tarot for self care

No Choice is the Worst Choice

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#DailyCalm with the Calm appToday’s meditation was ten minutes long and was a #dailycalm session from the Calm app. Today’s session was a practice in only focusing on the inhales, which I’ve never tried before and found extremely relaxing.

In the discussion part of the session, it spoke on the differences between resolutions and intentions, focusing most strongly on the fact that with resolutions, we have a tendency to give up when we slip… where as with intentions there is a bit more wiggle room and we are more likely to start again rather than abandoning the goal entirely.

Weary Writer's Tarot Seven of Cups and It's Going to Be Okay 2024 Day-to-Day Calendar by Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Seven of Cups, combined with the affirmation “You are trying, and that’s what matters.” The key element in this combination of cards is in the trying.

Sometimes indecision makes it a struggle to move or make the choices that need to be made. It can be a problem and can cause you to stall out.

Today’s cards say that in these situations, don’t stop trying and just let things sit.  Don’t allow indecision to keep you still and stagnant. Sometimes, any choice is better than -no- choice; so as long as you’re still striving towards movement, you’re good. It means you’re still trying and you haven’t given up.

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

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2024 Challenge Prompt
Questions for January 4th

Keeper of the Trees OracleWhat luck is coming your way?

Keeper of Surrender – “There are times when effort only creates futility and extends suffering. ” You have the opportunity to let go and rest, stress less… strive less, and breathe more easily. Although the money of the holiday rush is nice, it’s not a pace that you can sustain long-term. Seek out and acknowledge how fortunate you are that you can now let it go and sink into a calmer space.

How can you foster it into fruition?

Keeper of Boundaries – “The secret irony hiding inside your willingness to say ‘no’ is that it allows your ‘yes’ to be more resolute and ecstatic.”  Do not allow your aspirations and the hidden driving force within you that trauma from your past creates to pull you away from giving yourself space and self-care and quietude. It’s true you can’t stay still and leave everything behind, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve this calmer time and the rest it offers.

DECK USED: TREE KEEPERS ORACLE

@Lionharts #TheJanuaryTarot 2024 January Initiation Prompt
Question for January 4th : As I begin to explore my unfolding path of 2024, what veiled elements of the unknown ask for my open-hearted embrace? (Shuffle your deck and go through until you find The Fool. The next card will answer this question.)

Weary Writer's Tarot - King of Cups and The FoolKing of Cups Rx – Emotional instability is a part of your life experience that is unavoidable.  It’s something you need to learn, and isn’t something to avoid or be afraid of.  Rather, times of emotional instability are something to explore and learn from.

You can’t gain stability without exploration and experience. This is true in the area of your resources… and it’s just as true in the area of your emotional well-being and emotional intelligence.

DECK USED: WEARY WRITER’S TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I have spent the last few days spending a great deal of time with Gideon, and that included today. Even so, I also got some work done today toward my shipping deadline on Tuesday. Having gotten the teardrops and earrings done helps to take some of the pressure off for the upcoming deadline.

The Importance of Appreciation

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Today’s meditation was skipped. It was sacrificed to a marathon cuddling session with Ms Luna on the bed.

The Wandering Moon Tarot Midnight Sky Edition Nine of Stars (Nine of Pentacles) and It's Going to Be Okay 2024 Day-to-Day Calendar by Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Nine of Stars (Pentacles) combined with the affirmation “Your life is important and worth more than this difficult moment.”

Together, they are a reminder that when things get difficult and it feels like the struggles will never end, that it’s time to look back at all you have accomplished and how far you’ve come. Take the time in these moments that seem so bleak to seek out and enjoy the successes and the “good stuff” you’ve surrounded yourself with instead of sinking into defeatist thoughts.

DECK USED:  THE WANDERING MOON TAROT MIDNIGHT SKY EDITION AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY 2024 DAY-TO-DAY CALENDAR BY KATE ALLAN

@Lionharts #TheJanuaryTarot 2024 January Initiation Prompt
Question for January 3rd :How can I actively manifest the spirit of a committed start to my 2024 journey?

Animal Healing OracleReading Summary: Stay true to yourself (Skunk) and open to new ideas and creative possibilities (Dog).

Take Away: You have spent a great deal of time closing yourself off over the past year due to circumstance and necessity. It has not just separated you from others, but from your own inspiration and creative spark.

Committing to your 2024 journey will require you to start opening up again, for it’s when you let your inner depths shine that your creative energies flow more smoothly.

DECK USED: ANIMAL HEALING ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2024 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question for January 3rd : Would life lose meaning if we could live forever?

The Wandering Moon Tarot Midnight Sky Edition - Eight of Swords, The Sun, Three of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, Queen of StarsReading Summary: As long as you don’t blind yourself (Eight of Swords Rx) to the positive things in life (The Sun) and lose sight of what success means to you (Queen of Pentacles Rx), then there will always be new adventures to explore (Three of Wands).

Take Away: It is when one allows themselves to become disenchanted and jaded that immortality takes on a sour note. Putting concerted effort into staying open to new things and enjoying what life has to offer can keep life full of meaning no matter how long you live.

DECK USED: THE WANDERING MOON TAROT MIDNIGHT SKY EDITION

Daily Self Kindness

I really needed some Miss Luna time today. I spent a good hour and a bit cuddling with her in bed and it was so nice.

Rising From the Ashes

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Daily Calm with the Calm app - Alan Watts quoteToday’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #dailycalm sessions from the Calm app.  It went through a sensory exploration exercise while doing deep breathing, and then afterwards spoke of the 5-Senses technique for helping one calm and ground when anxiety is high.

Essentially, you count down through the five senses.  First you seek out five things you can see, then four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, then one thing you can taste.  It brings you into the present moment, allowing for some space to set aside what might be triggering you or overstimulating you in the moment.

Witch Sister Tarot's Ten of Stones (Ten of Pentacles) and the It's Going To Be Okay 2024 Day-to-day Calendar By Kate AllanToday’s draw is the Ten of Stones (Ten of Pentacles) combined with the affirmation “Hey, rough months happen. It doesn’t mean the future will all be tiring and painful, too.”  In the illustration for this card we have a crone that appears to have a lot of experience under her belt and, based on the wealth she wears upon her chest, has done very well for herself.  Although craggy looking, she she also appears quite cunning as she winks at us from a place of stability.

Today’s cards are a reminder that struggles happen. December was a big month with a lot going on and a lot of people.  It was tiring and in some ways painful as well.  Now that the new year has come, it’s time to look forward to better things. Take how far you’ve come and look for opportunities to build on your successes, as well as share your experience with others along the way.

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

@Lionharts #TheJanuaryTarot 2024 January Initiation Prompt
Question for January 2nd : What does the universe urge me to work towards this January?

The Divina Serenity OracleManifestation – What do you want to see happen this year? What do you want to manifest in your life? You need to focus on those things now, for it is through slow progress and small steps over time that you create long lasting changes toward those things you want to manifest.

Grace – It can be difficult to move through chaos and moments of struggle with grace. The universe is urging you with this card to work on your responses to unexpected hurdles and move through them with more grace instead of allowing them to trip you up as they have in the past.

Notation: The theme in the illustration on both of these cards is water/sea based. It speaks of the resolution shared with Gideon (your Pisces king) this New Years to spend more time together this year.

DECK USED: THE DIVINA SERENITY ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2024 Challenge Prompt
Question for January 2nd : Pull your most and least favorite cards from your deck and explain why you feel that way.

Note: My choices in this prompt are illustration based, rather than based on the card’s position, suit, or meaning in the tarot as a whole.

Witch Sister Tarot - Queen of Trees, Queen of Wands, Maid of Waters, Page of CupsLeast Favorite – Queen of Trees (Wands) – So many of the illustrations of the people in this deck are rawboned and gaunt, as if each character is malnourished and desperate. In this particular card, there’s not even any background illustration to soften this impression. The figure looks disenchanted, exhausted, and miserable… not at all what I would normally associate with the Queen of Wands.

Most Favorite – Maid of Waters (Page of Cups) – A little girl playing in water feels to me like the epitome of the Page of Cups. She is curious and imaginative, filled with potential for both seriousness and fun. The blue hues in the card promote calm and water itself is a representation of emotions. She may not be dipping her toes in those waters of imagination and emotion, but the fingertips are just as good.

DECK USED: WITCH SISTER TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I got up early to pack so that I wouldn’t have to stress about it (or putter about with it) all day before it’s time to leave for home.  It allows more time for me to relax and decompress before getting on the road.

Seek Out the Spark

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#DailyCalm with the Calm appToday’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was a #DailyCalm session from the Calm app. It was a breathing exercise session which also discussed that with the new year upon us, how important it is to keep ourselves open to new experiences, opportunities, and possibilities. Although change can be challenging and scary, it also paves the way to new and exciting things. Today’s meditation encouraged that openness, reminding the listener that it’s only through being open to change that we can discover new and exciting pursuits to enjoy, people to love, and potential successes waiting for us to claim as our own.

The Wild Life Tarot Knight of Wands and It's Going to Be Okay 2024 Day-to-Day Calendar by Kate AllanDaily Finding the Positive Mental Health Exercise

Today’s draw is the Knight of Wands with the affirmation “You deserve lots of beauty in your life.” The Knight of Wands is an active card, reminding us that we have to take action to go after our dreams, that they won’t just fall in your lap.

Combined with the affirmation for today, the message here tells us that sometimes it may be hard to identify the beauty in life, but that doesn’t mean that we give up and decide that life is ugly and that’s all there is.  It means that when life gets cold and ugly that we must strive for more and actively seek out those things that we enjoy and those passions that drive us forward.

Don’t just lie stagnant and let the cold seep into your bones… keep moving and seek out that spark that makes life interesting.

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

@Lionharts #TheJanuaryTarot 2024 January Initiation Prompt
Question for January 1st : In the silence of new year’s dawn, what am I guided to initiate?

The Wild Way OracleReading Summary: When you work at building trust with yourself and with others (the connection of the chain between the two birds), your life then grows to feel filled with an abundance of stability (the dam).

Take Away: At this time you need to work on initiating your own self-awareness, as well as making sure that you are setting aside time for others. You have many who trust you that need the stability of your presence.

Being trusted and trustworthy takes hard work and perseverance. It’s built over time through honesty and authenticity. You need to put in time as well as effort. Time with others so they see who you truly are over a long period, and the effort to always be genuine in the face you present to them and the world, no matter if times are good or if you are struggling and vulnerable.

DECK USED: THE WILD WAY ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2024 Challenge Prompt
Question for January 1st : What in your life needs started now for it to be ready when you need it?

The Wild Life Tarot - The Hermit, The Devil, The StarReading Summary: Prioritize positive thinking and optimism (The Star). That needs to be your goal from the start of this year. By starting now, you make a habit of it by the time you begin to get temped by depression (The Devil) to retreat into yourself (The Hermit) and fall into the darkness.

Take Away: Depression is a constant theme of concern in your life. A possibility that requires no event or trigger to rise up and wrap itself around you.

By focusing on the positive, and counterbalancing your natural pessimism with an effort toward optimistic thinking, you help keep your depression at bay, as well as lessen your depression’s strength and effects when it cannot be avoided entirely.

DECK USED: THE WILD LIFE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I pulled not just today’s cards, but also tomorrow’s, so that there will be one less thing on my plate tomorrow when trying to get packed and on the road back to home.

Finding the Positive for December 30 – 31

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

December 30

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Six of Cups – “Life will always bend you, but you’re too strong to break.” Don’t forget to remember the good. Your history is not just full of challenges, tests, and trials; it is also full of moments of survival, valuable lessons, and successes. Don’t let that negative and pessimistic tendency within you turn you away from the memories of the good things you’ve experienced.

DECK USED: LE TAROT ARTHURIEN AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 31

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Eight of Pentacles – “You are strong and smart and you’ve got this!” You have come a long way and proven your resilience again and again, and with each challenge along the way your skills in not just your work but in life as a whole level up. Don’t let moments of doubt and that negative inner narrative of yours convince you otherwise. In a couple days you will step back into life with renewed focus on those things that truly matter to you, your transition from the holiday rush back to regular life ending like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.  Don’t allow self doubts to hold you back, but instead lean into your experience.

DECK USED: WINTER MAGICK TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Transitioning from December to January

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Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with the Bearot Deck

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Ace of Swords Rx – You are not communicating. You need to share with others how you are feeling and where you are struggling, but instead you are still keeping it all to yourself.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

The Tower – It’s time to cut out the catastrophizing. You need to work on leaving this mindset behind. Chaos and sudden change really isn’t the end of the world, so don’t make it out to be in your mind and self talk.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Nine of Cups – You are seeking a state of emotional satiation. Over the past year (not just during the holiday rush) you have had to close yourself off from your emotions. You are overdue to let them out and find the state emotional well-being that you’ve been missing.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Page of Cups – Your emotions are raw and hurting right now. It makes it hard to uncover them and air them out. Take care not to let them steer your reactions as you are working to untangle the knots.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

King of Cups – Gideon may be going through his own crises right now, but but don’t forget that his presence is still the same stable emotional support for you as he has always been.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

The Magician – You were raised to always be capable and on target, to utilize your skills and tools towards your goals and thus not just succeed but shine. This impossible standard has created a perpetual “not good enough” mentality that is now ready for some healing.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Knight of Cups – You’ve made a lot of progress in getting in touch with your emotions over the years, and you can absolutely do it again. Take time to reflect on your past methods to find the path forward in the present.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

The Empress Rx – Don’t allow yourself to fall into self abuse and neglect. You are at a transition point and you need to focus on self care in order to steer yourself onto the right path moving forward.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Seven of Wands Rx – Less fighting, conflict, and struggle. More peace, serenity, and comfort. You have the opportunity at this time to turn the tables from stress and strife to a better, more comfortable way forward.

Take Away – There is a lot here about your current transition from the stress of the holiday rush into a better and healthier emotional and mental place.  You are being encouraged to make sure you stay on track towards balance and self care. Focus on being kind to yourself, not suppressing your emotions, and sharing your feelings with others.

DECKS USED: BEAROT DECK