tarot self care

Morning Bonus Read – Releasing Chaos

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The Ellis Deck - Shed That Shit Tarot Spread

What is disrupting my peace of mind?
Two of Pentacles atop Eight of Swords

I spent a good deal of time in the fall trying to run away from my thoughts and feelings about switching from the emotional growth of the summer to the responsibilities and overwhelm of the holiday rush.  Unfortunately, this created a bit of a procrastination situation that has developed into a harder time with balancing work and home now that the holiday rush has arrived.

Not being as prepared as I’d like to be (even though it’s my own damned fault) is definitely disrupting my peace of mind.

Why am I still allowing this to affect me?
Five of Cups

Because I regret fucking up. I’m experiencing the repercussions of the procrastination I indulged in during the fall. I do understand that I’m going to need to let this disappointment in myself go, though, as it will only cause me another hurdle during an already difficult and busy time.

How can I release what no longer serves me?
Five of Swords atop The Fool

The foundation of success lies in letting go and freeing myself to fully dive into the enthusiasm of the rush. There is pleasure and adventure in the process if I allow it… so let go of the tension and the tightness and the self-recriminations, and dive in.

DECK USED: THE ELLIS DECK TAROT 5TH 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?

Global Fusion Intuitive Tarot, ExtraOrdinary Oracle, Mirror of Mama Shamana Oracle

Earth – Seven of Diamonds atop Strength and Fuzzy Dice – It’s okay not to know everything that’s coming in advance. Remember that a part of strength is staying steadfast in moments of uncertainty. Your path is a long journey and there will be many times of uncertainty along the way, but with a foundation of your inner strength and conviction you will always be able to carry-on.

Air – Five of Clubs and Stray Sock – Standing up for what you believe and can sometimes make you feel very alone. Especially when you can’t manage to sway people to see reason, logic, or your own perspective. Don’t struggle in these alone times, but rather understand that this too is a part of your growth and brings meaning to your life. The universe has a plan.

Water – Eight of Clubs and Guestroom atop The Letter – It’s possible that this week you’re going to be feeling as if your emotions are trying to beat the crap out of you, or are going to fast for you to keep up with. These are the times that you need to reach out and get help. Don’t let the uncertainty swallow you up and create sleepless nights as a result.

Fire – Two of Swords and TV Dinner – Over the next week there will be a variety of different difficult choices to make. This isn’t the time to half ass things. Make sure that you’re paying attention and really thinking through your choices. This is about more than going with your gut.

Waning – The Elixir Witch and “No enemy can withstand a heartfelt cup of tea” – Although there are still some things you need to get done, like every year at this time of year, spellcraft needs to take a backseat at the moment. There’s just not enough time and not enough focus to continue on with it until after the holiday season has drawn to a close.

Waxing – The Crow Queen and “She is observing simply, she’s a witness” – Stay out of the business of the heartbreak of others right now. You have too much on your plate to be dealing with other peoples problems at the moment.

Take Away – This week might bring about worries about the future and a feeling of isolation, but remember that that is a feeling and it isn’t based in fact, just reactionary emotion.  Set aside the distractions that pull your attention from what needs done right now.  Everything else will wait while you put your all into what demands the lion’s share of your focus.

DECKS USED: GLOBAL FUSION INTUITIVE TAROT, EXTRAORDINARY ORACLE, MIRROR OF MAMA SHAMANA ORACLE

Morning Bonus Read – Situational Projections

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“There is a LOT of energy in the world this week. We are all carrying and absorbing a lot of anxiety, relief, uncertainty, etc, I’d guess. It’s crucial during these kinds of times to try to pay attention to our intuition underneath the anxiety, although this can be tricky to do. This week, pick one (or more) situation in your life that you need to make a decision on this month, and do a situation-action-outcome reading on it. The goal here is to get clarity and give our intuition (or spiritual guidance) a voice even in the midst of uncertainty and anxiety and big emotions.”

Bag of Bones Playing CardsI chose to allow the cards to choose the situation discussed in the reading.  Therefore, the cards pulled for “situation” are used to describe the situation that becomes the topic of the reading as a whole.

Situation No. 1

Situation – Two of Spades atop Ten of Hearts – Struggling with decision-making when it comes to working on my emotional growth. I’m so used to using logic and discounting my emotions that sometimes it’s extremely difficult for me to allow my emotions to filter into the decision making process. This means that I end up stuck and stagnant rather than moving forward. This is a problem I struggled with through the summer months and feels… unfinished.

Action – Two of Clubs – Taking the time to plan and strategize rather than just ignoring the problem or moving forward without a plan. I haven’t quite figured out how to do this yet.  I think it has to do with making sure I’m focusing on where I want to go, though, instead of becoming distracted by that feeling of lack of progress and ending up stuck there.

Outcome – King of Diamonds – Taking control of my goals and being able to accomplish them from the rooted place of a stable foundation.  The King of Diamonds indicates that allowing my emotions to have a say in my decision making process won’t steer me off track regardless of the fact it feels like it might.

Situation No. 2

Situation – Ten of Clubs – Overburdening myself is a situation that I find myself in a lot.  Like… A LOT.  Although, this summer I did make a few changes that seemed to help a good deal with my cycles of burnout and recovery.I managed to make it through all of the summer without a single burnout episode, actually, which is kind of unheard of.   But now with the holiday rush upon me, I know that the old tendency to burn myself out until I’m not just overburdened but no longer able to function is on the rise.

Action – Nine of Diamonds – Pretending everything is all right and good and that I’m in a good place instead of looking at the problem.  This is my main way of functioning through discomfort, whether that discomfort is pain or exhaustion, or any other number of situations.  The problem is?  When I do this it creates a well of closeted and walled off emotions, because I have to numb my insides for it to work.

Outcome – Four of Hearts – Delays due to dejection are the results of this unhealthy way of dealing with my tendency to overburden myself.  As I am susceptible to clinical depression, dejection is not a safe thing for me as it allows the slope down into the pit of depression to become slippery, and the more slippery that slope becomes then the faster and easier I slide down into the pit.  This reading is a warning about what not to do… and what to watch out for.

DECK USED: BAG OF BONES PLAYING CARDS

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?

Scorpio Sea Tarot, Wild Medicine Herbal Deck, Wild Rituals Intentions Deck, Spirit Animals Oracle

Earth – The Hierophant and Vitex – Restraint is needed this week when it comes to your finances and your health.  Take some time this week to reassess your finances and make some adjustments.  Make sure when you see your financial advisor later this week that you discuss these reassessments and lean into that restraint for the time being. (Now is not the time to tip your mortgage payment back up to double payments.)

Air – Page of Cups and Mugwort – Anxiety and depression come from the mind, and they have a habit of trying to sneak in when you’re feeling vulnerable. You’re going to be feeling a bit tender footed this week and you need to make sure that you are doing your meditation to help in keeping your negative inner dialogue from disrupting your balance.

Water – Ace of Cups and Masculine Energy – You need to acknowledge over this week the progress that you have made with your emotional growth and new emotional intelligence.  Don’t discount the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made. Keep in mind that you are strong and capable, and will be able to sustain yourself and support what you’ve accomplished through the holiday season’s busy times simply by acknowledging that the progress exists.

Fire – Six of Swords atop Three of Swords Rx, Feverfew atop Skullcap – It’s time to focus upon moving past your disappointments into a healthier and more productive mental space. You might end up feeling a bit under the weather this week and it’ll mess with your inspirational spark, but you need to examine whether this “under the weather” is truly a physical ailment… or possibly psychosomatic in nature.

Waning – Bear (Introspection) – Now is the time to focus on moving away from introspective pursuits that pull you into yourself and away from others. Going out in nature is healthy, but don’t pull away and retreat in other aspects of your life that would leave you susceptible to the negative effects of solitary time.

Waxing – Horse (Freedom) – Open your mind and heart to new paths and inspirations.  Although the cards above indicate inspiration might be in short supply, don’t allow your “under the weather” feelings to choke out the ideas that come through.  Explore them and enjoy them.

Take Away – Financial restraint. Make sure I’m meditating to counteract vulnerability and the negative effects of my inner dialogue. Keep in mind my progress and accomplishments, and take care of my health by delving into what may be behind when I’m feeling sick.

There doesn’t seem to be a cohesive message this week, but rather a handful of different smaller tips of things to keep in mind.

DECKS USED:  SCORPIO SEA TAROT, WILD MEDICINE HERBAL DECK, WILD RITUALS INTENTIONS DECK, SPIRIT ANIMALS ORACLE

Morning Bonus Read – Holidays Are Coming

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, talk with your divination tools about how to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. This is a crazy year, and the holidays are often a crazy time even during normal years! Let’s see what we can do now to be prepared and show up as our best selves.”

Cartomancy Playing Card ReadingWhat are things I need to be aware of/look out for in the upcoming holiday season?

Three of Clubs – You need to make sure that you’re staying focused on where you want to go and the goals you want to accomplish. There’s been a lot of distraction (especially mental distraction) in your life lately, and awareness the direction you need to go in and having a clear plan to get there is the best way to make sure that this holiday season goes smoothly.

King of Spades (Lily) atop Three of Spades – You need to keep an eye out for delays through the winter months that might cause you to feel emotional upheaval as a result.  It’s possible, especially due to the current economy and pandemic, that the holiday rush will be sluggish or slow this year. This is something you need to keep an eye on and strategize on what you can to counter act when possible.

What are things I should do now to physically prepare for the holidays?

Five of Clubs atop Ten of Hearts (Dog) – Don’t allow conflict with loved ones to hold things back.  Make sure you are getting enough exercise and outside time in nature to keep harmony in place.  You know how cranky you get when you don’t get enough time grounding in the woods.

Queen of Spades (Bouquet) – Take care of your mental health. This is a reiteration that you need to make sure you’re getting out into nature when you need that grounding and exercise. Fresh air and time among the trees is good for the body and the mind, and if you want to keep yourself in a positive space physically and mentally, you need to give yourself what you need to make that happen.

What are some things I should do now to emotionally prepare for the holidays?

Nine of Diamonds (Coffin) – Don’t allow the money situation this holiday season to get you down.  It’s okay if you’re not making as much as you want to make as long as you’re bringing in as much as you need. With everything going on in the world, being able to be comfortable is enough. Prepare yourself now for this possibility. Don’t set your heart on astounding profit and it’ll help keep your depression in check.

Jack of Clubs (Whip) – Get your shit together, motivationally speaking. It will create less of a feeling of conflict later on if you can get yourself together now.  Think of how much better you feel when you’ve managed to be prepared for stressful situations rather than when you aren’t and have to work on the fly without any previous preparation available.

What are some boundaries I should put in place for myself now as we ramp up to the holidays?

Queen of Hearts (Stork) – You need to adjust how you view (and provide yourself) self care. You are not going to make it through the chaos of the holiday season if you’re unwilling to give yourself the care you need to make it through.  This is not limited to the walks in the woods mentioned above, but also concerns your other self care methods as well.

Ace of Hearts (Man) – Don’t allow yourself to close off entirely from Gideon during the holidays. As busy as it might be, you need that connection with him in order to stay healthy and happy.  He is also your support system for the new emotions and emotional intelligence you’ve been working on for the past year, so when these new emotions well up, you need to make sure you are going to him for help in sorting them out and easing their intensity.

What is one thing I should focus on in order to show up to the holidays as my best self?

Ten of Clubs (Bear) – As strong as you are? You’re not invincible. You can’t carry it all on your shoulders and you can’t “be the boss” every second of every day.  If you don’t release your grip a bit now and then, you can’t find balance or find that best self that resides within you.

DECK USED:  SANDS CASINO DECK c.1990s w/ HAND DRAWN LENORMAND IMAGES

Transitioning from October to November

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This is a spread that I do at the end of each month to close out the month.

Month End Tarot Check In - Skele-Tarot and Nicoletta Ciccoli Tarot

Individuality – King of Swords and Nascondino – Hiding from responsibilities and allowing a fog to swirl in and create confusion and panic where clarity is needed.  Fear follows and creates tension as you fear what you can’t see and what might pass you buy entirely without seeing you in turn.

Dependence – Hanged Man atop The Empress, Dolceamara atop Rose Red – In the grasp of the above mentioned situation, you have lost sight of your need for self care and your walls are trying to come up and close you off from others. This habit is not healthy for you, or for others either.  Don’t allow your walls to get so high that you can no longer see beyond them.

Creativity – Ten of Wands Rx, Mary Go Round, Hide and Seek – Less burden and a bit more fun.  A different path than the one you are used to walking upon. You’re trying to change.  Remember that this isn’t about changing who you are or the person others see, but about changing the habits that are unhealthy for you and exchanging them for something better.

Limitation – Three of Cups and [Unknown Title] – Your self flagellation for having a good time and taking care of your needs (social and otherwise). That negative inner dialogue has begun to spread out from your inner voice and influence your actions and emotions.  There is no need to punish yourself.  It will only set you back.

Change – King of Pentacles and Agata – Your guides and the cards are working together to comfort you over your financial uncertainties.  You should listen and lean into that comforting rather than stubbornly clinging to the worries you’ve been struggling with. Allowing that comforting to do its job and listening to the nurturing voice that’s trying to help you will allow for you to find solid footing concerning how you feel about your finances and resources.

Sympathy – Justice and Luck – Times in the past when you have been treated unjustly have been swirling around the outer edges of your awareness recently and causing a dimming of your inner “shine”.  This is a shadow that wants to rise up and needs to be soothed back into place with reminders that that time of powerlessness is in the past now.

Luck – Five of Cups and The Ice Princess – Remember when you were learning how to serve and your grip on the tray wobbled, all of the glasses on the tray sliding off to the floor except one? Even though they fell, none of them broke, and the one still on the tray didn’t even spill a little bit.  It was a triumph… even in the face of failure.  Sometimes we can wall ourselves off to those small triumphs, and you’re at risk of doing that now.  Make sure you don’t forget to celebrate the little things.

Power – Seven of Wands, Cuddle, Last Days – Feeling ganged up on and vulnerable does not mean it’s time to build up your walls and seclude yourself away from the rest of the world.

Responsibility – Two of Wands, Cowgirl, [Unknown Title] atop Blue Bird and The Fox – Grab a direction and run with it.  This message is an echo of a previous reading you did that said the same thing.  Essentially, put on your big boy pants and GO already.  Stagnation is not your friend.  I pulled clarification cards on this position, which then indicate a need for diligence and paying attention to your surroundings.

Message from Spirit World – Overcome your feelings of vulnerability not by closing yourself off, but rather by accepting comfort and allowing it to both ground and energize you.  Keep an eye out for predators.

Message from Mind’s World – Don’t poison yourself with old habits that you know aren’t good for you. It will close you off from being able to see “the full picture” and leave you forsaking positive activities for less healthy ones.

Message from Known World – All actions have consequences and repercussions.  Make sure that you are paying attention to what you do staying true to path and kind to yourself.

DECKS USED:  SKELE-TAROT AND NICOLETTA CICCOLI TAROT (MODIFIED)