experiences in their life at one point or another… and when in these experiences, you are not alone.

The message in today’s card is about weathering emotional storms with grace by looking forward beyond the moment for hope, and remembering that you are not alone.  Some of my readings this month have warned of some emotional turmoil over the next month, this reminder is one of hope and comfort.

DECK USED:  JAPARIDZE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJun2020 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this full moon?

Tarot of the Animal LordsReading Summary: There is a clear depiction of movement in these cards based on the colors.  On the left there is a darkness that as you progress to the right becomes brighter and more vibrant, speaking of moving away from the left and heading to the right.

Use your inner strength (Strength) to take control and move away from (The Chariot) inner turmoil (Three of Swords). Take comfort in your loved ones and those that you love and trust (Two of Cups).

Take Away:  The cards here indicate that my self care this month is going to require that I take steps to turn away from those things and situations that cause me inner turmoil.   This “turning away” from is going to require strength to accomplish, as well as a strong hand and careful control to keep myself on track on this other path.

This is about that “all work and no play” issue that I constantly have going on and the slip up into that mentality that I slid into over the past two weeks.  It’s time to get that back under control and my commitment to leaving room on my plate for the good things in life back on track.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE ANIMAL LORDS

#TheJuneTarot Challenge by Lionhart
Question
: How am I asked to honor myself during this full moon?

Tarot of a Moon Garden

Reading Summary: Enjoy what you have (Nine of Cups) and take a rest (Four of Swords)  It’s okay to disconnect for a bit as long as you don’t linger there too long (The Star Rx).

Take Away:  This advice isn’t so much about self care as it is about honoring myself, and the ways I am being asked (by the universe) to honor myself at this time. By taking some time to focus on my gratitude for all that I have and all that I’ve earned, combined with a bit of time disconnecting from my responsibilities while I rest and recover, I honor not just myself but all that I have accomplished up to this point.

I need to remember that life isn’t always about pushing forward constantly, but about enjoying what you have in the present.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF A MOON GARDEN

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What is my favorite memory?

Everyday Witch Tarot

Soon after I emancipated my from my parents, my mother took me out for a ride in her little red Corvette one day. She told me that if I ever needed anything that I should call her, and when I told her that father wouldn’t like that, her response was “what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him”.

At the time it made me feel very supported and loved and cared for.  Even though I would never have taken her up on the offer, just the fact that she offered made me feel as if I could take on the world.

I know now that that’s not how it was meant, and that she was just looking for an “in” so she could get her hooks into me and use me later. But, that doesn’t change the warm and supported feeling that lives within that memory even now.

DECK USED:  EVERYDAY WITCH TAROT