tarot reading for self

Morning Bonus Read – Making Magic

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Yuletide Tales Lenormand - Making Magic Tarot Spread

What I Will

Tree – To get back in balance quickly at the end of the holiday rush. With the holiday rush at my back, it’s time to slow down and to do so in healthy ways that foster my spirituality, my physical health, and my overall well-being.

Earth – What would benefit from greater grounding and stability to help me encourage this outcome?

Mountain – In the time following the rush, there is a moment in time when you feel very lethargic and struggle with motivation. This malaise is a roadblock on your path to finding healthy balance, and to deal with this issue you are going to need to get out into nature and reestablish the grounding support and stability that your connection with the earth provides.

Air – How can I use my mind and my words to accentuate my will in this matter?

Heart – Be kind to yourself.  Don’t allow the negative inner talk to have its way, but instead allow the kindness and patience that you give to others to spill over and be how you treat yourself as well.  Berating yourself and treating yourself badly with negative words and harsh judgements is not going to help you find your footing on that path to balance and healthy well-being.

Mundane – What small activities can I do in my everyday to encourage the outcome I will into being?

Man – Spend time with Gideon. Not just in play… not just outside of play either.  Just time with him.  Get back into the habit of checking in, of messages and texts, of reaching out to him and spending time with him. He helps you in finding that path to a healthier you each year and it’s okay to lean on him for this support.

Fire – What will this ignite within me that I can use to burn away that which doesn’t serve my will?

Clover – Optimism and recovery will be fostered from within and allow you to discard the darker drag of depression and negativity that wants to take over during the shift away from the holiday rush. Allow that positivity to grow and encourage your recovery rather than habitually pushing it away for a more “grounded” (aka pessimistic) outlook.

Water – How can I best understand the subtle connection between the result of my will and the bigger picture?

House – Look around you and pay attention to how your well-being effects that of your loved ones.  When you feel happy and healthy and safe… so do they.  That connection then spreads from them to others much like a smile can spread from one person to the next.  It is much better to put that stability and contented happiness out into the world than the more negative emotions that try to encroach into your life at this time of year.

Spirit – With what magical energy can I connect to encourage the outcome I will?

Wolf (Dog) – The Fae.  It’s time to get back out into nature and connect with the friends you have there and the magical energies that they possess and are so generous with you. Take some time to frolic and play and reconnect with them and their energy.  It makes you feel good, bolsters your mood and your energy, and is an all around good thing that will positively enhance your efforts.

DECK USED: YULETIDE TALES LENORMAND

Roadkill or Ride

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IMG_8259Today’s meditation was just under twelve minutes long, and was another of the Calm app’s guided meditation with additional interval timer for my piriformis (and forearm flexor) stretches.

Honestly… I don’t remember the theme of today’s guided meditation.  I listened to it, but I was far more focused on the piano chords being played in the background.  There were like… drops of water on a smooth body of water.  Like you could ride those drops from one drip to the next.

It was very peaceful and relaxing.

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot - DeathToday’s draw is the Death card, which is traditionally a representation of organic change.  This is different to sudden and chaotic change like what is represented in the Tower, and is instead about change that develops over time and may, or may not, come to a tipping point at some time along the way.   It isn’t sudden, but a development where something ends so that something new can begin.

What really stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the frog on the right hand side holding the cattail like a spear as well as the frog that is beneath the foot of the heron.

The message I see here in the imagery of today’s card is not just about change, but it’s about not resisting change.  It’s about allowing yourself to roll with the changes taking place so that they don’t trample you under their feet in order to just keep moving forward.  Because that change is going to happen whether you fight it or not. So do you want to be roadkill under the change’s tires… or rather take a moment to see the direction change is moving in and make sure you’re on board for the ride?

With today being the last day of the holiday rush, this message rings especially true for me today as a reminder that it’s time to slow down, and to not allow myself to squirm and fight that slowing but take advantage of it to allow myself time to rest and recover from the neglect and abuse I’ve inflicted on myself over the past six weeks.

DECK USED:  FANTASTIC MENAGERIE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where should I direct my focus this week to foster my understanding towards others?

Winter Waite Tarot 2019 EditionReading Summary: Be consciously appreciative of all you have accomplished (Nine of Pentacles).  Now is a time to put away your authoritative and controlling side of your nature (King of Pentacles Rx) and lean into your intuition and spirituality (The High Priestess). It’s time to find balance once more (Two of Pentacles).

Take Away: The message here is that if I want to be able to be understanding towards others, I need to first take the time to settle myself back into a comfortable and balanced place of gratitude and reconnect with my spirituality first.

I’ve spent the past six weeks essentially neglecting and abusing myself in order to keep up with the holiday rush. I’ve closed myself off from people and even from loved ones on a number of different levels (social and emotional primarily) and I need time to find my balance again.   The cards here are indicating that once I have taken care of myself, it will be much easier for me to direct my compassion and understanding towards others.

DECK USED:  WINTER WAITE TAROT 2019 EDITION

Mystic Star December Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I be more open to the gifts that others wish to share with me?

Dreamland Tarot

Reading Summary:  Don’t be combative (Seven of Wands Rx) when people are trying to reach out to support you (Queen of Cups and Queen of Wands) when you’re feeling overburdened (Ten of Wands).

Take Away:  Support can come in a number of different ways.  Sometimes it comes in the form of emotional support.  Sometimes it comes in the form of inspiration or hands-on help with your burdens.   In order to be more open to this support in all of the forms it may come in, I need to make sure I don’t bulk up in defense when it’s offered.  Set pride and ego aside and allow them to reach out and help in the ways that they are willing and able to do so.

DECK USED:  HANS ZATZKA DREAMLAND TAROT

Winter Solstice 2020 – Yule

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The Winter Solstice is today! This holiday is (in essence) the Pagan equivalent to Christmas. Fun fact… when Christmas was placed on December 25th, the church chose that day to coincide with the pagan holiday of Yule (because as most know, Christ was actually born in the spring, not in December).

Although many of us have been feeling like we’ve been in it for months, the Winter Solstice is the “official” first day of winter, and marks  its spot on the calendar not by its date, but by being one of only two days each year where the daylight and darkness are equal.  In my path, this holiday marks a day of hope for the future, and candles are lit to celebrate the return of the sun as it begins to now become more and more prominent with each day that passes and every day becomes longer as the nights decrease.

Winter Solstice Tarot Reading - Light Seer's Tarot, The Green Wheel Oracle, The Spirit Animal Oracle

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of upcoming Imbolc at the beginning of February.

Theme of the Season – Midwinter, Cold Moon, Owl – The Midwinter card in this deck is also titled as “The Hunter” and it speaks of the hunter bringing anarchy and chaos that is then followed by a time of restoration and regeneration. It is impossible not to note that this is the same pattern that you go through in the six weeks leading up to the Winter Solstice, as the chaos of the holiday rush abuses the body and mind and brings you to the point of needing to then rest, restore, and recuperate.

The Cold Moon encourages generosity and the connection and reaching out to others. It is a time when families gather and huddle together, communities support each other, and the cold winter months are survived through interconnection and the uplifting strength in numbers.  In order to stay connected with nature, people bring nature indoors during this time of the year when the elements do not allow as much time among the outdoors in order to decorate our homes with the beauty of nature even in the darkest of seasons.

The Owl in this deck is also known as an “Arrow in the Darkness” and references the owl’s keen senses and focus while hunting even in the darkest of nights.  The Owl is a reminder to stay focused on your goals and not allow yourself to become distracted by the darkness, doubts, or turbulence.

When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is a reminder that it is time to set the chaos behind me and stay focused forward into the goals for healing and self care that I’ve set forth, and connecting with those that hold importance in my heart and my life. Now is a time to reconnect with my feelings, including the compassion I feel for others, and allow it to guide me out of the dark and into the light.

Earth – Six of Swords – The spoils of war lie at your feet and now is a time to take stock of what you’ve won with your hard work, dedication, and ambition. As things slow down, take what you’ve won and move forward into a new and better place.  Don’t run away, but make wise decisions that will continue to move you in the right direction.  Don’t look back and rehash what is done and over, look forward.

Air – The World – You have the opportunity to do things differently this time around. Every year you fall into a horrible funk in the handful of weeks that follow the holiday rush.  This is a time when you cycle back to start again and try again to find a better way forward.  Focus on the light and not the darkness. Keep your head up and your eyes forward.

Water – Eight of Pentacles – As you move into this new cycle, remember all that you have learned before and carry that knowledge forward with you.  Returning to a healthier way of doing things and an exploration mindset toward your emotional growth will go much more smoothly if you tap into the knowledge, techniques and abilities you have already gained over the past year.  You are not starting from scratch.

Fire – Knight of Cups – Apologize and be kind to yourself.  The abuse upon yourself this last few weeks has been pretty extensive, and over the handful of weeks ahead you need to turn towards making that up to yourself and being kind.  There’s no harshness needed.  Make helping yourself and loving yourself a priority for a bit.

Waning – Panther Spirit – It’s time to let go.  You’ve mustered every shred of power and strength you have to make it through the last five or six weeks.  Now it’s time to ease that grip and let that go.  You do not need to continue holding on so tightly.

Waxing – Groundhog Spirit –  An echo of the waning Panther Spirit, the Groundhog Spirit also encourages letting go. All that tension and all those unhealthy tendencies allowed to go on during the rush are now no longer serving you and it’s time to let them all go and return to something healthier and that will serve you much better for the weeks (and months) ahead.

Take Away –  Like the theme of Yule itself, this reading is about seeking the light and moving forward into it.  It’s about new beginnings and finding hope while making healthy choices and connecting with loved ones.

DECKS USED:  LIGHT SEER’S TAROT, THE GREEN WHEEL ORACLE, THE SPIRIT ANIMAL ORACLE

You’ve Got This

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IMG_8233Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was another guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretches.  I’ve also begun adding in some forearm flexor stretches for my right arm, as the muscles have started to seize up from so many hours using the pliers and the repetitive action of the wirework.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was about how to work through difficult emotions such as loneliness, depression, sadness, etc. The key technique that is touched on in this meditation is in remembering that emotions and feelings are temporary. This time of year there’s a lot of people feeling alone, especially considering the pandemic and the restrictions in place around the world right now.  Feeling lonely or down is a common reaction to this.  They key is to remember it’s not forever, even when it feels like it’s forever.  It’s not.

Keymaster Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of being in possession of all of the skills, abilities, and tools necessary to reach one’s goals and accomplish one’s ends.  It’s about being capable and skilled, resourceful and gifted with what is needed to get the job done.

Like yesterday,  there are colors and items in the imagery that stand out to me, but in this case it is more of an aesthetic appeal, as the message that came from the card when it first landed on the table was clear and succinct.

You’ve got this.

It’s the last two days of the holiday rush.

You’ve got this.

DECK USED:  KEYMASTER TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: How can I best ensure that I get the rest and recovery I need in the week ahead?

Traditional Japanese TarotReading Summary: The colors in the first two cards between the aquas and the greens connect the two cards together.  These two, connected as they are, recommend that new ideas need time to percolate.  Write them down in order to keep track of what needs done, and formulate a plan with Gideon to support you on sticking to it.

The shades of green in the Nine of Pentacles also holds a connection to the Ace of Swords. This is a reminder that now that the end of the holiday rush is at its end, it’s time to turn the mind in a new direction and take time for gratitude, and to acknowledgment of your accomplishments.

Take Away: As silly as it feels to me to need someone to sort of… “police” my activities in order to assure that I get the rest I need this week to recover from the god-awful chaos and exhaustion of the holiday rush… I also know that I’m not able to fully step away without that watchful (and somewhat constant) reminder that I’m not supposed to be working.  There are things to get done and I struggle with not doing them as they pop into my head, worried they won’t get done otherwise.  I need to make sure I’m writing these things down and making a list I can then work at checking things off on later after I’ve had a few days to recover.

DECK USED:  JAPANESE TRADITIONAL TAROT

Mystic Star December Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the best way to share my gifts with those around me?

Tarot of Light and Shadow

Reading Summary: Use what you’ve learned (Six of Cups) to inspire and motivate others (Queen of Wands). And allow them to help you (Three of Serpents) when you need help to defeat your own demons and come out on top (Five of Swords).

Take Away:  This is about making sure that I respect the give-and-take that happens between myself and others.  I always try to give and help, teach and offer… but struggle with taking help in turn.   The cards here indicate that I am capable of inspiring others even while I allow others to help me with what I need help with.  They are not mutually exclusive.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

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?

Steampunk Tarot, Oracolarium, Викканский Оракул Теней

Earth – Knight of Pentacles and Water – Things are slowing down. You don’t really need the cards to tell you that as it’s very obvious, but of course here you see it plain as day.  Business is slowing from the holiday rush, and with it the money that comes in will slow as well.  Do not look at this as a shot in the foot and mourn the loss, but rather pace yourself to match the slow and be kind to yourself both in the stepping up of your self-care as well as in how you relate to yourself emotionally during this time of slowing down.

Air – King of Swords and Bear – You have done all that you set out to do and exceeded your expectations.  Now is a time to retreat into the solid footing you have created and feel a sense of  peace in the fact that you have done well.  Don’t allow doubts to set you off balance but own  your success with inner strength and confidence.

Water – Nine of Pentacles and Crystals – Turn your focus to how secure you feel now with the success you have under your belt.   Changing gears during this time of year can be a struggle, but to keep yourself emotionally balanced you need to switch quickly to the good that has happened and the good that has been earned. Cast your eye to the positive and keep it there.  Don’t hesitate… do it now.

Fire – Four of Wands and Samhain – Again we see a sign of completion and endings.   This too, is an indication of the holiday rush coming to the end.  The chaos and wild whirlwind is closing out this week, and things settle once more into a more sedate pace.  This week is a time of rest and you need to do just that.  Even though there are things that need preparing for the new year, set them aside this week and worry about them after you have taken a few days to rest and recover.

Waning – Wisdom – Take some time for yourself this week. The Wisdom card is about collecting wisdom and passing it on to others, but this week you need to just cherish your quiet time and not worry about the rest of the world all that much. Some healthy seclusion is needed… share later.

Waxing – Evocation – The theme of the evocation card is “to manifest change in the world, begin within”.  This card brings into focus that now is the time to shift back into what changes you want to make in your own life and in yourself.  Over the past few weeks you have closed yourself off, shut down your needs and ignored the demands of your body, mind, and emotions.  This week it’s time to turn that around and return your focus to a more balanced care for yourself.

Take Away – This week’s reading is all about the changing gears that come from shifting out of the holiday rush and back to the slower pace of everyday life.  Although this transition is not easy, there are things you can do to help yourself make this transition go smoothly.  Focusing on the positive you have accomplished, and the positive you want to achieve in yourself and your self care, making sure you give yourself the rest you need to adjust and be kind to yourself rather than harsh and judgemental.

DECKS USED:  STEAMPUNK TAROT, ORACOLARIUM, Викканский Оракул Теней (WICCAN ORACLE OF SHADOWS)

Don’t Stop Yet

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IMG_8210Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was another of the guided meditations from the Calm app accompanied by an interval timer for my piriformis stretching. 

The topic of today’s meditation was about choosing your battles.

The thing is, everyone has those times when something sticks “under their craw” and they jump forward into an argument either in defense of something they believe in, or maybe just because they don’t like how something was said or who said it.  But if we spend our lives in that space where we’re always ready to jump on every little thing, it diminishes the joy we feel in the day to day.

This is where it’s important to choose your battles wisely.  Not just because you want to win or be in the right, but also because you don’t want strife and conflict to overtake the joys in your life.

Green Witch Tarot - The Battle WagonToday’s draw is the Chariot (which in this deck is known as The Battle Wagon), which is traditionally a representation of willpower leaning into action.  It is about motivation, progress, and success through determination.

The horses really stood out to me in this card today, but I think it’s more because they’re pretty than anything, because the message that came through when the card first hit the table was, “No rest for you today. Get back on the wagon.”

This is fitting, and was actually really good advice. I had a really nice and relaxing Friday with Gideon and I really didn’t feel like going back to work for these last three days of the holiday rush.  And yet… if I had not taken that advice from the Battle Wagon card this morning?  I’d be up until three or four in the morning tonight trying to finish the work that landed in my lap today.

Because I did listen?  I get to actually get some sleep tonight. That’s a win in my book.

DECK USED:  GREEN WITCH TAROT

LionHart’s 20/21 Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic: In what way can I use 2020 as an inspiration for 2021?

Inkromancy Tarot

Reading Summary: Continue with the changes that were started in 2020 (Death). Keep your eye on the prize even though the progress is slow going (Knight of Pentacles), and don’t judge yourself harshly for the extra time it takes (Judgement).

Take Away:  I need to remember that I’m not on a deadline where it comes to the emotional growth I’m working through and the changes I’m working on making concerning my work balance and personal care priorities.  This isn’t a race and there’s no finish line, which means it takes as long as it takes and there’s no such thing as “lagging behind”.  I’m so used to pushing myself so hard on every project and endeavor that I sometimes forget that this isn’t like making it through a holiday rush or working on a project with a deadline in mind. Stop worrying so much about how long it’s taking… or how long it takes… or whatever speed I am moving along that path.

DECK USED:  INKROMANCY TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where do I find the most joy in life?

Bonestone & Earthflesh TarotLook at that Empress and Sun card.  Talk about artwork flow in a reading!

I find the most joy in life in my connection with the earth and celebrating that connection through enjoying time in the presence of the earth and her generosity.  When I connect with the earth through my time in the outdoors, I am given energy and an inner healing that I can’t find anywhere else, which is not just healing but also uplifting.

There is also an outlier here in the Ten of Wands which is an indication of a sort of self destructive joy I find in being busy.  This particular joy has to do with feeling like I’m accomplishing things… even if in doing so it grinds me into the ground.

DECK USED:  BONESTONE & EARTHFLESH TAROT