tarot for self care

Down Time is a Good Thing

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Today’s meditation was just over eleven minutes long, which is Day 4 in the ‘how to’ series, and focused on what the narrator called inner smoothness.  I’ve never really seen it that way, and I view “smooth” as being something solid with a surface that does not contain irregularities.    What he was speaking of in his narration is, to me, not smoothness, but rather transparency… like a window screen.  There, but transparent.

Essentially what this meditation was about was concerning how we react to the world around us.  Do we react and cringe from everything?  Or do we practice acceptance and allow the sensations (such as sound, for example) to flow around us and through us as we become part of the environment rather than separated from it?

In meditation, this sense of being “at one” is a key part of the practice.  Instead of being reactionary, you focus on being calm and at ease, no matter the distractions that may be present at the time.

Two of Cups - Tarot of the Unknown Today’s draw is the Two of Cups, which is in direct relation to me scolding myself for loafing off yesterday.  I just plain didn’t work at all once I got home yesterday, which means that I didn’t work in my home business for two days in a row.   Instead, I spent them playing with you.

This is really unheard of for me, as even when we play I often multitask and work on the side.  Today’s card is a reminder that it’s OKAY to need to spend time with you.  It’s OKAY to want to direct all of my energy and time and focus on you now and then.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it builds good energy and good relationship by doing so.   It’s good for me, and it’s good for us as a couple.

So I need to take a breath and just relax and stop being so hard on myself for not being as productive as I absolutely, positively could be.

Deck Used:  Tarot of the Unknown

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: How can I be more decisive?

The Distant Past Tarot

Reading Summary:  Use a more stable energy (Queen of Cups) in reaction to my struggles (Five of Pentacles), and keep in mind when I’m dealing with uncertainty (The Moon), that turning inward isn’t always the answer (The Hermit).  Sometimes you have to remember to ask for help (back to the Five of Pentacles) and let other people’s input influence your decision (Four of Cups).

Take Away:  If I want to be more decisive, it helps to look outward rather than always depending upon the self alone. These cards are a reminder that there are an infinite amount of other perspectives out there to consider when making a decision, and the more information you have, the easier it is to make the right choices for yourself and the situation.

Deck Used:  The Distant Past Tarot

Resilience and Making Good Choices

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Today’s meditation was a little over ten minutes long, and  I took a break from the “how to” series to just do a quiet, relaxing body scan with extra focus and attention settled on my solar plexus and my soul beneath it.

Three of Wands - Slow TarotToday’s draw is the Three of Wands, which in the imagery of this card is a representation of collaboration, harmony, and cooperation in the area of one’s ambitions, passions, and drive.  This manifests in progress and planning towards one’s goals and ideals.

What really stands out to me is the busyness of the bees buzzing around the Eschscholzia californica in the foreground of this card.  California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are a symbol of resiliency, and when combined with the meaning of this card, this message is one of strength and motivation.   It speaks of working toward your goals, even when roadblocks may make you have need to pause, regroup, and plot a new course to get there.

Deck Used:  Slow Tarot

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: Where do I need to stop stalling and just make a decision?

Tarot De Aux ArcsReading Summary:  This is about my decision on whether I want to speak to my employer or not about his new manager and her performance issues at one of my part time jobs.  I have been weighing whether I want to have a discussion with the owner which may allow me to stay in a job that I enjoy (Two of Wands), or just detach emotionally from the job as a whole and walk away (Eight of Cups).  The judgement card in the center encourages taking a close look at the actual results of both actions and use that perspective in making the decision.

Take Away:   I need to talk to the owner.   Emotionally speaking, my first instinct is to just walk away.  The fact is, though, that I have been working for him for a very long time and we have built up a trust between us.  I may dislike confrontation in the workplace, but the relationship of trust I’ve built with the owner combined with the comfort and enjoyment I find in the work means that I would regret walking away if i don’t try to talk with him about the issue first.

Deck Used:  Tarot de Aux Arcs

Hope, Comfort, and Growth

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Today’s meditation was just over fifteen minutes long, and was a healing light meditation that I used to focus on my wrist injury.  It was very relaxing, despite the fact that the guide’s voice wasn’t the best.

Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning that both cards came out together as one. The cards in today’s draw are The Star card of the Major Arcana and the Nine of Bats (Swords).

This message has to do with vulnerability and inner struggle, and after the evening that I’ve had, I definitely understand where it’s coming from.   The message is that there are going to be times when you’re feeling vulnerable in a very not-pleasant way.  Between the shadow reading I received today and the phone call from my mother, my unpleasant vulnerability is at a high, and as the Nine of Bats indicates, it has definitely caused me some distress.

What I also see in these cards though is the shining sun on the bed and comforting concern of the cat in the Nine of Bats… and the brightly shining star combined with the growth of new green in the Star card.    To me, these factors speak of comfort and hope.

What this means is that yes… it’s been a hard day.  YES, the last few hours have sucked.   But I have right before me the gifts in my life that will help me through it and allow me to grow from the experience rather than letting it drag me down.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What accomplishment of mine should I give myself more recognition for?

Golden Age of Horror Comics TarotReading Summary:   The work that I’ve been doing in an effort to better balance my spirituality (The High Priestess), my newly uncovered level of emotions (Page of Cups), and my responsibilities (King of Pentacles).

Take Away:   This has been a real struggle for me of late and a lot of the time I feel adrift in uncertain waters.  For a while, I was starting to think that I’d dipped my toe in too deep of a pond with the emotion digging, but what I really think is that this new level is just new and makes me feel uncertain.  Balancing that uncertainty with the familiarity of my spirituality and the rigid demand of responsibility has been difficult and… honestly?  I always feel like I’m failing when in truth?  I’m probably not.

Deck Used: The Golden Age of Horror Comics Tarot

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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As I’ve mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

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

SCS

Earth – The World, Necessity, Desire – In order to grow and “level up” (as I put it in a previous blog post) with concerns to my business and finances, I need to take some time to examine, and also possibly re-evaluate and restructure, my priorities.

Air – The High Priestess and Reality – There needs to be an anchor when delving into the liminal, no matter how comfortable and welcoming it feels. Don’t let intuition and inner urges run away with your sense of reason. To dip into that pond safely and comfortably, you have to have a balance of both. This is a good reminder at this time of year, as with the veil so thin I always feel a huge urge to throw caution to the wind and dive in and get lost there in those liminal spaces. This message is about moderation.

Water – Seven of Pentacles and Respect – Long term friendships and relationships are built upon respect. Make sure this week that you pay attention to what others contribute to your life, especially on an emotional level, and what you contribute to theirs. If there are imbalances, approach them respectfully in order to allow things to flourish moving forward.

Fire – Judgement and Opulence – The message here echoes back to the Earth part of this reading and reinforces the message there. It’s time to evaluate spending habits and finances. (ie: Do I really need those fire opal beads right now? Or can they wait until the New Year?)

Waning – The 9th Mirror – Harm caused by others and the lasting marks that it leaves behind on the self and the psyche. Recognizing, understanding, and accepting that harm are vital to healing, but in the next week it’ll be a time to step away from that “less than” whisper that was recently unearthed and focus on other things.

Waxing – The 5th Mask – Lack of authenticity and difficulty in communication. Mercury goes into retrograde in a few days, and that is the theme for Mercury retrograde. That said? I’m not usually affected by Mercury retrograde, so the fact that this card is coming up to warning about these issues is interesting considering the timing. I’ll have to be careful with how I communicate over the next week and take special care to pay attention to how others communicate with me.

Decks Used: Talking To The Moon Tarot, Lucky Potion Oracle, Tarot of The Inner Mask

 

Perfectionism

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Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long and the last installment of the Managing Stress series.  The focus on today’s guided meditation was about taking a step back and approaching distressing emotions and thoughts as an observer rather than as a participant.

This distancing is something I’m very familiar with and used to work for me quite well.  Over the past few years, though, as you have helped me become more and more in touch with my emotions, I’ve found that I’m not as successful as I used to be at compartmentalizing my emotions and looking at them in a purely objective way.

Sometimes I think that is a bad thing… other times I think it’s a good thing.  Maybe it’s both.

Today’s draw is the King of Ghosts (Cups), which is a representation of a projective alpha energy in the area of emotions, intuition, relationships, and creativity.  This manifests itself in areas of emotional balance and diplomacy, as well as compassion, yet can also portray a depth of inner emotions and come across as moodiness or emotional manipulation.

When  I saw today’s draw this morning, what really stuck out to me was the curl of the king’s arm around the tail of the ghost. Even when the king is looking away in another direction, the ghost is still happy.

The message in today’s card is that sometimes you have to make peace with not having everything perfect.  It’s okay to be happy and celebrate regardless of the fact that perfection is not the result.  Enjoy the imperfections.  Celebrate them.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What is it time to forgive myself for?

Reading Summary:   Passing up potential opportunities (Ace of Pentacles) that could lead somewhere lucrative (King of Pentacles) in pursuit of new ideas and creativity (Ace of Swords and Knight of Cups).

Take Away: Okay so, I have a LOT of ideas… all the time.  As a part of my business I often spread myself too thin because I have so many creative ideas that I want to do and try, and not enough time to do them all.  I then try to do them all, and things get dropped (or delayed) as a result.  I could be focusing more on the business side of things.  On the advertising and drawing in new customers, etc.  Instead my attention is pulled again and again to those new ideas and creative endeavors. 

At times, I am really hard on myself about this, because IF I could just focus on the business side more, then I could probably draw in a good deal more profit. The truth is, though, it would feel more and more like a chore and less and less like a passion… so maybe I shouldn’t be quite so hard on myself about it.

Deck Used: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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As I’ve mentioned before, these 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 are not meant as a predictive reading.

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

SCS

Earth – Knight of Cups, Two of Swords, Marshmallow, and Black Bear – When I push too hard, I get kicked in the head. I need to make a choice between how much I’m willing to really put on my self, and how harsh I’m going to be with myself. The cards suggest another path that includes a softening and soothe. Now is a time to sink into the depth of the season’s cycles, and the cycles it inspires within me. Give in to the need for more rest, and use the tendrils of time I have left before the rush begins to rest up.

Air – Ace of Cups, Ace of Wands, The Tower, and Cow & Bull – Now is not the time for new inspiration and allowing the spark of enthusiasm and creativity to drive me. Instead, take some time to settle and relax. Allow the world to move by at its own pace instead of pushing this week. The time to push will come, but for now it’s time to sit back and watch the world go by at its own pace.

Water – The Sun, Mullein, and Five Lined Skink – Everything happens for a reason. Difficulties happen and we learn to adapt to it, finding the fissures of connectivity of it within us, and move from it as we integrate it into the facets of our life.
Sink into the confidence that is brought about by knowing that when things fall apart, it is so that new and better things can be built out of the pieces.

Fire – Ten of Swords, The Magician, White Sage, and Passiflora – It’s time to let go. This week there is a necessity to let go of the stresses that are sapping the life and joy out of the mundane and reconnect with the simple and joyous. Take some time to cleans your energy and recenter yourself. Seek out the pleasure and joy within the small and simple moments.

Waning – The Pit – This week I will be moving away from the push toward my inspirations and new ideas. This is a time for relaxing and resting, not digging new holes or planting new seeds.

Waxing – Cyanide and The Stars – In the week ahead it is important to focus on taking the feelings spurred by things not done and pressures of what is yet to come, and toss them out. This is a time to rest, and in return for getting rid of what plagues you and rides you so hard for so long, infinite possibilities will open up, and a oneness of connectivity will be strengthened.

Moral of the Story – Take a break… and give yourself a break. There’s going to be plenty of stress upcoming just around the corner. This week needs to be about rest, restoration, and healing the self from the normal abuses I usually dole out to myself on a daily basis.

Decks Used: Tarot de Marseille par Pole Ka, Illustrated Herbiary Cards, Illustrated Bestiary Cards, The Asylum Oracle