tarot self care

There Is Light at the End of the Tunnel

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and wasn’t really focused on anything in particular even though it was a guided meditation.   The guide took me through a breathing exercise and then spoke near the end about the new year and how important it is to step forward into the future with a mentality of hope and anticipation rather than pessimism.

The Emperor - Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is The Emperor of the Major Arcana.  I really love the imagery for this Emperor card, which speaks to me of not just dominance and control, but an earthy power behind that strength as well.

The Emperor’s appearance on this last day of the year is an encouragement.  I have been feeling very adrift and struggling with an awkward sense of directionless discomfort over the past week since the holiday rush ended.  The Emperor is a reminder that it won’t always be that way and I’ll find that familiar sense of grounded strength and surety once again soon enough.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: How can I make the most of this coming year?

Fateshifter’s TarotReading Summary:  Set aside my inner conflict (Five of Swords) and instead embrace the new beginnings that the new year represents (The World) and jump in with both feet (Eight of Wands).  Give and Take (Six of Pentacles)

Take Away:  Sometimes how you take your steps forward into the future is an inspiration to others, and sometimes the way others do so can be an inspiration to us.  The cards in today’s draw is telling me to look outside myself and seek out the guidance of others to help me in embracing  the new year and all that it entails with open arms.

DECK USED:  THE FATESHIFTER’S TAROT

Year’s End Reflections

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was not guided and not particularly eventful.   It was a body scan that started at the top of my head and moved slowly down to the tips of my toes before focusing upon certain areas that were showing tension that needed a bit of extra work.

I often do some of my physio and stretching during my meditation, as it allows me to breathe and pause for long moments in a stretch, and that is what the second half of my meditation was is that stretch and pause routine with breathing exercises to keep me focused.

Judgement- Tarot of the Little Prince Today’s draw is the Judgement card of the Major Arcana.  The Judgement card is often about looking at the “big picture” of a person’s existence and ascertaining the value of what has been offered and done.  It is about seeking out “the right thing” and knowing whether or not you are on that path.   It is about one’s moral compass, and how one follows that compass not just in a moment or event, but overall upon one’s life path.

The message in the appearance of the Judgement card in today’s draw has to do with the year coming to an end and looking back on what I have done over the past year, taking store of the good and the bad and the lessons learned, and moving forward to do better in the year ahead.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

#TarotForGrowthDecember

Question:  Where can I challenge myself moving into the new year?

This Might Hurt Tarot

Reading Summary:  I need to look at finding a more seated and secure way of doing things (Nine of Pentacles) rather than allowing conflict (Five of Wands) and struggle (Seven of Wands) to always be a challenge in my path. Instead, it is important to lean upon my expertise (Eight of Pentacles) and skill to find a better way (Death).

Take Away:   There are a lot of times that I find I feed off of the stress of being overburdened with work.  I think it is probably an adrenaline thing.  The thing is, though… it’s not healthy.  Not physically, or mentally, or emotionally.   One of the challenges I have decided to take on for the next year is finding a stronger footing and more rooted and secure way to “get my stuff done” that abandons that need for an overwhelming amount of stress.  The cards indicate the path forward to that change is through leaning on the skills and abilities I have honed over the years in relation to my craft and business.

DECK USED:  THIS MIGHT HURT TAROT

 

It’s Okay to Take It Slow

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was just under eleven minutes long, and focused on the shame some feel when taking a break or a needed rest.

To be honest?  I’m guilty of this.  I have a hard time allowing myself to rest and relax, and taking a break always feels like a waste of time.   It’s not.  I know that it is not a waste of time.  I know I need sleep and that sometimes I need to step aside and allow my focus to falter and my body and mind to both have a rest.   But it is…. so very difficult to let go.

It feels like if I take a break I’m wasting time I could use to make whatever I’m doing better or get more done of all that needs to be finished.

It’s something I need to work on, and this meditation today was a reminder of this, and of how it is not wrong nor a failure to rest and relax now and then.

Ten of Wands - Ostara TarotToday’s draw is Ten of Wands, which is a reiteration of the topic of my meditation for the day.   Today, the appearance of the Ten of Swords is about being overburdened and struggling under the weight of it all.

This card is a reminder that the holiday rush is over.  I am struggling with finding my balance after the whirlwind and the Ten of Wands has come to tell me to breathe, and that I don’t need to fill every minute of every day with everything that needs to be done.

It’s okay to set down some of the things I want or need to do, and take my time with others.  It’s okay to put a few things on the back burner and just ease up on those burdens instead of allowing myself to continue trying to ride the stress and adrenaline forward when there’s no need.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question:  How can I best honor myself in the coming year?

Sinking Wasteland Tarot

Reading Summary: Be generous with my time (Six of Pentacles) in the planning stages of new adventures (Three of Wands, because there are pitfalls (Nine of Swords) in acting too quickly (The Chariot).  Wheel of Fortune is my year card this year, and its presence in this spread indicates the ups and downs that the year has in store with me.

Take Away:  In the coming year there are going to be a lot of ups and downs.  It will be important, throughout them all, that I keep in mind the need for planning and taking my time.  Rushing into any situation that needs even a modicum of planning first will only cause problems.

DECK USED:  SINKING WASTELAND TAROT

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

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

Jumper – Seven of Pentacles – Be sure to allow yourself a sense of accomplishment in all areas and aspects of your experiences this week. Appreciate all you’ve done and accomplished as this year comes to a close.

Earth – Five of Wands and Blue Morpho – You may need to do some fighting to obtain a level of happiness and joy in the area of work this week, but it will be worth it.

Air – The Empress and Geode – Focus on caring for the self and being kind to the self this week. Your inner self needs some love, so be sure to give it the nurturing energy and attention it needs, especially concerning your thoughts and how you talk to yourself.

Water – Ace of Cups and Caiman – The new depth of emotions from the fall is starting to resurface. Be ready for hints of its arrival, as it can be sneaky and might take you by surprise if you’re not ready for it.

Fire – Nine of Wands and Asphodel – It’s time to release the guarded feeling I’ve had concerning ideas and creativity since the fall. This week, try to focus on letting go and making peace with your creative spark, and give that inner flame a chance to breathe a bit.

Waning – Raven’s Wand – Perfectionism is something that I strive for constantly, and yet I know is not something I can actually achieve. It’s time to ease up on myself and my drive to always be perfect. This doesn’t mean I have to give up on doing my best, only that I need to let go of feeling like nothing I do is good enough.

Waxing – Independence – “Good organization is the cornerstone to empowerment.” This is a quote from the guidebook for this deck, and I think it speaks volumes about where I need to focus on moving into in the week ahead. I need to ground my feet and steady myself, than move forward centered and strong.

Take Away – Acceptance, especially of the self, is key this week. This includes not just acceptance of those things that are good and right, but also your flaws and struggles. By integrating all of these things, and accepting them as a part of who you are, strength can bloom that will create the stability and strength needed to move forward confidently into the new year.

DECKS USED – DREAM KEEPER’S TAROT, NOCTURNA ORACLE, RAVEN’S WAND ORACLE

Finding Footing

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was non-existent, because my day turned into a bit of a clusterfuck the moment my feet hit the floor.   I did enjoy doing the char creation thing at the end of the day though.  The graphics part of things was very relaxing to me and I really appreciated that you were okay with that.

The High Priestess - Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is The High Priestess card of the Major Arcana, which means that the card is not about any one aspect of the human experience, but rather deals with more of a “big picture”.

The High Priestess card is usually an indication of the subconscious and/or intuition, but what I am really picking up from this card in today’s draw is that I am repressing.  It may not be intentionally…. in fact, I feel that it’s definitely not intentionally.   But there’s a sense of limbo over the past few days that is odd.  It’s as if I can’t quite find my stride after the holiday rush, and am still struggling with the strain even though the actual stressors from that time are no longer a part of my day.

The positive message here is in awareness and acknowledgement, and which will assist in finding a way through that limbo and back on solid footing.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question:  How should I greet 2020?

The Fairy Tale Tarot

Reading Summary: With an attitude of openness to new perspectives (Hanged Man) and grounded authority (The Emperor) while keeping in touch with the lessons I’ve learned in the past year (Six of Cups) when moving forward into seeking a new path with my business (Princess of Pentacles)

Take Away:  This is a continuation of my draw of the day, which spoke of finding my footing.  As the new year approaches, now is the time to find that footing and the balance I need, and to do so might mean entertaining new perspectives on how I structure my life and my time.   This is not surprising, as I am moving forward into restructuring how I run my business (behind the scenes) over the new year, and as I do this, it will be important to keep in mind the lessons I’ve learned about what works (and what doesn’t).

DECK USED:  THE FAIRY TALE TAROT (SPANISH EDITION)

 

Timing Isn’t Always Necessary

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on planning for the future.   A lot of times it seems we wait for the perfect time to start things.   The “perfect time” to find a new job, the “perfect time” to take a vacation, or the “perfect time” to fall in love.

The thing is?   There’s never a perfect time.   There’s always going to be stress going on and distractions that can get in the way.   Today’s meditation focused on this fact, and that if there’s something you want to do that might enrich your life, or something you want to experience that you are holding back on while waiting for the “perfect time”, maybe it’s time to consider that the perfect time is now.

We can always think up roadblocks and other issues to hold us back, but sometimes? It’s worth it to just take a leap and do whatever it is.  Life will continue and adjust to fit in whatever it is, and you can adapt to accommodate it as well.

Six of Swords - Tarot of the Little Prince Today’s draw is the Six of Swords, which traditionally is a representation of harmony, cooperation and vitality, as well as humanity issues and limitations in the area of the mind, intellect, and communication.  Because it comes after the conflict of the Five in this suit, it also holds representation for transitions and letting go of the bad to move on to something better.

As the young man in the card’s imagery and his trusty fox have trudged through the maze of sharp swords to get to a better place (the well), I have trudged through a lot of difficulty over the past year, and struggled a lot with being overwhelmed and over-burdened.   This is a self-caused issue, as I am the one that filled my plate to overflowing, but that didn’t make it any less overwhelming.

As I move past the holiday rush and towards the new year, the appearance of the Six of Swords is an expression of the transition that I am making.  Not just from the busiest time of year to one that is slower and more manageable, but concerning the restructuring of how I deal with the business over the next year in an effort to try something new and more manageable than I’ve been doing thus far.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What parting message does 2019 have for me?

Darkness of Light Tarot

Reading Summary:  Learn from the lessons this year has taught me (The Hierophant) and move forward into the new year (The Universe) with a sense of optimism and hope (The Star) as well as a focus on finding a stable path forward (Four of Coins).

Take Away:  The center card is the focus in this reading, speaking of stability in the area of finances, and a need to be a bit more miserly in the upcoming year than I have been in 2019.  The cards surrounding the central theme speak of learning from the lessons I’ve picked up along the path, and remembering to stay open and optimistic in my path forward into the new year and new start it brings with it.

DECK USED:  DARKNESS OF LIGHT TAROT