tarot

Appreciating The Now

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

Today’s meditation was ten minutes, and focused on fostering awareness within the present moment.

They titled this guided meditation as “awakening”, with the perspective that one awakes from their internal focus to the awareness of the world around them. This is a take on mindfulness that I had not heard of before and was interesting to incorporate into my meditation today.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Cups, which is a representation of completion, transcendence, and possible excess in the area of emotions, relationships, intuition, and creativity.

The Ten of Cups is all about emotional fulfillment and contentment, and its appearance today is a reminder to be aware of just how good Things are in my life right now.

I have so much…. a truly bountiful life. I have people that love me, a comfortable home, the opportunity in my life for creativity and self expression.

As is often the case, my focus is usually pushing towards the future, my goals, and what’s next. A visit from the Ten of Cups this morning is a reminder to pay attention to, and appreciate , all of the blessings currently in my life and to not focus solely on what lies ahead.

Ethony’s 31 Days of Tarot 2019 (Part 1)

/ Twist the Leaf / 7 Comments

dh18ou2z

So each year Ethony (which is a blog I follow) does a “31 Days of Tarot” challenge in January. This is mostly done by YouTubers that put their replies in vids up on the site. I don’t use YouTube, but I wanted to try the challenge this year.

That said? Between my very challenging beginning to 2019 and the depression that soon followed and stole nearly two months from me, I’m just now finding myself in a place where I can attempt this challenge. I figure better late than never, right?

Instead of doing one a day, I’m going to group them into a few at a time. There may be days I only do one (or none). There may be days I do five or more. I’m not on any huge time schedule, really, so I figure I can just do them at my own pace.

So, here we go…

  1. 2019 – Reading – Energy – Major Lesson
    The major lessons in my Year Ahead spread is that there is going to be a lot of struggle and strife going on this year and that, as long as I continue to strive for balance in the different aspects of my life and within myself, everything will work out in the end.
  2. Top 5 Tarot Decks of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
    Tarot of the Hidden Realm is at the very top of this list. I’ve had a handful of decks that I really connected with, but this is the strongest I’ve ever experienced. From the moment of the unboxing, I was connecting with this deck on a whole new level than any other deck I’ve ever used.
    Cucoloris Tarot – I’m not sure if I bought this at the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. The moment I saw this deck I fell for it, and when it arrived i was not disappointed on any level. There’s something about the lines and use of color in this deck that really draws my eye.
    Japanese Myth Tarot – I love the artwork and the color scheme. I haven’t done a lot with this deck since receiving it, but I have plans to explore it further in the near future.
    Linestrider Tarot – I actually bought this deck because the artwork was a good match to the Hedgewitch Oracle Deck. I was curious how they would play together and they definitely do in my opinion. Surprisingly, all the white space in both decks compliments rather than being overwhelming.
    Shadowscapes Tarot – I resisted buying this deck for a long time, but curiosity finally won out and I did end up getting one. I’ve flipped through and admired the artwork on the cards, but I haven’t used it for readings yet. It feels very “light and airy” to me, and I require a certain head-space to work with decks that have that sort of energy.
    Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot – A research deck. I have the original 1971 version of the Rider, but I felt the need for a newer version for reference material.
  3. Top 5 Oracle Decks of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
    Angels and Ancestors Oracle Deck – I use this deck for a seasonal spread this year, and I’ve been really happy with the results and I find them to be a remarkably easy read. I also like that the angels in this deck aren’t the traditional take on angels or cupids, which is something that can often really turn me off on a deck that incorporates angels in the artwork.
    Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle – As a lover of the green, this one was irresistible to me, and I’ve enjoyed working with it since its arrival in my collection. I have plans to do a deep dive on this deck at some point and do some pretty hefty research into it beyond my science-based botanical education and into the more hedge-witch side of things.
    Kuan Yin Oracle – This deck is all about the artwork for me, which is beautiful but does not necessarily meet up with my interpretation and understanding of Kuan Yin. That said, I choose to view this deck more as a general “goddess” deck than a Kuan Yin deck, and that works for me. These cards have a soft, warm feeling to their energy, and I have a couple of tarot decks I want to try pairing them with, but I have a feeling they will work better as an affirmation deck.
    I could be wrong… but I think that these are the only Oracle decks that I purchased in 2018.
  4. Top 5 Tarot Books of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
    Holistic Tarot, Tarot Reversals (which was helpful in my 2018 year long in-depth study of the WildWood deck), Guidebook to the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Tarot, and Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card.
    To be honest, I don’t get a good deal of time to sit down with books for the pleasure of just reading. This means that I’m part way through each one of these books rather than having finished any one of them cover to cover. The exception to this is the Tarot Reversals, which I have not read cover to cover but I have read in its entirety by skipping around from place to place through my use of it as reference material.
  5. The card that stalked you in 2018
    I didn’t have a single stalker card in 2018. I had three. Three queens, to be exact. The Queen of Cups, Queen of Pentacles, and Queen of Swords. Although two of the queens have since eased off in their constant attention, the Queen of Swords continues to follow me to date this year.
  6. The deck you finally crossed off your wish list in 2018
    The Anna K Tarot. I stalled on buying this one for a long time. I’m not sure I can explain why I waited so long other than it just didn’t feel like the time was right. A few videos on BohoTarot’s YouTube channel ended up tipping the scales for me, though. She has some really great video work, clear pictures and nice aesthetic that really set off the cards and pushed this deck’s long-lingering existence on my wish list into a purchase.
  7. Most worked with Tarot deck in 2018 and why
    I did a lot of work with the WildWood Tarot in 2018. I found the differences and contrasts between it and my own tarot teachings very interesting, and it took me a lot of time to explore this deck as it’s quite a bit different than the number/suit basis that I’ve been using for the last 20 years. I did a year-long deep dive into this deck in 2018. My only regret? I wish I’d journalled the journey, and I believe I made a mistake in not having done so.

I think that’s it for today.  I’ll get a few more done and make another post with Part 2 in the near future.

 

A Hole of My Own Making

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty three seconds, and focused on concentration. It had an interesting notation from a scientific journal, which of course I can’t remember the name of right now, that said that in this digital age when everyone is so distracted and pulled in so many different directions all of the time, even a goldfish has better focus than most people.

It encouraged working on developing one’s concentration in order to not just live a more mindful life, but also foster healthy relationships and activities.

Today’s draw is the Five of Pentacles, which Is a representation of tests, trials, and “harshness” in the area of money, resources, and the physical world.

“During the winter months, all living things are challenged to survive until spring.” – Journey Into the Hidden Realms by Barbara Moore

I’ve been a bit more “spendy” The normal lately. It’s pretty much a bit of splurging on myself combined with wiping away some little inconveniences by spending a little bit more to avoid them. Things such as eating out more than usual instead of packing food along, purchasing groceries already partially prepared, skipping trips to the food bank, etc which has been combined with indulgences such as buying brand name foods instead of the generics, purchasing a deck or a book here and there that I would normally have held off on, etc.

As a whole, this behavior has created a bit of a deficit for me and my finances, which in turn inspires a bit of an “oh fuck” mentality.

The five of pentacles is an indication that I need to take a mindful look at the small hole that I’ve dug for myself and am currently sitting in. Remember how I got here, and correct the behavior.

The card’s appearance is also a reminder that, like all things, this too will be temporary and I will move past it in time and recover from it. This may involve the necessity of asking for help, such as requesting my hours to be adjusted at work, getting back in the habit of going to the food bank regularly, and perhaps seeing if J is willing to pitch in for a bit with grocery money.

Mindful Gratitude

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and twenty eight seconds, and focused on listening. The kind of listening that engages more than just your ears, but also the mind and the heart. Often, people “hear” what others are saying, not just in passing but even in conversations, but they’re too busy plotting their next words or with their minds on something else to actually -listen-. This ability to focus and truly listen is important and even I am guilty of neglecting to do this from time to time.

Today’s draw is the Nine of Cups, which is a card of within the suit of emotions, relationships, imagination, and creativity. The ninth card in this suit represents. fruition, gratitude, contentment, and the consequences that are involved with finding yourself at the end of a journey.

The Ten of Cups speaks to looking back upon the path that you have traveled, and being grateful for where it has brought you.

This is a theme that I have been working on in my life lately. Gratitude and self-care. I have to admit that there’s a bit of a struggle involved. Or… maybe struggle isn’t the right word. It’s more like trying to develop a new habit. You need to remember to mindfully rinse and repeat again and again until it becomes a habit over time.

For me, self-care and being mindfully grateful for the present are the habits that I am trying to instill. I see this card as an encouragement to keep at it, even when I feel frustrated or uninspired.

Hello Stalker Card – The Queen of Swords

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

Today’s meditation was 10 minutes and 26 seconds, and focused on fostering patients and acceptance while tending to your chosen path. It discussed the importance of checking in with yourself regularly along the paths that you’ve chosen to take in life, in order to tend to your needs and ensure healthy growth.

Today’s draw is the Queen of Swords, which appears to be the lingering stalker card that followed me out of 2018 and into 2019. I see her often, not just in my daily draws, but also in my spreads, and even my random pulls when in the process of studying different decks. When I slip in the middle of a shuffle? She is the card that falls out of the deck to land face up on the table.

The Queen of Swords is a matriarchal-type authority figure, personality, or energy in the areas of thoughts, logic, communication, and intuition. She represents independence and truth, with a receptivity that indicates a seeking of (and discerning of) truth through a willingness to entertain the influence of added perspectives and a wider view that will then allow for cutting through the bullshit.

I have a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty when it comes to my skills of communication. Not just face to face, but just in general. Whether it’s in person or online, I seem to have an excessive amount of instances where things I say are taken the “wrong way” or twisted to mean something they did not.

Because of this, I’ve hurt people. I’ve been attacked by people. I’ve lost friends and made enemies. It happens, but it seems to -always- be because of my communication skills. And, over the years, I’ve withdrawn more and more over time from communicating with others. When I -do- communicate, it’s careful. It’s…. ugh, it’s like adding a bunch of fluff to the outside of a ball to make it softer for the other person’s hands to catch? I hope that made sense.

The repeated appearance of the Queen of Swords is telling me to knock it off. Cut the fluff and be the blunt communicator that I’ve always been. Those that know me know I’m not attacking them, just being blunt and to the point. What does it really matter what others think as long as I can communicate and be myself with the ones I care about?

Lifting the Veil

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was 10 minutes and 34 seconds, and focused on the positive aspects of humility over ego, focusing on how one can enrich their lives by being grateful rather than with a mentality of entitlement.

I find this type of guided meditation not to be a focus for the day, so much as a “touchstone” of sorts. Something to view and absorb, agree with or contemplate, and in doing so these topics because a part of you. I like that.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Cups, which is a representation of endings and transcendence (and occasionally excess) in the areas of emotions, creativity, relationships, and imagination.

This card’s appearance today is a reminder to be grateful for what you have. This is not necessarily something that is difficult for me to do, but what IS difficult is to realize today’s contentment, and in the process allowing myself to let go of that iron grip I have on pushing forward. It is as if with the drive to push, push, push onward and forward towards my goals, a veil drops over the present, hiding it from my view.

That is the message from the Ten of Cups in today’s draw. It’s okay to push ahead, but not so hard that you miss the things in your life right now that make you content and happy.

Lift the veil that ambition and drive use to obscure the present and be grateful for the road you’ve trod, and the lessons you’ve learned. Carry that knowledge forward with you, along with the contentment and pleasure you have within the present moment.