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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the @Calm app. The topic of today’s session was about self-care. Specifically, how when we connect more strongly with our own needs, taking good care of our physical bodies, this in turn allows us to connect more strongly with others as well.

This is because in order to connect with others, and specially to do so in a supportive role, we first have to support our own health and well being.  If we do not keep up our own health and strength, we are far less effected as a support for others. We break down easier and faster, we struggle more.

Only when we respect our own body’s needs does our body then allow us to extend ourselves in a strong and healthy way to also help or support others.

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Westwood Tarot - Eight of WandsToday’s draw is the Eight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of action, speed, alacrity, fast paced events or change, or having a target goal in your sights that you are charging towards.

This card today, when taken in relation to the meditation session done this morning, is essentially saying “hey! put your focus here because this is for you! get on it!”

In other words, today I am being called out on not taking as good care of myself as I should… and the card is asking us to reflect on how we can care for ourselves better. What can we do now that can support our health and well-being?

Not only is this card asking us to reflect on this topic, though.  It is telling us to get moving on it.  Act, rather than simply think about it.  Touch grass if you need to touch grass. Go cloud watching if you need to cloud watch.  Stretch and move if you need to stretch and move.  Give yourself what you need to be healthy and strong. Stop procrastinating about it.

DECK USED:  THE WESTWOOD TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMar2025 Challenge
Prompt for March 16 : Do Spread 3

Oracle Reading with the Dragon Crystal Channeling Cards by Shingo and Yayoi

What to leave behind along with the winter’s chill.

Garnet – It’s time to set aside your feelings of aloneness. The garnet dragons are the dragons of co-creation. They speak of going after your dreams because when your dreams are accomplished, even though they may seem like selfish goals, make the world a better place as a whole. That means that the universe is on your side in accomplishing your dreams and so is the world around you.  You are never alone and on your own, so stop allowing your inner voice to tell you that you are.

What to take with you into the spring.

Azetulite – Clarity, purpose, and trust are the themes that you need to focus on bringing with you into spring. The Azetulite dragon asks you to trust both that you will get through struggles and come out the other side better for it, as well as in yourself and your path. Within you a better sense of clarity is awakening. Run with it, and don’t let the growing pains involved turn you off course.

What needs exposed to the light and the world this spring.

Sunstone – From the sunstone dragon you are being given a reminder that your strength and passion will get you through obstacles both large and small. Lean into your passions and let them help you burn your way through those things that stand in your way.  That passion within you is powerful. Let it shine.

What needs kept close for further contemplation and meditation.

Azrite – Your mediumship practice is still relatively new. The azrite dragon urges you to be open to listening closely to not just the cards as your familiar and trusted way to communicate, but all of your senses and sensations as well. There is a myriad of ways to communicate that you could be missing by focusing too hard on just one or two. Study and contemplate. No further action is needed at this time.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Pressed Pansy Flowers for for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: DRAGON CRYSTAL CHANNELING CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I went back to bed for a bit after my morning work was done.

The Yapping Dog

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Today’s meditation was eight minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app. It was a relaxing session that hit on the topic of when you are talking to someone about something, are you actually talking -with- that person, or -at- that person?  Are they really interested? Or are you just making noise?  The concept being that we all get enthusiastic at times when socializing and forget that a conversation is an interaction of two people, not just our own voices making all the noise.

🍵 Tasseomancy Notation:  Let’s play dragons. [image]

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Cardamom Dreams Tarot - Page of SwordsToday’s draw is the Page of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, logic, ambitions, and communication. This often translates into themes that have to do with learning new ways to communicate with others, beginning new educational pursuits, exploring new ideas. and seeking to sate one’s curiosity.

When combined with the topic if today’s meditation, it brings up topic of how when we are exploring new ideas, enthusiasm can cause us to become a little over-enthusiastic in our desire to share what we’ve learned with others.

The message in today’s card is a reminder to make sure that in the sharing of those new topics and ideas with others that you aren’t preaching to them, but having an actual discussion where both sides are engaged and participating.  No one likes to be the recipient of all that eager barking where they can’t get a word in edgewise and the speaking party has no interest in hearing anything but their own voice.

DECK USED:  CARDAMOM TAROT

@Lionharts #TheMarchTarot The Power of Now Challenge
Releasing Resistance Prompts for March 9 – 15

Forest Magic OracleI create space for new insights. What perspective is ready for a shift?

Chamomile – Seek out the heavy weight of negativity that is not serving you and work at releasing it. It serves no purpose to hang onto it or let it persist. Especially when clearing it out can allow something better to move into its place that will lift you up and strengthen you, rather than weighing you down and holding you back.

I revisit past experiences with fresh eyes. What wisdom is waiting to be reclaimed?

Lavender – Clarity comes after moments when you have stepped away to temporarily immerse your senses elsewhere. One of the most important parts of making sure that you are regularly getting out in nature for your own brand of shinrin-yoku is that when you come back from these visits, you experience a kind of calm and clarity you’re otherwise not able to access.

I welcome clarity through acceptance. What perspective can help me fully accept where I am right now?

Mistletoe –  Don’t stand so stalwart in your own opinions that you reject even listening to others. Set aside animosity, long-standing conflicts, and the need to be right, and in return it will allow you to better hear what others are saying and be open to finding a path to peace.

I honor the wisdom in slowing down. How can I make space for stillness and insight?

Oak – Stay steadfast in your meditation practice. Consistency is key to not only bolstering your personal strength, but also in finding a healthy and more comfortable balance between creativity and responsibility.

I recognize what no longer aligns. What am I ready to release?

Mint – In a reinforcement of the messages from Chamomile and Mistletoe above, you are being reminded that it is time to let go of old resentments and lingering angst towards others. It’s not that you won’t survive the storm if you don’t, but in not letting go you are stunting your own growth towards better things.

I integrate the lessons of the past. How can I carry forward only what serves me?

Mugwort – Your intuition is your friend. Instead of leading with logic or listening to your emotions, which can often cause you to cling to things better left behind, prioritize listening to your intuition and let it guide you on what to keep and what is to be left behind. The brain and the emotions are louder, but they’re also usually reactionary rather than driven by your best interests.

I move forward with openness and ease. What will naturally unfold when I embrace the path ahead without resistance?

Parsley – Themes to do with intelligence, creativity, and clarity of thought are on the horizon. You can encourage this to naturally unfold by care that your defenses aren’t so reinforced that even the good stuff can’t get through.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Yellow Aventurine for Confidence
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Desert Rose for Cleansing “The Cracks in One’s Armor”
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: FOREST MAGIC ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

Okay, so it wasn’t a -success- per se, but I tried a new type of tea today in an effort to ease myself out of the rut that I’ve gotten in lately where that’s concerned. I’m grateful it’s only a sample and there’s just one serving left, but it helps open the door back up to a larger variety rather than reaching for the same thing over and over again.

Finding the Positive for March 13 – 14

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Loong's Dream Tarot Ten of Wands, Arcana Iris Sacra Tarot Ace of Pentacles and Six of Pentacles, Tasseomancy

March 13 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and was one of the #DailyCalm sessions from the @Calm app. The session started out with one of my very favorite meditation practices; a yoga nidra where the narrator walks you through a full body scan from head to toe. It then moved on to the theme for today’s session, which was a discussion on ending relationships.

The discussion posed that when we end a relationship, it is not a value judgment on the other person, but rather simply deciding when something (or rather, someone) is or isn’t for you.

I have a hard time, seeing discarding someone from your life as not being a value judgment in one way or another. That said, the quote used (“I’m learning to love the sound of my feet walking away from things not meant for me”) makes sense to me and helps me in seeing this perspective more clearly, giving me some food for thought for the day.

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Today’s draw is the Ten of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of overwhelm, burnout, struggling under too much responsibility, and can indicate a need to do some prioritizing and delegation.

Joined with the theme for today’s meditation, what I see as the message in today’s card is that sometimes we need to sit down and take a good look at our friendships and relationships, and make sure that they are a good fit.  If someone in your life constantly makes you feel less than, exhausted, or negative… perhaps it’s time to consider that that’s not a relationship you need to have in your life.

The people who truly love and care about you won’t do things and say things to make you feel that way again and again. Accidents happen, until it’s not an accident but a pattern, and over time that pattern becomes too much.  Keep in mind that there’s no reason you  have to wait until things hit critical mass before you remove these people from your life.  The sooner you deal with it? The sooner that weight will be removed from your shoulders.

DECK USED: LOONG’S DREAM TAROT

March 14 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app. The session for today explored sinking into one’s senses as a form of focus for one’s meditation. Not all of the senses at once, but by picking one to focus on for a duration of time, before you then shift to another. In this way, you then cycle through the sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

The premise being that, even when you are not meditating, you can use this momentary hyper-focus on a sense, or cycling through the senses, to help you to center yourself when things are feeling overwhelming or chaotic.

🍵 Tasseomancy Notation:  Don’t take your shoes off or you’ll be sorry.

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Today’s draw is the Six of Disks atop the Ace of Disks.

  • In the Thoth tradition (which is the system for this tarot deck), the Six of Disks is often interpreted as success, achieving or creating harmony and balance, the opportunity to succeed at an endeavor, and the balanced stability that comes through experience.
  • In the Thoth tradition, the Ace of Disks is often seen as a representation of the “root” of the Earth element’s power. Within this root is the power of manifestation in the area of our resources and opportunities, as well as the connection between nature and our inner selves.

[Note that I am not as learned on the Thoth system as I am in the RWS system. The definitions above are my understanding of the Thoth system, and if you are in the process of learning that system, please take those interpretations with a grain of salt.]

Like the meditation topic for today, these cards, encourage focus in order to manifest a specific result. In the meditation, you focus on the senses (or a specific one of your senses) in order to find balance and center yourself in the middle of chaos. In these cards, it says when you are striking out on a new endeavor, make sure that you are focused on success so that you can manifest that success as you move forward.

If you focus on failure, you have a greater chance of failing. If you focus on success, you have a better chance of succeeding. Just as with the meditation exercise today if you were to focus on the chaos around you as opposed to upon a specific sense, instead of finding the centering that you’re looking for you would only sink deeper into chaos and overwhelm it creates.

DECK USED: ARCANA IRIS SACRA

Finding the Positive for March 10 – 12

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Friborg's New Classic Tarocchi Seven of Coins, Unnamed Tarot's Five of Wands, Student Tarot v3's Fool and Hierophant

March 10 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the @Calm app.  Today’s session was all about how we can inure ourselves to heavy and chaotic emotions by allowing ourselves to “sip at the emotional well” a little at a time each day.

This doesn’t mean that we have to “sip at” negative emotions either, but rather that the activity of allowing ourselves to experience our emotions in the day to day (good, bad, and otherwise) instead of closing them away or ignoring them, allows us to gain experience in all types of emotions as a whole.

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In Tarot de Marseille, the 7 di Denari is often interpreted as a card of apprenticeship, speaking of the long journey one takes in learning and honing one’s skills.  It’s about not just guidance and mentorship, but about the patience and time involved. True skill takes time to develop and hard work to hone.

Combined with the meditation session from earlier this morning, the message in today’s cards is that emotions are not meant to be one of those things you just master with a snap of your fingers. Emotions take time to become accustomed to and understand.  The more we work with them, the more we understand them and the better we get at not just experiencing them, but reacting to them.

DECK USED: TAROCCHI BY MR FRIBORG

March 11 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app. The session for today was titled “Thunderscribble” (I love this word, I think), and referenced that angry scribbling thought-bubble that sometimes appears in comics sometimes when a character is mad or frustrated.

The session spoke about how when we are upset, our emotions and thoughts get mixed up together just like those scribbles, and that during those times is the ideal time to step away and take a breath.  That this moment of peace when you step away, clear your head, and take a breath is in fact a form of meditation, like a mini session that allows you to calm your mind and come back a little less tangled and with a bit more clarity.

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Today’s draw is the Five of Spring (Wands), which is traditionally about conflict with others, especially when those involved all have their own passionate ideas concerning the topic of the conflict, and keep butting heads as a result.

The message in today’s cards is a simple one.  When you are butting heads with someone and begin to feel frustrated or angry?  Step away.  Take a moment.  Take a breath to help untangle your emotions and thoughts.

Take that pause and come back with a clear mind and a calm heart, and you will find the conflict does not have to be so intense or aggression driven after all.  That moment… that deep breath taken… can make all the difference in turning things around and getting things back on track, or at least resolving things amicably, rather than on a discordant note.

DECK USED: UNNAMED TAROT

March 12 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the @Calm app. I can’t really remember what the session was about this morning, although I know that the majority of its focus was on finding the space between sounds and breaths.  That silent, still moment between one breath and the next, or between one sound and the next.

It encouraged using this space as a way to focus during meditation. An anchor that allows us to stay in the moment, and to return back to again and again when we become distracted during meditation practice.  And, I have to admit… there was an interesting type of peace found in following these moments from one to the next throughout the practice. It’s a focus during my meditation practice that I’ll definitely be visiting again.

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Today’s draw is the Hierophant card atop the Fool card.

  • The Hierophant card is traditionally a representation of tradition, spiritual guidance, long standing institutions, teachers and guides, and themes that deal with conformity and social norms.
  • The Fool card is traditionally a representation of innocence, enthusiasm, newness and fresh starts, carefree outlooks, spontaneity, naivete, and occasionally foolishness.

Combined with the Nadine Blacklock quote from today’s meditation session, “The more I am open to the world around me, the more I find what I seek”, what I see as the message in today’s cards is a reminder to make sure you are listening to those with the long term expertise that you don’t have rather than just jauntily going off on your own.

It’s great to experiment and to learn things on your own, but the advice here is to keep in mind that the time to experiment is often after you learn traditional methods first. With this knowledge under your belt, you then have more to work with and experiment with than you would have if you’d ignored traditional methods from the start.

DECK USED: STUDENT TAROT v3 aka. CLASSIC LOVE TAROT

The Comfort of Stagnancy

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Today’s meditation was nine minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions in the Calm app. It referred to how we deal with changes and struggles, focusing on how when we are confronted with changes, if we try to fight against it, we may not succeed.  But, if we instead work on adjusting our reactions to these changes, we can keep sailing smoothly even in their midst.

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Asray Tarot - The DevilToday’s draw is the Devil card, which is traditionally often about temptations, addictions, and those small and harmless things in life that can become dangerous or unhealthy for us when we wander into the territory of “too much of a good thing”.

When taken in the context of today’s meditation, the message here speaks of our natural inclination to fight against change and resist it.

It’s human to not like change. Even good change can be a struggle sometimes.  When we try to fight it, though, what we are doing is trying to foster stagnancy in our lives.  Stillness and stagnancy might be healthy in small doses, but it becomes a wound in our lives that festers and turns septic if not dealt with.

The message here is to allow change to happen. Relax into it and work on changing our reactions to it, rather than trying to grip so tightly to what needs to change.  Growth comes through change, and sickness through stagnancy.  Don’t wallow in that stagnancy so long it becomes a sickness. No matter how comfortable it feels, it’s not healthy.

DECK USED:  ASRAY TAROT

@Lionharts #TheMarchTarot The Power of Now Challenge
Awakening Awareness Prompts for March 1 – 8

Sustain Yourself OracleI open myself to the fullness of this moment. What can I personally do to begin strengthening my connection to the now?

Waves – Don’t fight change. It is a losing battle. Work instead on softening yourself to more easily go with the flow.

I recognize presence in the spaces between. In what area of my life do I already experience a deep sense of awareness?

Danger – You are attuned to your surroundings in the moment to ensure that you identify and can react quickly to moments of danger and personal risk.

I expand my perception beyond the obvious. What hidden influence shapes or impacts my experience of enjoying the now?

Darkness – Your intuition has a tendency to reach toward the future in order to guide your next step forward into the darkness of the unknown. This can make being in the present moment a bit more challenging for you.

I focus on what is good for me. What focus can positively affect my journey?

Face to Face – Make sure you are connecting with loved ones. They are there to support you and empower you on your path and in your endeavors.

I move through my day with conscious intention. What can help me move through life with greater ease?

Desert Wind – Use your awareness of your surroundings and your intuition for more than just searching for danger and risk. When you seek the beauty in the world around you, it carves out a new perspective and makes those struggles you are encountering feel a bit easier to contend with.

I actively engage with the world around me. What new path can open up to me when I fully immerse myself in the here and now?

Caterpillar – You allow yourself to better see the beauty in the world around you as well as within yourself when you open yourself up more fully to the present. This allows you to transform how you see the world, and through that transformation, transform yourself into a better version of yourself as well.

I embody the wisdom of the power of now. How can I carry this deeper awareness forward?

Fetus – Remember that this is a new path and you aren’t going to be a pro at it from the start. Instead of berating yourself for mistakes, create a place of acceptance to help nurture this new growth.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Dried Red Maple Leaf for Adaptability and Connection
Conch Shell Knot for Concentration, Clarity, and Determination
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Ammonite for a Sense of Stability During Times of Change
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: SUSTAIN YOURSELF ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

When I and a few others together went to search for those that broke into the garage, I joined up with the cop instead of someone I might not trust as much to help keep me safe if something went awry.

Finding the Positive for March 6 – 8

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Oriental Drawing Tarot Blue Dragon Edition, Housing Tarot, Le Petit Oracle de Stef, Find Your Magic Tarot, and Think Oracle

March 6 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Page of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive “omega” energy in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, labors, home life, and manifestations. This often translates into themes that have to do with work apprenticeships and learning a new ability or skill.

When combined with the affirmation “From your feelings of gratitude come abundance”, the message that I see in today’s cards is that even when you are at the beginning of a journey? It’s important to appreciate where you are and what you’ve accomplished.

This sense of appreciation (also known as gratitude, although some have warped that term into something ugly of late it seems) means that you know where you stand and have solid footing in that position.  It means that you appreciate those that have helped you to get to where you are, as well as your own work in the process.  It means that even as you look forward into the accomplishments you still plan to make?  You also acknowledge how far you’ve already come.

The message in today’s cards is all about fostering that appreciation, and the feelings of abundance it creates in your life.  You know… so you don’t feel like a starving artist scraping your way by your fingernails… or whatever path (if not artist) that you choose for yourself.

DECKS USED: ORIENTAL DRAWING TAROT BLUE DRAGON EDITION AND LE PETIT ORACLE DE STEF’

March 7 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Today’s draw is the Ace of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, and intuition.

When combined with the affirmation “Your heart is a fire, and sometimes, it can burn you”, the message that I see in today’s cards is a reminder that experiencing new emotions can be overwhelming.  That doesn’t mean that we stop and bury them or tuck them away.

Instead, it means that we need to work through them and familiarize ourselves with them.  Just like when we’re learning a new skill or a new job, learning our emotions and familiarizing ourselves with brand new ones we’ve never experienced before takes time. It makes us feel vulnerable and sometimes at-odds with our experience.

Today, we are reminded to sit with these feelings and allow them time to become familiar instead of pushing them away, burying them, or otherwise giving up on them.  They’re new, but you’ll get the hang of them if you stick with it.

DECKS USED: FIND YOUR MAGIC TAROT AND THINK ORACLE

March 8 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was twelve minutes long, and was one of the #DailyTrip sessions from the Calm app.  I really liked this session, and I saved it to return to again in the future.   The topic was on how we are not failures at meditation when our minds wander.   The goal of meditation, as described in this session, isn’t to keep your mind blank, but to train your mind to return to a meditative focus again and again when it wanders.  Therefore, each time your mind wanders and you realize it, then bring it back to your meditative focus? You are actually excelling rather than failing.

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Today’s draw is the Hierophant atop the Queen of Cups (called the Dormitory of Missions in this deck).

  • The Hierophant card, is traditionally a representation of tradition, spiritual guidance, long standing institutions, teachers and guides, and themes that deal with conformity and social norms.
  • The Queen of Cups, is traditionally a representation of a receptive (and often nurturing) “alpha” energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, creativity, or intuition.

These cards for today are a reminder that calling ourselves failures is an emotional response to a situation where things are not going as we want them to.  It doesn’t help anything or fix anything, it just makes us feel worse. Together, the Hierophant and the Queen of Cups combine to speak of taking the advice of those in the know and using to foster a better sense of kindness and understanding towards yourself.

This, then, ties in with the meditation session I had today as well, and as a whole, speaks of a need to make sure that when things don’t go as we want them to, that we lay off the self blame. Listen to those that tell you it isn’t a failure, that it isn’t your fault, or that you should try again with a different perspective or method.  That negative voice in your head? It’s a novice.  These external influences that are encouraging you know better… so take that outside advice to heart and run with it.

DECK USED: THE HOUSING TAROT