tarot and psychology

Fondness… Not Melancholy

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and eleven seconds, and focused on how sound can enhance one’s meditation practice.  It wasn’t in reference to music or chimes, but instead was concerning the organic sounds around you during a meditation such as traffic noise outside, the sound of rain, or footsteps, or hum of others in another room, etc.

In my case, I do not usually have much as far as intrusive sounds.  Although I live in a busy city, live on the far back corner of a building.  This means that most traffic noises, train noises, and other disturbances are muffled by the time they reach my home.  My home is also very quiet.  Because of my ‘crossed wires’ with the synesthesia, I often prefer my home to be silent in order to assist in avoiding sensory overload.  In fact, I often come home after being out with a huge sense of relief as I walk through the door because I know it will be quiet and I am in a place where I can control my environment and sensory input.

OOps, I digress.  Sorry. Noise in meditation…

For me, with the air conditioner turned off and no one home but myself, the only sound my ears could pick up on was my own breathing and just, very faintly, the muffled sound of traffic in the distance.   That sound is something I would describe as a very quiet “whoosh” type of sound with an emphasis on the ‘os’ and the space between those two letters in its pronunciation.  (Probably didn’t make much sense, but there you have it.)

I did not find this sound distracting or disturbing, so I’m not sure that the practice of “accepting sounds into your practice” really applied much for my meditation today.  It was a very relaxing meditation, though, without a lot of intrusive thoughts bouncing around trying to get my attention.

 It’s a new month starting today, and so the Student Tarot v5 has been tucked away and a new deck has been chosen… or rather, two decks have been chosen. The first deck (today’s deck) that I chose I felt was a little too modern and metro for an every day draw for me, especially since I only switch out decks every month for the daily draws, so I chose a second more earthy deck to alternate with (which you’ll see tomorrow).

Today’s draw is the Six of Cups, or what is known in this deck as the “Nostalgia” card. Nostalgia is a good keyword for this card, as in the RWS system the Six of Cups is a representation of innocence, memories, reminiscing, and a sense of playfulness and joy in the area of emotions, relationships, intuition, imagination, and creativity.

For me, this card had a completely visceral reaction.  I didn’t even notice the key word at first, because…. look at that bakery.  Look at that old lady smooshed up against the glass going “oh those look so good. I remember those.”

That’s me.  I’m the old lady.

I’ve really struggled with the dietary restrictions that have come up over the past couple of years.  I need a certain enthusiasm for food in order to keep on weight, and I’m already a good distance below the weight I -should- be maintaining.  Without all that wonderful “crap food” that I used to savor and enjoy so much (but which now will raise my cholesterol too high), keeping my weight up has become a constant struggle.   I miss PopTarts and cupcakes, cookies and Cheetos, Capt’n Crunch and Cocoa Puffs, and french fries…. god I miss french fries SO much.  I miss being able to eat what I want…. ALL that I want, when I want.

The Six of Cups in today’s reading is a reminder that it’s okay to remember these things and how good they were, but don’t let it drag me down.  See all those hearts around that old lady’s head?   Exactly.    Fondness… not melancholy.

Deck Used: The Visions of Life Tarot

Write It Down!

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty seconds, and focused on the frenetic energy we ride within ourselves on the day to day, and how important it is to be aware when we are on that particular “ride” so that we can take a step back and hope off now and then.

I liked the title of the theme, which was “City Energy”, as I think that fits really well.   When we are in a hurry or even just going about our day to day, sometimes we are connected with an energy that is very much like a busy city.  There’s so much going on in our minds that it sets us on a path of higher adrenaline, and thus we react with physical strain (increased heart rate and breathing, higher blood pressure, etc) and the eventual fatigue both mentally and physically that can be the result.

Today’s meditation was an encouragement to pay attention to these times and, when they occur, take a moment to slow down and breathe, and settle yourself before moving forward.  This frenetic energy may -make- you feel as if you are getting things done at a faster pace or accomplishing more, but in truth it usually isn’t.   By calming yourself, a lot of times it gives you the focus needed to move along at a quicker and more thorough pace without the adverse mental and physical effects.

Two of Pentacles Today’s draw is my old friend, the Two of Pentacles, which is a representation of balance, duality, cooperation, partnerships, and division in the area of finances, resources, and the physical world.

I want to pause here to explain what I mean by “the physical world”, as this card is not just about money or resources.  This card touches on areas pertaining to the earth (both as an element and the planet), and also upon areas such as hearth and home, as well as the manifestation of things brought into the world such as ideas being brought forward into reality.

I think that’s an important distinction to make in today’s draw because today’s card is more about manifestation than money or resources.

Today’s appearance of the Two of Pentacles is a reminder to WRITE SHIT DOWN!! Ideas need to be written down, otherwise the clutter up the mind and never get done.  When they are written down, they then become something tangible that can be worked with and juggled rather than something lingering in the brain, flitting in and out, but never quite making it to the point of manifestation.

I have not been writing ideas down of late, and… yeah.   This is my reminder to stop cluttering up my brain and write it all down already!

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5

 

Taking a Breather is Okay

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty eight seconds long, and focused on how it is human nature to cast judgement, but that when we do so, it is important to look at how we came up with our assumptions and consider if those assumptions aren’t based off of something within ourselves rather than from whatever first impressions we are getting from others.

It was a good topic, although it neglected the aspect of instinct and intuition, which made it a bit incomplete as a discussion on the subject.   That said, if those aspects has been included, the meditation would have been quite a bit longer, and I know that for these daily guided meditations, they usually try to stick to a ten to fifteen minute window.

Today’s draw is the Four of Swords, which is a representation of rest, stability, restoration, contemplation, and recovery in the areas of the mind, thoughts, logic, communication, and instincts.

For a few weeks in July, I had been skipping my naps during the day, and I felt that by doing so I was getting a lot more done and being more productive.   But, over the past week or so, I’ve found that I’m really starting to drag in the late afternoons.

This card is a reminder that it’s okay to rest when I need to so that I can better bounce back and handle my responsibilities and interests with more energy and creativity.  Instead of lying down for a few minutes and using my phone, I need to start laying down for a few minutes and actually sleep.   For, as much as I want to be filled with boundless and infinite amounts of energy, the truth is that rest is an important part of progress.

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5

 

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

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220px-Fractal_treeToday’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on how one’s life and meditation practice is like a fractal.   I… didn’t really get it, to be honest.  I mean, I know what a fractal is.  Essentially it’s when you have a specific design/shape that is created out of identical shapes (see example picture).

My problem lies in how this applies to the relationship between meditation and daily life?  She did some explaining, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

That said… I very much enjoyed the meditation’s method on focusing on the breath today, which was a step by step process of noticing where in the body you feel the breath, from nostrils to belly, and then as a whole throughout.

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is a representation of harmony, cooperation, abundance, charity, and a cyclical balance of give and take in the area of finances, resources, and the material world.

Sometimes we are all on the giving end, and sometimes we all need to be on the receiving end, but in our journey through life this is truly more of a cycle.  Even the most wealthy sometimes need a helping hand, and even the poorest of the poor are able to give of themselves to others in need.

This card’s appearance today is a reminder to me that it’s okay to ask for help.  Sometimes I forget, and will struggle under the weight of trying to do everything myself and work it all out on my own.   That is a completely unrealistic mindset, and yet I return to it again and again.

Some of the aspects of my life that I find this most prevalent are in my business, in my self care, in my finances, and in my resources (such as my grocery/food supplies specifically).  It’s good (and in fact, important) to remember that there are venues out there to assist me in some of these areas when I struggle with them.

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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So, I’m thinking maybe I need a little bit of accountability on my Self Care Saturday spread.  For the next month, I’m going to try adding it here, as although I’m doing the spread and reading it in the moment, I find that my motivation to write it down seems to be a bit lacking.   I’m hoping that by adding it here that possibly I will be able to get myself motivated into writing it down rather than just reading the spread in the moment and moving on.

These readings are (not usually) bearing down onto any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook.  This is a self care exercise, and not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?  (Boring, I know, but helpful in pointing out where I might not realize I am neglecting or not realizing needs my attention.)

Body – Page of Wands – Be sure to approach caring for your body’s needs this week with a spirited and youthful mindset that is open to learning new methods and taking in new ideas.

Mind – Knight of Swords & The Death Card – Being aggressive in one’s thoughts and their expression will lead to endings and change that has perhaps been building for some time.

Emotions – Seven of Wands – Be willing to take some risks with your feelings and emotions.  Just be sure (and careful) of what comes out of your mouth and take the repercussions of speaking your mind into account first (see Mind).

Inner Spark – Two of Cups – One on one collaborations will feed the soul this week and keep the inner spark kindled and burning bright.

Moving Away From – Sedum / Discomfort – Testing limits and learning tolerance.  Last week I had a bit of an issue with tolerance where the helper was concerned.  Working through that may show to have created lasting change in how I see things and set in place good (new) methods to use again in the future.

Heading Towards – Cardinal / Authenticity & Aloe / Restore – By embracing my unique qualities and characteristics, I will be able to both foster my own store of energies, be refreshed from within, as well as better seated within my own skin.

Decks Used: Luminous Void Tarot, Flora Healing Cards

 

From Resentment to Gratitude

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and seventeen seconds, and was a simple body scan that started at the crown of the head and moved slowly through each body part, as well as the chakra associations involved with the center line of the body.

I often find that these types of meditations make it much easier for me to stay focused rather than catching myself in a constant tug of war between focusing on the breath and my mind beginning to wander.

All in all, I found the meditation very relaxing, although I’ve noticed that on a physical level I’ve been having some problems with my left hip just recently.  I’ll have to discuss it with physio/chiro doc when I go in next Tuesday.  It’s not the right side, so there’s no pins or rods or anything to worry about, but there’s definitely something going on on that side.

Today’s draw is the Three of Wands, which is a representation of growth, small gains and emerging progress, group efforts, and the realization of successes in the area of one’s passion, drive, and ambitions.

This card has shown up today to remind me to be nice, and grateful, for the help I have.  Specifically, in my business.   It is no accident that this card has appeared on the same day that my helper has come back from a week away.

As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve felt a little resentment lately about her presence in my home.  I don’t think that this has anything at all to do with her, but rather with the fact that I needed a little alone time and just wasn’t getting any.   Between L and J always being around, and the helper coming, and the housekeeper visits, I wasn’t really getting the alone time I need in order to stay balanced.

I realized this last night, and that along with seeking a more mindful and grateful mindset where she is concerned seems to have really helped.  I even taught her a new skill today.  Something that she can work on at home now and then when her school schedule is too strained to make it out this way as often as I’d like, or our schedules just won’t match up.    It meant sending some supplies home with her, but I’m okay with that in this case.

So there you have it.  Better use of that area of ‘group efforts’ and a more mindful, grateful attitude about her presence.

I love you.

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5