tarot as a motivational tool

It’s Okay To Need Help

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Today’s meditation was just under ten  minutes long and was a guided meditation from the Calm app combined with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The focus of today’s meditation was about speaking with kindness when one is irritated, instead of with abrasion and aggression.  Sometimes it can be hard to do that, and the advice in the meditation today was about tapping into your meditative mindfulness practice by taking a pause before speaking, and a deep breath.  Allowing yourself to calm a bit in that moment prior to opening up and speaking what’s on your mind.

In doing this, you’re able to approach the situation with a more level head, and usually end up with a far better outcome as a result.

Petrak Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Four of Discs, which is traditionally a representation of stability, strong foundations, conservation, and at times, miserly behavior or control issues when it comes to one’s finances or earthly pleasures.

Although I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking at in this image, what stands out to me here is that the discs in this image are providing a sort of structure, balance, and perhaps even support for the inner beam of energy that they encircle.  This makes stability and support, to me, the highlight of this card’s meaning in the sense of the imagery itself.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is that we all need support now and then.  That doesn’t mean that we are less than because we need that support.  Instead, it shows a different sort of strength to be able to accept the help and support offered by others, and a self awareness that you can’t do everything all on your own all the time.

DECK USED:  PETRAK TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: A message from my inner crone.

Patch Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure you’re enjoying life to the fullest (The Sun) by owning (as in taking ownership of) those things that light your fire (King of Disks) and following your intuition (The Priestess).

Take Away:  My inner crone wants me to know that life is short and I need to follow my instincts and intuition in the direction of enjoying life and living it to its fullest rather than constantly holding myself back and being so practical.  Not everything can be about stability, security, and comfort.

DECK USED:  PATCH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: Where do I need to seek more clarity in my life?

Petrak TarotReading Summary: The deep blues in the Four of Discs correlates with the dark blues in the Three of Swords Rx.  This connects these two cards and the Three of Wands is drug along from center to the left (the present and past) due to being positioned on top of the Three of Swords.

Thus the cards indicate that you need to redefine your perception (Three of Wands atop Three of Swords Rx) of stability (Four of Discs).

The Three of Wands also has a very strong color connection with the Fortune card, pulling the Three of Wands to the right side of the board (aka the future) as well.

This then speaks of the result of redefining your perception is that in your life journey (Three of Wands) you will have more room to account for the ups and downs in life (Fortune).

Take Away: My current perceptions of what stability means to me are caging me in and keeping me from being as flexible and adaptable as I could be.  If I open up my mind to look at stability from different angles, I will find that stability and security are more than what I have limited them to, and this will allow me to grow and adapt more easily.

DECK USED:  PETRAK TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took my fire extinguisher downstairs with me when I went to check on a neighbor whose fire alarm was going off for over ten minutes.  Turns out he got drunk and passed out with a pain on the stove.  Fortunately, enough pounding on the door roused him before he could succumb to smoke inhalation and there was no real damage done (other than to the pan).

Unrecognized Contributions

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Okay so, the blog is definitely not helping me in being accountable for my meditation practice, but my body apparently is very much up for the job.  I woke up in pain again this morning for the third day in the row and I know it’s because I have not been meditating, which means I’ve not been doing my piriformis stretches.  As a result, my hips and back are stiffening up and it’s becoming increasingly painful with each day that passes.  SO… tomorrow?  I am meditating.  I’m am going to get my ass back on track, because otherwise I’m going to have to pick up extra physiotherapy and chiro.

Linescape Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Eight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of hard work, mastering a skill, and can often indicate repetitive tasks or perfectionism.

I really like this card as I feel that it shows a different perspective than what we usually see in the Eight of Pentacles.  The imagery here is of a city built of skyscrapers, overlain with puzzle pieces.  This is representative to me of the massive amount of planning needed in building a city, and the expertise needed to make all of it fit together and work together well.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what we have here is a reminder that everyone has their unique skills.  It is when we work together that we create something truly great. The key word here is “together” and that includes you.  Without you, there is no “together” and the project or endeavor would lack what you personally bring to the table.  Don’t discount what you have to offer, and how valuable that is to the team and the endeavor as a whole.

DECK USED:  LINESCAPE TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: A message from my inner child. A message from my inner mother.

Twilight Rabbit Tarot

Inner Child – The Trickster atop King of Stone – Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you have everything under control.

Control is one of those things that I feel like I am constantly striving for, as it always feels as if with control comes stability and security. The reminder from my inner child is about how life is unpredictable even in the best of times and loves throw curve balls.

Inner Mother – Strength atop The Empress – True strength is more than determination and brawn (Strength), but requires nurturing and self-care as well.

It is not at all surprising to me that my Inner Mother would remind me about self-care. Sometimes self-care comes easily, but a lot of times I still feel a good amount of guilt for the time I take for self-care.  My inner dialogue tries to shame me into believing that it’s laziness instead of necessity, wasting time instead of caring for myself. My Inner Mother then speaks here to remind me that it is through self-care that strength is bolstered and given what is needed to flourish.

DECK USED:  TWILIGHT RABBIT TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is your personal superpower?

Linescape TarotReading Summary: Finding happiness and stability (Nine of Pentacles) when at home in nature (Four of Wands), and sorting the rest out later (Page of Swords).

Take Away: My superpower is being able to step out into the forest and letting the world fall away, finding my place and my peace among the trees and moss and letting my worries and ambitions go in order to truly sink into the comfort of the forest’s embrace.

In many ways, I am more at home lying in damp moss among nurse logs and towering evergreens than I am at home on my couch or stretched out in my own bed.

Finding these places and becoming one with them, spending time within them and allowing the essence of these places to sink in and purge the stress and worry of day to day life is my super power.

DECK USED:  LINESCAPE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I finished my motherfuckin’ taxes!!  I’m so goddamned happy.  Now I just need to meet with the accountant so he can do his part of things, and then pay the man.

Morning Bonus Read – The First Planting

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“In a couple weeks, it will be Beltane, the days we traditionally celebrate the first planting of the season. This week look to what you need to prepare to plant in your life.”

Art of the Patent Playing Cards Famous Patents EditionWhat goals or ideas should I prepare to cultivate this year?

Goals – Four of Hearts atop Jack of Hearts – More balance between my times of exhaustion and apathy, and my times of enthusiasm to go after my desires and dreams.

Ideas – Five of Hearts – Take a second look at the rejects in your idea book. You might just find hidden gold among those pages.

What special preparation should I give the soil of my life in order to better cultivate these?

Goals – Six of Hearts – The key here is in harmony, and in finding the things that stir your pleasure, inspire your desire and your dreams… and yet don’t send you over the edge into fevered exploration.

Ideas – Nine of Hearts – Gratitude is the key to preparing the soil of my life for what I might find among those notes in my idea book. Instead of judging everything with my head, I need to look over them with an open heart, and let wants override logic and practicality.  Although this isn’t always easy for me, focusing on personal pleasure and satiation will give me a different perspective.

What actions should I take to ensure a fertile year?

Eight of Spades – Pay attention to what is said by others and make sure to read between the lines. Not everyone is able to communicate plainly and clearly, but that doesn’t mean what’s said isn’t of value.  There will be times when your ability at reading between the lines will be imperative in order to bring this year to a fruitful end.

DECK USED:  ART OF THE PATENT PLAYING CARDS FAMOUS PATENTS EDITION

Balancing Act

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Today’s meditation was skipped again.  Clearly accountability is not coming in the form of these blog posts, although I am definitely going to have to get back on track with this one way or another.

Dreaming Cat Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support CardsToday’s draw is the Star card, which is traditionally about hope, positivity, and the inter-connectivity between ourselves, spirituality, and the world around us.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is that there’s a good deal of fun and curiosity going on in this image.  The cat plays in the water, pats at the flitting fish, splashes the shore in its eagerness as the star shines down upon her and the shore.  I’ve seen my own cat do this in the sink and bathtub many, many times and it’s always a pursuit filled with both curiosity and joy.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is a message about taking a bit of time to feel free and happy, no matter how much you need to get done or how serious the day might need to be as a whole.  If that time bumps something that needs done to the next day?  Be okay with that.  It’s okay.  You need that lightheartedness in your day to help balance things out and keep things healthy.

DECK USED:  DREAMING CAT TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

LionHart’s Sacred Self Divination Challenge Prompt
Question: How, or where, can the lessons of my past help me make choices that are best for me today?

Wild Wolf Tarot

 Reading Summary:  Own your choices and strive for stability (Alpha of Hunters), even when you’re wrapped up in the enthusiasm of learning new things (Pup of Leaders) and feeling like a kid in a candy store (Six of Caretakers).

Take Away:  My past instilled within me a deep seated need for stability in my home life and security. Even when I get wrapped up in the joy of discovery and learning new things, I always stay focused on where these things might lead and how they might help foster more stability and security.   The cards here are saying that it’s okay to let go.  The lessons I learned when I was young about needing to be ever vigilant to that security and stability?  They’re flawed.  I don’t need to keep an eye on it every moment of every day.  It’s okay to enjoy the enthusiasm for enthusiasm’s sake without planning everything to be profitable in some way down the road.

DECK USED:  WILD WOLF TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What would this new perspective look like when applied to my life?

Dreaming Cat TarotReading Summary: More time to teach (The Hierophant) and connect with others with a more heart centered focus (Two of Cups atop Queen of Wands Rx) instead of constantly pushing ever forward toward my goals (Knight of Pentacles Rx atop Ten of Pentacles).

Take Away:  The new perspective was about not acting on my ideas right away, but rather stepping back and writing things down, then delving in later so that I don’t overwhelm myself.

The result of doing this will allow me to have the time and opportunity to make deeper connections with others so that I’m not just helping people in finding their path, but truly bonding with them in the process.  In other words, less standing on the outside and more immersive interaction.

DECK USED:  DREAMING CAT TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I went to bed instead of forcing myself to stay up when I was exhausted.  I really wanted more time with Gideon, but I was so tired and really needed the sleep.

Strengthening Principles

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Today’s meditation was… well, I had every intention of meditating today, but that didn’t happen.  I really need to get back into doing this on a regular basis. Hell, even on a semi regular basis would be better than just skipping it all the time.  I’m not sure why I struggle with this but I need to try harder.

Lunaria Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support CardsToday’s draw is the Seven of Quills (Wands) which is traditionally a representation of standing one’s ground, standing up for what you believe in against all odds, and fighting for those things that are important to you.

Sometimes it’s not about the odds, but rather about one’s values and principles. There are hills you just have to stand, and possibly die on in life and it’s important to stand strong in these moments and be true to yourself.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is a reminder that standing up for your values and principles isn’t just about outside influences and external attacks. Sometimes it’s our own inner dialogues and judgements that attack what we know is right and try to whittle away at our principles.  Other times it’s peer pressure playing off our insecurities.   Either way, it’s important to remember that we have our values and our principles for a reason, and stay in touch with what they are and why they are what they are.

By keeping in touch with these things we strengthen them, and that strengthening then helps us when these core parts of who we are come under attack.

DECK USED:  LUNARIA TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: Cards to guide me towards total self love and acceptance.

Fine Line Tarot

Color Notes: Take the essence of the Queen of Pentacles and the Death card, and blend them together into the Page of Pentacles.

Reading Summary: By remembering to focus on fostering a nurturing and balanced attitude towards yourself and others (Queen of Pentacles) during times of change (Death), you will learn to accept yourself as you are and things as they come instead of always pushing so hard and judging yourself harshly (Page of Pentacles).

Take Away: So essentially I could have been handed Temperance and the Empress.  *Chuckles*  Well, not necessarily as it would have lost some of it’s nuance but still.   The answer here in how to lean into self love and acceptance is to be kinder to myself.  Kinder in how I view myself, how I judge myself, and how I treat myself… and practice more patience with myself.   These are not really things that I excel at

DECK USED:  FINE LINE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: In what aspect of life do you need a new perspective?

Lunaria TarotReading Summary: You need to learn when to let go and move on (Three of Quills) from a plan that isn’t working (Three of Pens). Take control not by trying to force the plan to continue to work, but I stepping away and moving on to something else (The Chariot).

Take Away: Don’t hold on so tight.  There’s other ways to use my determination, energy, and intent than by plowing down a road that isn’t going anywhere or isn’t working.

Instead of being single focused on the path I think is the only right one, look around and seize control to change direction instead.  There’s always a better way if you’re willing to just ease up and take a minute to find it.

DECK USED:  LUNARIA TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

Instead of going to bed after I finished my orders as I had at first planned, I’m catching up on blog posts.  This self kindness is in the fact that I feel so much less weight, and so much better, when I don’t have a pile of posts to get through because of having put off posting for a few days.

Morning Bonus Read – Heart Center Energy

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Heart Energy Center - Sidewalk Chalk Tarot de Marseille

My heart center energy right now.

King of Swords – Ruthless practicality. Logic rules all. Future focused. This has to do with the fact that you’re working on your taxes this week, which is an activity that (in your case) creates stress and an intellectually grounded business mentality. Everything is about work, about the business, about your aspirations for the business, and the direction that you want to take it in.  The focus on how things have gone over the past year and the planning and plotting on how to move forward from here is heavy on the mind and rules your existence this week.

Tension I’m currently holding in this area.

Five of Swords – You damn well want to come out on top, but it was a bit of a rough year (as it has been for many and you’re certainly not as bad off as some). Taking a look at how things have gone, how the business has fared over the past year, and how to move forward to stay on top and keep things flush and running well is a form of battle… tension and strategy reign as you worry over what the final figures will say, and stew over the next steps to keep the business not just afloat but thriving.

How I can release this tension.

Three of Swords atop Page of Wands – Shrug off the negative emotions that come with this process and view it as an adventure instead.  By tapping into your passion for the business and the creativity that it fosters within you, you can help yourself in shrugging off the fear and tension, worry and possibility of disappointment.  Instead, you need to look at what you haven’t done right or well as a lesson to help you and the business to flourish, rather than something that could drag everything down.

A way that I can be more accepting of love.

The World – Open up.  Remember that you don’t have to wait for things to be perfect to open up and let people in, or be more accepting and welcoming of love and kindness from others.  Many times our journeys are layered as we move through life, and you can very much start a new path while still upon another lesson’s path as well.  Start again and let yourself be more open and welcoming.  Those walls are much thinner than they used to be, but they’re still there.

How I can practice compassion.

Strength atop The High Priestess – Deliver your wisdom with tact and care, tailoring the message to the audience. Although you often give good advice and your intuition is reliably on the mark, your delivery could use a bit of work.

How I can improve self-love for myself.

Six of Cups – An echo of the answer to the accepting love question above, the Eight of Cups indicates a need to let go of what isn’t working and shrug it off, leave it behind, and find a new way of doing things that is better for you.  Focus on where you want to go with your emotional growth and give that weight in the direction you head in as you work at leaving behind old frustrations and bad habits.

DECK USED:  SIDEWALK CHALK TAROT DE MARSEILLE