tarot for self care

🌑 New Moon in Taurus – May 2026

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Tomorrow is the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is courtesy of @wildwomansisterhoodofficial

New Moon in Taurus Tarot Reading with the Shadowscapes Tarot

What in my life no longer feels aligned with who I am becoming?

Queen of Pentacles – You are burnt out on caring for others and their needs. The elder care that became a part of your life a few years ago has bloomed into something more than you are able to handle. As a result, you’re feeling particularly burnt out in this area. This means that sometimes you just don’t care as much as you feel like you should.

Where am I being asked to slow down and trust the unfolding?

Ten of Swords – You have a tendency to try and push through unpleasant experiences in an effort to reach the end and something better on the other side. Instead, sometimes it’s important to linger in those experiences, rather than trying to plow through them, in order to discover and better understand what they have to offer you.

What would it feel like to stop forcing and begin listening?

Three of Cups – More celebration and less seriousness. More connection and community, less solitude.

If you were to stop forcing everything and turn your focus to listening instead, you would be able to connect more fully and closely with those around you, and find more joy in those connections.

What kind of life would truly nourish my body, mind, and soul?

Temperance – The kind of life where you allow yourself to slow down and savor, instead of always pushing for more than you currently have. Although you’ve been working on this for some time now, you still have a long way to go and still spend quite a bit of time chafing instead of savoring the moment.

What seeds am I planting now that I hope will bloom in the seasons ahead?

Knight of Cups atop Knight of Pentacles – You are learning how to enjoy life more by connecting with and understanding your emotions and how they influence your reactions. You understand that this is a slow process, but continue to seek out this understanding of your emotions, and with it, a better understanding of your wants and desires.

New Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Nine of Swords – Take care not to allow your worries and fears to rule you. When you give them free reign, the gather speed and force much like air currents can compound upon each other, causing a breeze to turn into a windstorm. Don’t give these fears the air to breathe, and they won’t be allowed to grow into something formidable to deal with.

Other elements included in this reading:
Goat Figure as Sympathetic Representation of Amalthea

DECK USED: SHADOWSCAPES TAROT

Finding the Positive for May 12 – 14

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Vanessa Tarot in a Tin's Ten of Pentacles, Whispers of Dreamcatching Tarot's Temperance card, Tarot of the Kingdoms' High Priestess card

May 12 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
So Below Prompt for May 12th : Creation
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction and stability in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical world. This often translates into themes that have to do with hard earned success, accomplishments, abundance created through patience and hard work.

Just because you succeeded at something doesn’t mean that there won’t be more opportunities to come. It just means that you have bolstered your confidence for the next step in your journey.

Sometimes that next step is starting over, while other times that next step is leveling up in those things that you’ve already been working on. In either case, just like we don’t want to linger in the stagnancy of failure… we don’t wanna linger so long that success also becomes stagnant and stale.

The message in today’s Ten of Pentacles and the “creation” prompt is a reminder that even when we are at the end of a successful journey, there’s still more to come that we need to stay open to. It’s great to enjoy your successes, celebrate them, and share them with others. Just don’t use them as an excuse to shut down your awareness of other opportunities still to come or the willingness to pursue them.

DECK USED: VANESSA TAROT IN A TIN

May 13 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
As Within Prompt for May 13th : Introspection
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Temperance card, which is traditionally a representation of moderation, balance, slowing down, practicing patience, and can at times represent a connection between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The Four of Pentacles really caught my attention in this deck, to the point that I was surprised that it didn’t pop out as the card for today until I realized that… it kinda did.

To explain, we have to look at my dragon-esque tendencies, especially when it comes to my deck collection. I mean, look at that smirk in the Four of Pentacle’s illustration. That’s me with my decks. That smirk inspired my introspection of the day, even before I knew it was today’s prompt.

The thing is, even if I don’t particularly like a deck? Once it’s in my collection it may stay there indefinitely regardless… and that’s a problem.

This is where the Temperance card steps in. The Temperance card speaks of moderation, which is (obviously) not my strong suit. It’s still needed, though, even if it’s not particularly easy for me to practice.

The message in today’s Temperance card and the “introspection” prompt is an encouragement to look at those things where moderation is difficult for you, and consider why that’s the case and what you can do to help foster the moderation that is not enjoyed but is needed.

In my case, I think perhaps it’s time to do a cull on my collection. Why hold onto the decks I don’t enjoy, after all? (Other than those that were added to the collection specifically to work with specific clients, at any rate.)

DECK USED: WHISPERS OF DREAMCATCHING TAROT

May 14 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
As Within Prompt for May 14th : Depth
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the High Priestess card, which is traditionally a representation of intuition, secrets, sacred knowledge, mystery, the subconscious mind.

Look deeper.

In my opinion, that’s what the High Priestess card is almost always about in one way or another. It’s about looking deeper. Deep deeper within ourselves, deeper within others, and deeper within the universe at large. It’s about seeking out the secret knowledge that hides beneath what is readily and easily available to us.

This card encourages us to take the “deep dive” needed to explore the subconscious and the secrets that reside there. To get to know ourselves better, and in doing so, understand others and the world around us better as well.

The message in today’s High Priestess card and the “depth” prompt is an encouragement to be curious and open to exploration. Secrets and hidden knowledge awaits you, but only if you’re willing to dive in, do the work, and delve into the depths to find the information you seek. It’s not going to be handed to you on a platter, even if it’s already within you waiting to be discovered. Inner knowing and wisdom take time and effort, curiosity and exploration. Dip in and let your curiosity flourish.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE KINGDOMS (trimmed naked)

Choosing Authenticity

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
So Below Prompt for May 11th : Rhythm
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Bohemian Cats Theatre Tarot - The Fool

Today’s draw is The Fool card, which is traditionally a representation of innocence, carelessness, carefree enthusiasm, and new beginnings.

I have a tendency to do my own thing, write my own rules, and March to the beat of my own drum. This means that I’m often out of sync with the people around me, because they expect me to act, react, or respond in certain ways. Often oblivious to these expectations, I respond naturally, and they are set off kilter.

When I’m not oblivious to these expectations, sometimes I try to adapt my actions, reactions, or responses to meet them. In these moments, I always feel out of sync with myself, though. It’s uncomfortable and disingenuous, and I don’t like how it feels.

The message in today’s Fool card and the “rhythm” prompt is a reminder that we all have our own drum and our own rhythm to dance to. We don’t have to lead our lives trying to fulfill other people’s expectations of us… and the discomfort that we feel in doing so is because we are being disingenuous to ourselves. Today’s message encourages us to keep this in mind, and to worry less about meeting others expectations, and more about being true to ourselves instead.

DECK USED:  THE BOHEMIAN CATS THEATRE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2026 Challenge
Prompt for May 11th and 12th

Tarot Reading with the Tarocchi Fini Montecchi Anima Antiqua and Hedgewitch Oracle

In what ways are you unhappy with who you are now?

Elderberry and Hare; Knight of Pentacles atop The Devil

You worry about how many of your bad habits and addictions, as well as your addictive personality as a whole, developed from the negative experiences of your youth.

After all, everything that you are now is a product of your past, your experiences, and the growth you have accomplished throughout your life. What you’re unhappy about is in regards to those places where you don’t seem to have grown at all, or where an unhealthy trait has grown in a place that could’ve been fertile soil for something healthier.

This is especially true when it comes to that addictive personality that you work so hard to mitigate in your day-to-day life.

How can you improve upon the person you are now?

Yarrow and Beaver; Three of Cups atop King of Wands

Remember that you can allow emotion to be a part of your healing journey as well as a part of your “leadership model” when dealing with others.

By allowing others in your life to come with you on your journey, you welcome healing of the wounds that people in your past have created within you.

This is because having these people along with you in the present helps to repair the damage from your past, and in the process also helps you to grow into a better person.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Gneiss Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Aragonite for Truth and Understanding
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: TAROCCHI FINI MONTECCHI ANIMA ANTIQUA AND HEDGEWITCH ORACLE

@ambitiouslyalexa May Journal Prompts
Prompt for May 13th : What I’m not giving myself enough credit for

Tarot Reading with The Bohemian Cats Theatre Tarot

Reading Summary: Learning and adapting (Page of Swords) as the world falls apart (The Tower) and you don’t really want to give a shit about any of it (Four of Cups).

Take Away: Although it’s not true apathy, you have a tendency to try to appear as unaffected as possible when things start to fall apart. You don’t want people to know you’re struggling, let alone how much you’re struggling.

The truth is, though, that even when you hide your struggles, they’re still real and they’re still there. Through it all you continue to fight to learn and adapt and keep going… usually alone because you don’t want to show that you’re struggling in the first place.

This resilience and persistence is something you rarely acknowledge or give yourself credit for, and yet it’s a backbone of strength that you lean into again and again.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Red Oak Leaf for Fostering Unconditional Love
Gneiss Wishing Stone for Patience in Moments of Discomfort
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE BOHEMIAN CATS THEATRE TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I caught myself up on orders today. It wasn’t really what I wanted to do with my day, but it needed done and instead of procrastinating, I got my ass in gear and did it.

Seeking Validation

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Today’s meditation was skipped

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
So Below Prompt for May 10th : Nourish
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Winding Tarot - Six of Wands

Today’s draw is the Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of public accolades, societal expectations, people pleasing, and peer pressure.

It’s okay to enjoy praise and admiration from others, as long as it does not become your soul focus for validation.

This is the struggle that comes with people pleasing, and my opinion. You want to please others, you want to feel that validation of their being pleased, but how much are you willing to sacrifice for it?

I think that’s where the line lies between healthy acceptance of admiration and praise, and the unhealthy need for it.

The message in today’s Six of Wands and the “nourish” card is a reminder that we need to find validation in other ways than just through others. We need to be able to nourish and nurture ourselves, instead of depending upon others to always fill that need. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of leaning more and more heavily on others for validation; today’s message reminds us that it’s extremely important to also validate ourselves instead of leaving it up to others alone.

DECK USED:  THE WINDING (TAROT)

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 5 | Entry 8 – Health and Body
Affirmation : “I release stressful situations I cannot control.”
Prompt : When you think about what stresses you out mentally or physically, what energy does the card you draw offered for you to tap in to when you are starting to feel overwhelmed?

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - Sea and Sky Tarot - Death card

What feelings came up when I pulled this card?

One of the things that stresses me out the most recently is the amount of clutter I have in my home. It’s always there, piled up here and there.

Yes, I know where everything is, and yes, a good portion of why it’s like this is because I’m running a business out of my home… a home that is not quite large enough to handle the amount of work I’m doing here. That doesn’t change the fact that it looks like a mess.

When I pulled this card, there was a feeling of hopelessness in seeing it and the image upon it, for it feels like a warning that if I don’t get this in hand, it’s going to inevitably come tumbling down on top of me.

What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?

Inevitability is a huge part of the Death card. There is no other thing in life that is absolutely guaranteed to happen in the future than the fact that sooner or later we die. It can happen in all different ways and at all different times, but we’re all guaranteed to experience it eventually.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

The towering “death goddess” looming over the woman below with her sword and shield. The dragon that looks like it might be in mid-fall from the skies.

This figure may fight the good fight, but one way or the other she’s going to be crushed. She may be taking into her own hands how things play out, but the end result is going to be the same either way because she’s too damn close to the fray to avoid it.

My prompt response and reflections.

This card says that whether I take control and take care of these things myself, or leave them to crush me when they become so out of hand that they can no longer be ignored… sooner or later I’m going to have to confront and deal with the fallout.

The energy this card offers to me is not to just give up and lay down and wait for my eventual downfall, though. Instead, it offers the hope that I can stave off this eventual downfall by trying to take control not of the situation, but of my actions concerning it. Much in the same way that someone who eats healthy can help prolong their life. It’s not guaranteed, but it can help.

If I want to solve this problem, I need to back up and take a look at it from a more objective viewpoint, instead of from the center of the chaos where it all already feels far too overwhelming.

Other elements included in this reading:
Prehnite D20 and D6 Gemstone Dice

DECK USED: SEA AND SKY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2026 Challenge
Prompt for May 10th : Do Spread 2
Philosophical Question for May 13th : What is the point of life?

Tarot Reading with The Winding Tarot

Reading Summary: Inspired creation (Ace of Wands) through movement and doing (The Knight), no matter how slow (Knight of Pentacles).

Take Away: The universe was not created in a day. Yes, they call it the “Big Bang”, but that explosion didn’t happen all at once (nor was it actually a single explosion, but more of an expansion). It happened over the stretch of 3.8 billion years and continues on, even today.

Whether we feel the spark to create as a flash in the pan, or as a slow burn over a lifetime, these cards indicate that the purpose of life lies in creation.

Creation comes in all forms from art and science to life itself. It can be quick sometimes, it can take a lifetime, or it can take much longer than that. The crux, though, is in the energy of creation itself.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED:  THE WINDING (TAROT)
Daily Self Kindness

I made myself a post-it note in the wee hours of the morning and stuck it to my monitor, right in the center, to remind me that today is Mothers Day and I have phone calls to make.

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on 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 is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Heart City Monsoon Tarot and Forest Bathing Cards

Earth – Ten of Cups – Take time to celebrate your wins with others. It’s not good for you to just move on from one goal to the next without appreciating how far you’ve come and enjoying the congratulations of others that come your way. It really is okay to lean into that happiness rather than shirking from it.

Air – Nine of Swords Rx atop Six of Pentacles – Take care not to allow your overthinking and dwelling on your worries of the future hold you back from offering kindness to others.

Water – The Fool – Remember that it’s okay to be foolish now and then, and don’t berate yourself for those moments. Most foolish moments are born in hope, and that hope is uplifting; not something punish yourself for.

Fire – King of Cups atop Six of Swords – Spending time with Gideon can help you feel refreshed this week. Make sure that you are making time to be in his company so that he can help you move on from the more difficult and stressful parts of your day.

Waning – “While on slow walk I invite you to contemplate the beings of the more-than-human world; plants, animals, and landscapes. I wonder how it feels when you consider they might be looking right back at you.”

Don’t worry so much about if people are watching you or judging you. Just do your thing regardless. Your imagined perception of what they might be thinking or how they might be judging you just simply shouldn’t matter; so don’t let it.

Waxing – “Our ancestors wandered the Earth barefoot long before us, intimately connecting with this element. If it’s safe for you, I invite you to follow suit. Allow your bare feet to experience the myriad of sensations the Earth has to offer. I wonder what you notice.”

Make sure you are doing the grounding exercises that help you to connect with the Earth, the soil, and the roots beneath it this week. You need this additional grounding, and in seeking it out you will find a greater sense of connection and stability moving forward.

Take Away – Use your interminable focus to lean into the good this week. Praise yourself for your accomplishments, and when others do so as well… enjoy it instead of shying away from that praise. Don’t worry about the negative, and don’t buy into the stories your negative inner narrative tries to tell you about what others are thinking. It doesn’t matter. Work at getting back into your meditation practice, and make sure you are getting outside to spend time among the trees and playing in the dirt with the flowers. It’s supposed to rain this week, which means it’s an ideal time to dip your fingers into some soil.

DECKS USED: HEART CITY MONSOON TAROT AND FOREST BATHING CARDS

Home Is Where the Heart Is

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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The @GlitterbyInk #MayMoon26 Rise Root Return Challenge
So Below Prompt for May 9th : Grounded
Daily Mental Health Prompt: A positive message to carry with me throughout the day and offer perspective.

The Symbolic Tarot - Four of Wands

Today’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home. This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.

Home is where the heart is, as the saying goes.

The thing is, some people’s hearts don’t reside in their house. Sometimes one’s house is not the safe place that they wish it would be.

Instead, they find their safety and comfort in the library, or the park, or another person’s home, or in the company of another person.

The phrase “home is where the heart is” is often misinterpreted to mean that you are supposed to be emotionally attached to your residence and it is supposed to be the place where you most love to be. In truth, what the saying is actually trying to tell us is that home can be anywhere and anything that feels like our heart is comforted and safe.

The message in today’s Four of Wands and the “grounded” prompt is a reminder that finding these places and people where our heart is engaged, and we feel comforted and safe, is important. These places and people are how we ground ourselves into reality and into the world. These places and people are how we find a sturdy foundation in life from which to grow.

Today’s message encourages us to seek out where and who gives us this sense of a stable foundation, and acknowledge their importance in our lives and the strength they provide us.

DECK USED:  THE SYMBOLIC TAROT

@ambitiouslyalexa May Journal Prompts
Prompt for May 11th : What my life looks like when it’s really good

Oracle Reading with the Nature Enlightenment Cards

Reading Summary: You very much like your alone time (Solitude), but you also enjoy being around those with whom you have cultivated a strong relationship… people that genuinely enjoy spending time with you (Praise) and often share your values (Cultured).

Take Away: For you, when life is really good there’s a balance between the solitude in nature that you need and the companionship with like-minded souls that you enjoy.

You often find strangers exhausting, but socializing with those of like-mind and like-values helps you get in the amount of socialization you need without it being overwhelming.

It’s all about finding a balance between that solitude and socialization. Too much of one or the other is just that; too much. Ideally, you need a balanced diet of both.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
English Elm Seeds to Encourage Flexibility During Growth
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: NATURE ENLIGHTENMENT CARDS

#DiscordTarotholicsMay2026 Challenge
Prompt for May 7th thru 9th

Tarot Reading with The Symbolic Tarot and Enchanted Foraging Deck

What secret are you holding onto that needs to be shared?

White Dead Nettle and The Empress

You are not receiving the nurturing you need, and thus there is a continual ache of need within you that’s not being met. This ache of need acts like a bleeding wound, influencing both your energy and mood.

Trying to patch this wound created by your unmet needs isn’t something you can do on your own, yet you lack the ability to express what these needs are in a way others (or even yourself) can understand.

What are the pros of sharing this secret?

Broad-Leaved Dock and Ace of Cups

By sharing the secret, it has the potential to create a balm upon this wound within you.

Even if you don’t know how to express yourself well concerning this issue, just getting the issue out there in any way that you can to those that care can create a soothing effect on your emotions surrounding the situation.

What are the cons of sharing this secret?

Yarrow and Eight of Cups

Some who see this secret aired may consider you too needy. In response, it may cool off relationships that you thought were stable, causing others to step back who don’t want to stick by your side in dealing with this issue.

If they’re unwilling to support you in your time of need, though, perhaps that’s for the best.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Cedar Bundle for Protection from Negative Influences
Calcite for Gently Calming the Mind and Stimulating Insights
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE SYMBOLIC TAROT AND ENCHANTED FORAGING DECK
Daily Self Kindness

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