tarot for self care

Reconnecting with Nature

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IMG_7564Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and was a guided meditation that focused on the benefits of mindfulness that you learn through meditation and can then carry on into the world beyond.   It dealt specifically with the ability to stretch time within one’s meditation so that a minute can stretch out to feel like five, and ten minutes can stretch out to feel like thirty.

Sometimes?  This is exactly how my meditation goes.  Other times, though, even when I am fully focused on my meditation, the ten minutes seems to fly by and I feel like I have not spent enough time in my meditation.  The interval timer often creates this impression.  It’s set to go off every 2.5 minutes.   Each segment of 2.5 minutes can some days feel like ten minutes each, and at other times feel like not even a minute has passed.

Tarot of the Little Prince - The EmpressToday’s draw is the Empress card, which is traditionally a representation of abundance, the sacred feminine, and a nurturing earthy mother type of energy, personality, or person.

What stands out to me the strongest in this card’s imagery is the fox, and the reason for this is it is through the fox that I see the connection in this card to that earthy nature energy.

I often see the Empress card as a representation of Gaia, the earth goddess, and the way that the fox looks up at the woman in the card speaks strongly to me of that connection.

The message in today’s card is that I need to get myself out into nature. Doing so is about nurturing my self, and finding balance and grounding in my connection with mother earth. I’ve felt really off lately, and I need to reconnect with the earth in order to find the clarity and grounding that I need.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

LionHart’s As Above So Below Challenge Prompt
Question: Take time today to fill out your birth chart and learn more about your Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign placements.

As Above So Below Birth Chart

#DiscordTarotolicsNov2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #1

El Tarot de los MuertosA message that your ancestors would like to give you at this time:

The Tower – The chaos is coming. I am hoping that this is about the holiday rush crashing down on me with the force of a tornado.  The problem here is that this feels more like the need to restructure things in order to move forward, evaluating and reorganizing priorities, etc.

Honestly, I would not be surprised if that instinct is correct and this is a warning about the holiday rush not being as lucrative as I need it to be, but I am too close and have too much inner chaos concerning this topic at the moment to fully see what the card is saying clearly.

I should have pulled a clarification card.

A message that your ancestors have been trying to convey that you have not been receptive to in the past:

Four of Pens (Wands) – Appreciate your home and current situation and the stability you have in the present.  Make sure that you are being mindful of the present and wallowing in the pleasure that the stability you have created to date is providing for you. It doesn’t always have to be about the future.

How to be more open to messages from your ancestors in the future:

The Moon – Don’t give in to your fear and uncertainty. These emotions muffle your inner voice, and thus muffle messages from my ancestors as well.  Remember that sometimes not knowing and not digging to know is okay.  Work on being more comfortable with uncertainty instead of railing against it.

How to honor and connect more strongly with your ancestors moving forward:

Four of Coffins (Pentacles) – Ground yourself and stay open.  In staying centered and grounded, you are able to better hear your inner voice… and thus their voices as well.  Inner chaos silences them… inner calm and grounding allows them to speak loudly and clearly.  This honors them as well as connects them, as it opens you up to their input, lending them your ear and your attention.

DECK USED:  EL TAROT DE LOS MUERTOS

Heal & Transform November Challenge Prompt
Question: Where, right now, in this moment, should I focus my energy?

The Marigold Tarot

Reading Summary:  Your intuition and inner knowledge (The High Priestess) require you to move away from (Six of Swords) the distractions and outside influences that are setting you off kilter (Three of Cups Rx).

Take Away:  I have been struggling a good deal with a sort of foggy cobweb of confusion over the past few days.  This screws with my intuition and inner guidance and it’s something I need to work on resolving now instead of continually pushing it off to the side to try and ignore it.

DECK USED:  MARIGOLD TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What does my ideal day look like?

Antique Anatomy Tarot

Reading Summary: The opportunity to help others in finding their path, and learning from them in turn (The Hierophant).  A variety of activities that I enjoy (Seven of Coins). Time with Gideon (King of Elixirs).

Take Away:  It brings me a great deal of joy to help others in finding their personal path.  Whether it’s just some small thing I say that creates a burst of realization for them, or spending a good length of time speaking with someone over something to help them find if (or how) it works for them personally so that they can explore it more in depth.   During these types of activities, I get the chance to not just guide others, but to learn from them as well. Adding this aspect as a part of my day is on of the things that would create a perfect day.

Another aspect that would help create my perfect day is having a variety of different things to do during that day.  Things I enjoy that breaks up the day into segments, instead of getting stuck doing one thing all day and the day then sliding away in a haze.  By segmenting my day, it lengthens the day and creates a variety of memories for me to look back on later instead of one big fog (which is what happens if my day is spent doing the same thing all day long).

And of course, no day could ever be perfect without my King of Cups as a part of it.  Spending time with Gideon makes each and every day better, and thus no perfect day could ever be “perfect” without him along for the ride.

DECK USED:  ANTIQUE ANATOMY TAROT (MASS MARKET EDITION)

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?

Tarot de Marseilles par Pole Ka, Halloween Oracle, Seasons of the Witch Samhain Oracle

Earth – High Priestess and Skull of Light – "Allow yourself to be seen, to see, and to act upon what is shown to you.  The time has passed for hiding, for pretending, and for swallowing our discomfort by accepting the status quo when it really doesn't suit us." - guide to the Halloween Oracle

The above quote speaks very clearly about what is expressed not just in the Skull of Light card, but also in it being combined with the High Priestess card. In order to preserve the stability that you cherish, this week it will be important to open up to your intuition’s voice and what it has to say.  Clear away the cobwebs and fog that has you feel like you’re stewing in confusion and allow your inner voice the room it needs to speak clearly.

Air – The Chariot and Ancestors – This week, take the gifts that your ancestors have passed down to you and use them to move forward into the challenges that are coming.  You were born with a unique set of qualities and gifts that allow you to handle what is coming with control and finesse.  Have faith in yourself and charge forward with the knowledge you can do this.

Water – The Lovers Rx and Zombie – Spend some time this week reconnecting with your values and what is truly important to you.  The chaos is coming, but that doesn’t mean letting go of your moral compass or your values in order to deal with the chaos, but rather that you hold onto them tightly and continue to work toward being both authentic to your truth and true to your path.  Center yourself on that path and make decisions and choices that align with it instead of allowing outside influences to try and sway you.

Fire – Page of Swords Rx and Invisibility – These cards are an echo of the theme in the Water section of this reading, and a reminder that manipulation comes in all forms. Make sure that you are being authentic to your own path and your own values, and not letting outside influences tug you askew.

The fact that this message is repeated between the Water section and the Fire section indicates that this manipulation is going to come through on an emotional level and will niggle at your drive and desires.  Don’t allow these manipulative nudges to convince you to take action in a direction that does not align with your values and moral compass.

Waning – Goddesses of Samhain –  The time of gentle nudges and easing into the ebb and flow of changes is coming to an end this week.  There is nothing gentle in what is approaching, and you need to release the desire to linger in that more gentle space so that you can “go into battle” prepared.

Waxing – Potions & Spells – Empowerment is what you need to focus on stepping into in the week ahead.  You have the skills and abilities needed to make what needs to happen come about, so grab the reigns and start steering things in the direction you desire to go in.

Take Away – This week’s self care needs to focus on clearing out the mental fog that is blurring the lines not just in your thinking, but also in your inner knowledge and intuition. Take time to breathe fresh air through your mind and get yourself centered.   Once you’ve cleared out the cobwebs, ground yourself in your values, then grab the reigns, shake off the remnants of stagnation clinging to your shoulders, and get moving.

DECKS USED: TAROT DE MARSEILLES PAR POLE KA, HALLOWEEN ORACLE, SEASONS OF THE WITCH SAMHAIN ORACLE

We Are Not Born Wise

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Today’s meditation was done twice.  I did my morning meditation of ten minutes with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.  I then did a second meditation later in the day just before our Samhaim ritual started, in order to help ground and center myself for the ritual to come.  Both were needed and seemed to help a bit not just with grounding but with the low grade anxiety that’s been playing havoc with me for the past few days.

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina's Tarot - The HierophantToday’s draw is the Hierophant, which is traditionally interpreted as a religious or spiritual leader and/or institution with spiritual wisdom and the authority to lead others along traditional spiritual paths using their wisdom and experience. Conformity to traditions is a strong component as well in the traditional meaning of this card.

I connect very strongly with this card on many levels, although… conformity is not one of them.   I do not see conformity here in this card, which means it is one that connects for me even stronger than most.   What this card represents to me is guidance and wisdom.  It’s about teaching others to find their path… and about learning from others in ways that enhances your own path.   A teacher is no teacher at all if they are no longer open to learning as well, and in this imagery you see that he does not just hold a book of Jupiter.  Now whether this book is about the Roman god Jupiter, or the planet Jupiter is really irrelevant as it speaks to me of the fact that he is seeking knowledge.  You do not become knowledgeable and wise by sticking your head in the sand.

The message in this card’s appearance today is a reminder that exploration is a good thing. Never be afraid of failure, for even failures teach you something you didn’t know before, and all knowledge becomes valuable eventually… whether in sharing it with others, in expanding your wisdom, or both.

DECK USED:  MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: Now is the time {card 1}, this is the hour {card 2}, this is the magick {card 3}, this is the power {card 4}.

Dead Waite Tarot

Now is the time {Judgement} to reign in your judgements and make sure that you are being kind to yourself and others. You do not need to be harsh or cruel to yourself to get where you want to go. 

This is the hour {Knight of Swords} to charge after your ambitions. Pick up that sword and focus on your target.  Stop being distracted by trivial shit that doesn’t matter and worries about things that have no foundation.

This is the magick {The Devil} that will get you not just the things that you need… but the things that you want as well.  Just like you can’t put food in your belly without success, neither can you can you feed your addictions without the success of your business. 

This is the power {Two of Cups} that will get you through. It’s not about sharing the work, but about coming together and supporting each other.  Yes, sharing the work is a part of that, but that’s not the part that needs to be stressed or focused on.  Focus on how they make you feel supported, and how you are after the same things.

DECK USED:  DEAD WAITE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this blue moon?

Ritual Abuse TarotReading Summary:  There is too much going on emotionally and you need to narrow down everything that is vying for your attention (Seven of Cups). Like an arrow poised to be set loose, find your direction and bear down on it (Two of Wands) while making sure to take care of yourself so that you stay healthy along the way (The Empress).

Take Away:  I need to set aside distractions and focus on the direction I want the next couple of months to go on, and the self care that will allow me to carry through the next couple of months without falling apart or hurting myself (most likely through severe burnout).

DECK USED:  RITUAL ABUSE TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the “Trick” I should be wary of for the next year?  What is the “Treat” that is coming to me this year?

Terrestrial TarotWhat is the “Trick” I should be wary of for the coming year? 

Queen of Coins – Make sure that you are not allowing people to lean too heavily upon you or depend too much upon what you can provide for them on a material level.  Being supportive is one thing, but you aren’t a single parent raising children, so don’t put yourself in a position where you feel the onus of everything rests upon your shoulders alone.

What is the “Treat” that is coming to me in the coming year?

The Sun – There is a double meaning in the appearance of The Sun card here in this spread.   First is the traditional meaning of positivity, success, and fun.  After the holiday rush, I will be able to lean into learning how to embrace these things once more on a fully conscious level.

The second meaning in The Sun’s appearance echoes back to a reading I did on October 3rd, in which The Sun card (this specific sun card in this specific deck) came up as a representation of one of my spirit guides.  spiritual guide relationship that was indicated in a reading at the beginning of the month. Appearing again now, it is an indication that I will find myself developing a stronger relationship with this guide in the future.

DECK USED:  TERRESTRIAL TAROT

Blue Moon in Taurus – October 2020

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Full Moon in Taurus - Hephoe Tapo

Today is the full 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 brought to you by Ethony‘s Tarot By the Moon series.

1. What does my body require right now?

Knight of Swords atop Ace of Swords – Slow down and think things through. I need to make better choices concerning my body and what it needs.  That includes getting more time outside in the woods, but also making sure I’m eating better.  Less junk and more healthy goodness, instead of reaching for whatever is in reach and easy.

2a. Where in my life do I need to be gentler?

Two of Pentacles – I need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to juggle everything. I did such a good job through the spring and summer at balancing things better, but with the approach of the holiday rush and the stress that is slowly building up… I’ve sort of dropped the ball.

2b. Where in my life do I need to be more joyful?

Page of Pentacles – It’s okay to enjoy yourself and have some fun while you work at adapting to the upswing in sales and added responsibility.   Don’t get so focused on sales that you forget to have some fun with the creative side of things, or forget about how your creations are meant to bring joy to others.

3. Where do I need to take immediate action?

Ace of Pentacles – Get your shit together. Opportunities are on the rise and you need to make sure you’re ready to catch hold and run with it when they drop in your lap. You have a choice to make.  You can either grab hold of the ball and run with it, ensuring a good financial boon for the holiday season.  Or you can drop the ball and pay the consequences when the money doesn’t roll in as you are used to it doing during this time of year.

4. What is ripe for harvesting?

The Sun atop Knight of Pentacles Rx – Instill fun into your work now.  Right now. This isn’t something you have to take at a slow pace like so many other things along your path.  This is something you can do right this moment.  Added bonus? It’ll help in stirring up your motivation and enthusiasm.

5. What long term project to I need to start?

Ten of Pentacles atop Seven of Pentacles – All that wonderful security and stability that I crave so much takes time to accomplish.  The reinforcement of just how ‘long term’ this goal is has been reinforced by the Seven of Pentacles indicating that the end of the journey is not in the foreseeable future but something I will have to put years and years of time and effort into yet.   That doesn’t mean that you procrastinate and do it later, but rather that much like an hourglass, you have to do it one grain of sand at a time.

DECK USED: HEPHOE TAPO

Morning Bonus Read – Finding Growth in Change

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, take some time with your divination tools to delve deep into the shadow work surrounding the death topics you have been reflecting on in the previous weeks.”

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Playing CardsWhat unforeseen ramifications will this death (from last week’s reading) have in my life?

King of Hearts – By finding a way to kill off my need to overburden myself with responsibilities, it will allow me to not just develop a stronger emotional intelligence, but also find a stronger connection with Gideon… probably through the fact that I would have more time to spend with him instead of being stuck in burnout.

Five of Clubs – The death of this habit may also cause a good deal of inner conflict, as I struggle with my ambitions and how to keep them from pushing me too far.

What old wounds are being brought up with this death?

Queen of Hearts – Self neglect is not the only kind of neglect that is seen here in this card.  The space provided in my life can provide space for ruminations on my mother as well and her neglect.  These are disappointments I’ve primarily put on the back burner that are at risk of rising up without enough distraction to keep them shoved in their corner.

Four of Clubs – Again, family disappointment rises up in the space left behind by the death of this habit. It’s always been rather painful to me to go back home and not be enthusiastically welcomed in as L is.  It’s a struggle to see how L is doted on by our mother (and at one time our father) while my presence was looked upon as an inconvenience or “free labor”.

Both of these old wounds are things that I now have a bit of warning about coming up, and thus can hopefully manage to circumvent a bit so that they do not become too painful.

What aspects of myself is becoming more clear through this death?

Nine of Clubs – That part of my self that needs to protect itself at all costs, and why it is alive and thriving within me even now, as well as the methods I’ve used to create those protections.  ie: Overburdening yourself as a distraction.

Eight of Clubs – The ability to motivate myself into moving on my interests and passionate endeavors. I’ve felt very unenthusiastic lately about… pretty much everything.  The Eight of Clubs indicates that I will rediscover some balance in this area and, as a result, my enthusiasm and motivation.

Ace of Spades – Along with the resurrection of my enthusiasm, new ideas are also a potential development of the death of this bad habit of mine. The lack of ideas has been lingering along with the motivation issues, which is really unusual for me.

All of these sound like excellent developments in understanding myself and finding my joy and motivation in my creative endeavors again.

DECK USED: IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN PLAYING CARDS

Accepting Comfort

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve fallen behind again and I can’t remember whether I meditated on the 30th or not. So, like yesterday, I’ll leave this empty this time around as I finish up these posts that got started… but never published on the blog.

Tarot of Haunted House - Queen of CupsToday’s draw is the Queen of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, imagination, and intuition.  This often translates into a nurturing energy, personality, or person that has the ability to touch our emotions and soothe them, as well as bolster them.

What stands out to me the strongest in this imagery is the wings and the warm glow that the imagery holds.   The wings are soft and large.  They appear as if they would be too heavy for the woman in the image, and yet she holds them aloft without stress or strain.  They are all encompassing, stretching wide like arms seeking to embrace and hold, to provide comfort in the warm glow of the light that surrounds her.

The message in today’s card is about accepting comfort when it is offered.  We all need comfort sometimes, and it’s okay to sink into it instead of berating yourself for needing it or for accepting it.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: Savor – Something good I should keep, or remember, for November.

Cute and Creepy Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure you rest when you need to (Four of Swords), keep your true desires in mind when pushing forward (Knight of Cups), and don’t get yourself fall so deeply into the chaos that you end up flirting with burn out (Nine of Wands).

Take Away:  With the holiday rush coming, all of the advice in these cards is specifically directed at the things I need to keep in mind for my self care during that chaotic time.  It’s important that I rest and give myself chances to recover from the work and the stress involved in the holiday rush.

Without that rest, my constant drive to keep going will take over and I will end up doing myself a good deal of harm… coming out the other side not just exhausted but in need of serious mending.  The center card is a reminder that I need to keep in mind what I really want, and don’t get so swept up in everything that I lose that focus.

DECK USED:  CUTE AND CREEPY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Grab a spread of your choice that you’ve been curious about… and give it a go!

Twisted Tarot Tales - Full Moon in Taurus Tarot Reading

How can I center myself during these unpredictable times?

Knight of Cups – Stay focused on what you want. I’ve been having a bit of an issue with focus lately, and in centering myself with a focus in mind, it will be help me hold onto that center more easily, and the focus as well, than trying to do them separately.

How can I bring more stability into my life?

Two of Cups – Connect with others, especially on an emotional level, and it will help you in finding more stability in your life.  It will also help when things fall into instability, as they will be able to see what’s going on and help lift you up, or at least slow the slide into deeper waters.

What do I value most and how does this influence my actions?

Three of Cups atop Rabid Raccoon – I value my family and those that are my chosen family, and the protection of them from others and/or events that might hurt them or steal them away.

Seven of Pentacles – This influences my actions by making sure that I make long-term plans that work to build a better future for all of us. I work to keep us together, and to grow our relationship and our lives in positive ways that foster that unity between us from one year to the next.

What changes am I being called to be a part of?

Six of Pentacles atop Page of Swords – I am being called to look at how I give to others and reevaluate the best ways forward in this area. Look for the differences between generosity and foolishness, and make adjustments that lean toward more logical choices rather than those driven by a sense of obligation.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I embrace yesterday’s message for the next year?

The Cryptid Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure that you’re taking in others perspectives and looking at things in a different way (The Hanged Man).  You can overcome the warning from  yesterday (Five of Swords), but to do so it will take making conscious choices that lead you away from the chain of events yesterday’s reading indicated. In other words, it’s not something you’ll fall into naturally.

Take Away:  The message yesterday was about overworking myself and turning into an asshole as a result.  The thing is? When I reach the cusp of burnout?  I do turn into an asshole.  I just don’t have patience anymore at that point.  Not for myself, or for anyone else.  Repercussions happen when you treat other people like shit, and I need to make a conscious effort to pull myself back from that path now, before I get to the point of no return.

The message here today is indicating I have the ability to do this, but I’m going to need to slow down and take some time to pay attention and listen to myself and others.  I need to seek out another path, and make the daily concentrated choice to then stay on that healthier path instead of falling into the old habits that have started to creep up and cause conflict.

DECK USED:  THE CRYPTID TAROT