tarot as a motivational tool

Healing Wounds of the Past

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Local Honey Picture Box Oracle and Soul Creatures OracleToday’s draw is the Triggers As Arrows card combined with the affirmation “I possess an inner radiance that illuminates the darkest corners of my soul.”

“Injuries need care, not contempt.” – Local Honey Picture Box Guidebook

Our triggers point to trauma that is ripe for healing. Today’s cards encourage us not to use triggers as weapons against the self to demean and discourage, but rather as a way to discover what past traumas need some extra attention and love directed their way.

It is only when we are willing to acknowledge and work on our trauma and the lingering wounds of our past that we are then in a place where we can heal them and move past them.

DECK USED:  LOCAL HONEY PICTURE BOX ORACLE AND SOUL CREATURES ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2023 Challenge
Prompt for September 1st : Do Spread 1

Autumn Tarot Reading with the Heartwood Tarot

Wolf – How can I bolster my strength and bravery for hurdles yet to come?

Six of Wands atop the Star –  Remember that not everything has to be a battle. Sometimes it’s okay to just take things on faith and let the chips fall as they may. Aggression is not always the answer. Try leaning into hope and positivity instead.

Owl – How can I learn to better trust my perception of the world and other people?

The Fool – Allow yourself to take a chance every once in a while and trust the universe to keep you safe. This isn’t about diving into risk taking behavior, mind you, but that having your guard up and being cautious all the time blocks you from developing a greater trust of others and the world around you.

Stag – Where in my life can greater dignity create a stronger sense of integrity?

Judgement – Dignity and integrity go hand-in-hand in developing into the kind of person you want to eventually become. It’s about personal growth, self development, and being a better person than you are today when tomorrow arrives.

Eagle – Why does good and successful leadership also require a modicum of grace?

Six of Pentacles – Being a leader requires influencing people, and people respond better to generosity and grace in others than they do to the lack of these qualities.

Salmon – In what direction have I been moving by instinct without realizing it?

Page of Swords – You are paying closer attention to the words and advice of others than you realize. This gathered knowledge will stick with you when you need it. Music is the key to unlocking these memories later on.

Wild Goose – How have my past relationships and friendships taught me to be a better person?

Nine of Wands – Your past relationships have helped you in better understanding what is important and what isn’t in your current relationships and friendships, shining a light on those willing to stand with you and stick around… and also revealing to you those who aren’t.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Deodar Cedar Impression for Clarity and Spiritual Connection
Clear Quartz for Amplifying Energy
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: HEARTWOOD TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I got myself ice cream on my way home after having a late lunch with my aunt this afternoon.

Emotional Tools

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Peculiar Pathways Tarot's King of Cups and and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the King of Cups combined with the affirmation “You are both strong and smart enough to handle everything you’ve got going on today.”

The cards for today are a reminder that you have grown and develop more skills and tools to help you emotionally than you think that you have. You may often feel like a novice, and maybe compared to others you still are, but you are leaps and bounds beyond where you started.

You simply need to remember to use these new skills and abilities that you have developed, rather than falling back on old unhealthy habits of the past.

DECK USED: PECULIAR PATHWAYS TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Challenge Prompt
Prompt for August 31 : Grab a spread of your choice that you’ve been curious about… and give it a go!

Bring Out the Lion Tarot Reading with the Peculiar Pathways Tarot and Flow Ogham Oracle

What area of my life is calling for a bold and rebellious approach?

Six of Coins and Muin – Be vocal about what you need, and be firm in expressing what you are willing to offer. This card is as much about give and take as it is about boundaries. Make both your needs and boundaries clear, sharing with others what you are able to give as well as what you need from them in turn.

How can I answer or honor that call?

Six of Cups and Coll – Pay attention to the tools others are using to bend your boundaries out of shape. Your past is often being used against you, and it’s only through watching closely and awareness that you’ll be able to see when and where that is happening. Awareness of this cycle can help you in breaking it.

What aspect of my comfort zone is holding me back?

The Fool Rx and The Circle – It is not within your comfort zone to act foolish, be silly, or pursue happiness. This reluctance is holding you back from the things that you need most right now. (Such as getting out in nature to frolic in liminal spaces.)

How can I step out of my comfort zone to explore new paths?

Queen of Swords and Úr – Lean into the transitions taking place with you right now. The shift of energy is positive and needed. Don’t just take time to savor it and enjoy it, but look beyond that to the practical as well, and use these changes to your advantage.

DECK USED: PECULIAR PATHWAYS TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I had some extra cuddle time with Miss Luna today. Yesterday was such a stressful day that I felt I really needed the extra rest, and allowed myself to have it.

Necessary Growth Spurts

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the Calm app.

The topic for today’s session was an exercise to help in counteracting that negative voice in our heads that is always there to whisper self doubts and tear us down.  It involved picking a simple supportive phrase that makes you feel safe and cared for.  I used the phrase “I love you” which, over the ten minutes of the meditation, morphed into “It’s okay. I love you.”

Honestly?  I don’t usually like affirmation based meditations. That said, today’s was very comforting and I really enjoyed it.  It helped untie a few knots of tension I didn’t realize I was holding onto.

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The Little Tarot and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Turmoil card combined with the affirmation “With every challenge you meet, you gain experience; every day you are leveling up.”

Hurdles, obstacles, and challenges on our path are not there to break us down. They are opportunities for needed growth. Needed growth is growth that we may not always feel that we are ready for or necessarily want to experience, but that is needed for us to move forward in life.

The message in today’s cards is a reminder that struggles are a form of self improvement. It is the universe providing us with the added knowledge, strength, and tools we will need to continue on. It’s not life being unfair to us, but rather these challenges are a gift… even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.

DECK USED: THE LITTLE ORACLE AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Questions for August 29th and 30th

Earth Alchemy Oracle and The Little OracleWhere do I need to foster more joy and happiness in life?

Azurite and Orchid; Stability – You could do with instilling a bit more of a more lighthearted tone into things when you connect with your intuition and share what it has to say with others. It doesn’t have to be so dogmatic and serious all the time, which is a rut you have fallen into a bit lately. Instead, play with your cards more, play games with your intuition, and instill a bit more frivolity into your practice.

How can I encourage that joy to flourish in my future?

Mushroom Magic; Departure – Experiment and explore. There’s plenty of fun to be had when you choose to step outside your comfort zone. Be unconventional.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Amethyst for Spiritual Growth
Citrine for Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: EARTH ALCHEMY ORACLE AND THE LITTLE ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I ate so much that I made my stomach upset.  I know this doesn’t sound like a self-kindness… but the food was really good.

Finding the Positive for August 27 and 29

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Rustic Fortune Tarot and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanAugust 27

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions in the Calm app.

The session for today was on the topic of emotional dependence, and how when we grasp onto something too tightly, sometimes it can cause what we are so desperately trying to hold onto to smother and die. The session talked about how trust helps us to keep from tightening our grip too much, and how this is why trust in one’s relationships with others is so important.

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Today’s card is the UFO Area card combined with the affirmation “You don’t have to maximize the potential of every day. Some days are just about getting through.”

Belief is a choice. This card makes me think of the movie Independence Day (1996). People assuming that aliens come in peace and racing up to rooftops to celebrate and welcome them, only to have the space ship open up and the aliens to kill them all in a single blast.

People… actions speak louder than words. Those two fingers that little green man is holding up don’t necessarily mean “we come in peace”. Maybe he’s ordering take-out a la “two humans to go, please”.  You don’t know. You can believe anything you -want- to believe, but it won’t change the truth, and the truth is? Actions always speak louder than words.

Sometimes, we forget that, yeah?  And when we do?  We usually end up getting hurt.

The cards for today are a reminder that it’s okay to step away sometimes when that hurt or sense of betrayal nips you in the ass. We all experience it now and then, and it’s okay to need to take some time now and then to lick your wounds, pull yourself back together, and then (eventually) work toward getting back on the horse again.

DECK USED: RUSTIC FORTUNE TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

August 29

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Sunflower Field Tarot and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s card is the Nine of Swords combined with the affirmation “Don’t focus on success or failure; just focus on effort. Focus on trying.”

I like this affirmation much better than the “do your best” one from the 28th.  Just sayin’.

Fear can make you balk when it matters most to just put in a little effort. So many tasks often feel so much bigger and more intimidating than they actually are  when our anxieties conflate them to the point that they seem impossible to accomplish.

It’s important to remember during these times when our confidence flags that the massive size of what we’re looking at is all conjecture and perspective. It’s a lie whispered by fear. If you step forward and try anyway, that fear will recede, and in most cases you will then be able to see that the hurdle you’d been dreading really wasn’t insurmountable after all.

DECK USED: SUNFLOWER FIELD TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

What’s Actually Enough?

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Reitekina Tarot's The Tower card and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Tower card combined with the affirmation “Just do your best. It will be enough.”

I have mentioned issues with the “do your best” affirmations in the past, and I can assure you that my feelings have not changed on this matter. Although, I *did* see a comment the other day that puts things in a slightly different perspective… or maybe not.

It said that if you only have 40% of your normal energy to give, then at that that time if you are giving that 40% in effort? You’re giving 100%.

I’m not sure if that works with “doing your best” though, as “your best” implies an overall track record than an in the moment capability in my opinion.

Alright, so, tangent aside. My “best” usually amounts to overextending myself to the brink of overwhelm and burn out, which is where The Tower card comes into the equation in today’s cards. It says that if you push into hard, there could be catastrophic consequences as a result. Thus, the message for today is that it’s okay to not pour your best into every single thing you do. Sometimes less than your best is absolutely enough.

DECK USED: REITEKINA TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for August 28th : Does luck (good or bad) actually exist?

Photo-Aug-28-2024,-1-24-29-PMSummary: It’s a game of balance (Two of Pentacles) that has nothing to do with you (Four of Cups) other than how you react to it (Ace of Wands Rx).

Take Away: Good luck and bad luck exist because that’s how we perceive the universe keeping everything in balance around us and in our lives.

It’s not really an intentional act upon us any more than sunlight bouncing off a wall to shine in our eyes is an intentional act upon us to force us awake.  The perception of taking offense (or boon) from these pendulum like swings of balance is our own perception, but not necessarily based in the reality of what’s actually happening.

That doesn’t mean that the back and forth swing isn’t happening, though.  Just that we are taking it far more personally than it actually is.

Other elements included in this reading:
Freshly Gathered Basil for Spiritual Clarity
Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE RAVEN’S DREAM TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I spent a bit of time dawdling in bed with Miss Luna earlier today, just enjoying the feel of relaxing and watching the leaves on the oak tree outside rustle in the breeze.

How We Grow

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Steampunk Faeries Tarot and It’s Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Ace of Wands combined with the affirmation “Just a gentle reminder – feeling stressed out ≠ being incapable. Anxiety lies about what you can handle.”

Today’s cards are a reminder that sometimes the things that you are most passionate about will not come easily to you. They’ll require hard work and stress and maybe even a bit of overwhelm and burn out to accomplish…. and that’s okay.

Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not meant to be yours. It means that in working toward these things, you are leveling up in your skills and abilities.  Learning new things, exploring new talents yet to be honed and developed, and obtaining new skills. Not everything in life is meant to come easily… and that’s how we grow.

DECK USED: STEAMPUNK FAERIES TAROT AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2023 Challenge Prompt
Question for August 24th, 26th, and 27th

Steampunk Faeries Tarot - Wheel of Fortune, Justice, Four of Wands, TemperanceWhere in life do I need to be serious and buckle down?

Temperance – Keep your theme of financial moderation going. One of the ways that you chase your dopamine fix is through spending money on the things that you enjoy. It’s hard to not give into impulses, but you’re actually getting somewhere with that moderation you started in the spring. Keep it going for a while longer and reap the benefits that will come as a result.

As an adult, where do I take myself too seriously?

Wheel of Fortune – You don’t need to brace yourself every time there’s a shift or change in your life. Change is not always the end of the world, but often can be something uplifting that provides opportunity for better. So stop taking each change that comes your way so seriously and work at going with the flow instead.

How can I ease up in this area where I take myself too seriously?

Justice atop Four of Wands – Take care that you aren’t “cutting off your nose to spite your face”. When changes happen, look beyond your initial reaction of what might make you feel safe and warm, and see what’s beyond the first step to what’s coming after as a result of your actions if you go down that path.

DECK USED: STEAMPUNK FAERIES TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

This post is a catch-up post, and I’m not entirely sure what my self kindness was for the day.