#TarotForGrowthDecember

Transitioning Into Self Care

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and focused on acknowledging your feelings rather than allowing yourself to close them off and distancing yourself from them.  This is a topic that is very relatable to me, as I spent pretty much the first two decades of my life doing just that.  And honestly?  Until I met you, that was okay and worked well for me.

It truly is the truth, that saying about ignorance being bliss, because I didn’t know what I was missing and I thought I was just fine.  I didn’t realize that by submerging and boxing away my emotions I was dampening my intuition and blinding myself to a variety of experiences.

Even after over a decade of you tearing down those walls and breaking apart the boxes that held all that from view out of my awareness, I can honestly say that a lot of emotions are still… weird for me.  Uncomfortable.  Awkward.  Even unpleasant.  I don’t mean unpleasant emotions, but that even the pleasant ones can sometimes be unpleasantly uncomfortable.   Still, I have no intention of returning to my old way of doing things.  Instead, I’m going to continue moving forward into finding a different way to deal with and process these emotions that are so often still unfamiliar feeling and awkward.

Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning that both cards came out of the deck together as one.  The cards in today’s draw are the Empress and the Six of Cups.

Together these cards speak to me about the transition that is currently in the process of taking place in my life as the holiday rush comes to an end and the time to return to caring for my needs and nurturing myself comes back to the forefront.

During the holiday rush, my self care kind of goes to the wayside.  And, although I can say that I have done better at self care this year during the rush than I have in the past?  I can also admit that a lot of my need, necessities, emotions, and just so much of the more rounded aspects of life as a whole have had to be pushed to the side to make room for the constant focus I had to put on work during the past six weeks.

With the Empress over top of the Six of Cups, there is a communication here about returning to a more nurturing and balanced focus and energy as the chaos of the holiday rush eases into a relaxed energy and speed.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What positive impact did others have on me this year?

Anima Mundi Tarot

Reading Summary: Focusing more on my own interests and education (Queen of Swords) as well as my own needs and self care (The Empress).  Encouraged to find a new path with my passions and interests (Hierophant and Three of Wands), and to entertain a greater scope of new perspectives in times when I feel like closing myself off and pulling inward (Hanged Man).

Take Away:  At the beginning of the year I went through a severe depression that created a need for self-care that I really wasn’t that enthusiastic about, as well as a need to close myself off and shrink inward that I was definitely very enthusiastic about.  With the help of others, I was able to turn this around and found myself far more open than I have been in the past, not just to caring for myself and my needs, but in listening to myself and my emotions.  At the same time, by helping me to resist closing myself off, I felt myself open back up to others and their perspectives as the depression receded, rather than trying to continue to protect myself by staying detached and cloistered away.

DECK USED:  ANIMA MUNDI TAROT

Balance In All Aspects

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was focused upon the benefits of using grounding to help in times of stress and chaos.

Honestly?  Grounding is one of my favorite activities, and helps me immensely not just in stress relief but in balancing out my energies as well.  I center and ground throughout the day without thought, and it only takes the amount of time it takes to take a breath.  But, my favorite type of grounding takes a bit more time and concentration.

This more extensive grounding feels best on raw earth with bare feet (just like the picture) and involves closing your eyes and sinking into the stability of the ground beneath you while imagining that roots grow from the parts of your body that touch the ground and dig deep into the earth.   Your body is imagined as the trunk of the tree that you have become, those roots digging deep beneath the soil and your energy/aura stretching tall and broad around you like the branches and leaves stretching wide and reaching for the sky, the sun, or the moon.

This type of grounding is extremely satisfying and calming.  It feels good to me, and regenerative, and is something I practice often.

The High Priestess - Tarot of the Little Prince Today’s draw is the High Priestess, which is a representation of the subconscious, intuition, and spirituality.  As a Major Arcana card, the High Priestess card often deals with the big picture” rather than any one specific aspect of humanity, and has been stalking me lately along with the Ace of Pentacles.

I don’t feel that I have fully delved into the message that the High Priestess is stalking me about, which… of course not.  Because if I’d managed to delve into it deeply enough to satisfy her, she wouldn’t still be stalking me.

That said, what I see in today’s card is a reminder to not let one’s intuition run away with you to the point that you forget about common sense.  If you sink too deeply into the subconscious, sometimes you can forget about the practical things like personal safety (and a lamb’s muzzle preventing it from eating your prized rose).  There has to be balance, even in this.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What positive impact did I have on others this year?

Spooky Cat Tarot

Reading Summary:  I helped others see that there is opportunity (Ace of Pentacles) in change (Wheel of Fortune), and that it’s okay to be yourself (The Fool) while going after what’s right for you (Six of Swords), even if sometimes you have to move fast to get what you want (Eight of Wands)

Take Away:  The cards indicate that I have been a voice of encouragement and empowerment for others this year, giving them the “oomph” needed to do what appeals to them and go after the opportunities life throws at them.

DECK USED:  SPOOKY CAT TAROT

 

The Shadowed Path

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and focused on dealing with other’s anger, criticism and other negativity.  It spoke of using labeling to “disconnect” from the influence of other’s negativity.   This is something that I find I do naturally, probably because of my father and what I went through with him while growing up.

What I’ve found, though, is that as you have woken up my emotions and torn down my walls, I do find myself absorbing more of that crap when it’s directed my way than I used to.  Or rather, I have to consciously make the choice to disconnect rather than doing it automatically.  It’s a drawback of those lowered walls that I’m not entirely thrilled about, but the strengthened connection with you and enhanced intuition and clairvoyance all make it worth it, I think.

Side Note:  The last two day’s missing posts are a very CLEAR lesson for me that I cannot put off doing my morning routine (devotional, meditation, card draw) for later in the day.  It doesn’t work… and it doesn’t get done, no matter my good intentions to the contrary.

The Moon - Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is The Moon card of the Major Arcana, which speaks to me of bravery in moments of uncertainty.   The moon is full of shadows, illusion, and uncertainty.  It’s hard to see what’s ahead, and even harder to see through the shadows to identify what works there.

This can cause paralysis and anxiety, which is a problem. But, what the imagery in this card says to me is that even in these times of uncertainty, its important to keep your chin up and to stay in touch with your values.  Life’s not always easy and the path forward isn’t always clear, but if you stay in touch with that inner compass  and keep your head high, you will pull through those times.

With the holiday rush now starting to slow and life at the cusp of returning to normal, it’s a good reminder, as that transition is a difficult one for me and can make me feel both uncertain and adrift.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question for 17th: Where did I focus the bulk of my energy this year?
Question for 18th: What happened as a result of that?

Universal Fantasy Tarot Reading Summary:  I have been getting the Ace of Pentacles/Queen of Cups combo a LOT lately.   Just making a note of it.

Working on new threads of income in my business (Ace of Pentacles), discovering that new depth of emotion that has been awakening (Queen of Cups), and upping my spiritual practices as well as exploring further development of my intuition, clairsentience, mediumship (The High Priestess).

Resulting in an overburdening of doing too much at once (Ten of Wands) which makes the world feel like it’s tipped on its axis (The Tower), and a need to find a better way of doing things (Six of Swords).

Take Away:  As I seek to find a balance between work and self-care (which includes time for self and for self-focused pursuits), things have come to a “something’s got to give” point.  For so many years I have essentially filled my life with work.  Even my creativity is work, as I’ve turned my creative interests into my business.  Add on top of that running the business as its own task, and my other part time jobs, etc…. it’s a lot.  And then I’m adding my personal stuff on top of that now.

That “something that’s gotta give” has to do with how much I feel I can put on my plate as once.  And, the lion’s share of what is on my plate has to do with the business.  I have a plan to restructure how I work concerning the business, that will hopefully ease that overburdening.

DECK USED:  UNIVERSAL FANTASY TAROT

 

Transition and Adjustment

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Today’s meditation has not yet happened yet, as I sort of came out of bed like a shot this morning and had so much going on in my brain that I didn’t even realize that it hadn’t gotten done until about an hour ago.  I will make sure I do it before bed.

Ostara Tarot - Five of Cups and Nine of CoinsToday’s draw is another double without a jumper, which means that the cards came out of the deck together as one.  The cards in today’s draw are the Nine of Coins and the Five of Cups.

My read off of these cards today is intuitive off of the imagery, and speaks to the fact that you are going to be a key aspect in keeping me emotionally stable and positive as the transition begins to fall into place for the end of the holiday rush.

I have adapted and adjusted, as I always do, to the chaos and workload and exhaustion involved.  And at the end of the rush things will abruptly change and I will be left feeling adrift.  That sensation brings with it a massive amount of anxiety concerning my business.

As I strive to adjust in a healthy way, today’s cards remind me to depend upon you to help keep me afloat and in a healthy space both mentally and emotionally.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What important lesson did I learn this year?

Fairy Tale Tarot - Spanish Edition

Reading Summary: This is all about making the choices (Two of Swords) that are right for me (The Lovers) in order to make the journey to my goals a smoother experience (Ten of Pentacles).

Take Away: I have a habit of weighing my choices and going with whatever one seems the most practical, logical, or responsible option.  Sometimes, these decisions aren’t really the ones that call to me and that I connect to the strongest, but rather what I feel “should” be the right choice.   One of the lessons that has really been driven home this past year, though, is that sometimes life doesn’t have to be practical or logical… or even responsible.  Sometimes life is just all around better when you go with what you want rather than what might be seen as the most “reasonable” choice.

DECK USED:  FAIRY TALE TAROT (SPANISH EDITION)

 

Finding Balance During Change

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long, and although I can’t remember what the focus of the meditation was, I do know that it was really helpful in relaxing me a bit.  I did the meditation after the soak in the bath, and it helped a lot in keeping my anxiety from causing too much discomfort. Enough that I was able to take some ibuprofen and a short nap afterward.   And, although I sort of feel like I wasted the couple of hours involved there, it also managed to get rid of my headache.

Tarot of the Little Prince Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, which means both cards dropped out of the deck together as one.  The cards in today’s draw are the Four of Wands and Six of Pentacles.

When I look at the cards in today’s draw, what I see is an encouragement to find the fun.  This is not off of traditional meanings of the cards, but rather it is from the imagery itself.

I think, especially when I have been drowning in work for so long that that sense of overwhelm starts to feel normal, it is important to remember that that is not all that life is about.  It’s just a temporary whirlwind, and not permanent.  Soon, though. In the next few days there will be a shift from that chaos and bustle to a slow down and time to breathe.  It’s at that time I will need to remember to interject some fun into life to help offset the discomfort of adjusting back to the ‘normal’ of the rest of the year.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: How can I release that regret as I move into the new year? (Build off of yesterday’s reading.)

The Marigold Tarot

Reading Summary: I need to remember to stay centered emotionally while receptive to what I’d experienced in the fall and allowing it to grow (Queen of Cups), and at the same time stop pretending that everything is okay because I’m going to end up hanging myself yet again next year if I don’t (Ten of Cups).  The fruits of my labors will come whether I’m overloaded or not, but it will be better if I take on what I can handle (Seven of Rings) instead of putting so much on my plate that I feel overwhelmed throughout the year.

Take Away:  It’s time to look at managing my time better.  This is pretty much a reiteration of yesterday’s reading concerning finding a better balance between my administrative tasks and my creative spark.  The cards are telling me to keep my feet on the ground and be realistic.

DECK USED:  THE MARIGOLD TAROT

 

Overload… and a Note on Forgiveness

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Forgiveness Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and I finally managed to do it in the morning today! Honestly?  I get so much more out of it when I do it first time in the morning. Sometimes that’s just not possible, but I am going to try harder to make it possible more often.   The focus of today’s guidance during the meditation was about forgiveness, and I want to quote something that I really liked that was said during.  The instructor spoke about the important of forgiveness, and defined it as such…

“Forgiveness isn’t meant to erase what happened.  Instead, it’s a decision to let go of the resentment we’re holding onto.  It allows the clutch of irritation and bitterness to loosen its grip.  Choosing to forgive doesn’t deny the other person’s role in hurting us, and it doesn’t minimize or excuse the wrongdoing. But what it does do is create the opportunity for us to find peace.” – Tamara Levitt

I like that.  I think that too many people think that forgiveness means that you have to totally forget about what happened and excuse the person for their actions, but that’s really not what it’s about… and I think that quote expresses this really well.

Seven of Cups - Ostara TarotToday’s draw is the Seven of Cups which is often about having too many choices or being overwhelmed, and that is exactly what I see in this card today.

The appearance of the Seven of Cups in today’s draw is a warning to be sure I am not allowing myself to become overloaded and overwhelmed emotionally while I am distracted by the holiday rush and everything I need to get done.

I am dealing with a small bit of a drop after the drown the other day, and my instinct is often to bury these things and ignore them when I’m feeling overwhelmed by the world as a whole.  This card’s advice is to not do that.  Don’t ignore it, or those emotions will topple over and crash to the ground in a mess.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: What regret hangs most heavily upon me from this year?

Dreamkeeper’s Tarot

Reading Summary:  I feel like my self imposed overload (Ten of Wands) this year has held me back from the amount of success that could have accomplished (Six of Wands) as well as from spending more time with you (King of Cups).

Take Away:  I need to get more organized about how I do things for the business. This balance is about finding a happy medium between administrative tasks and the creative spark that is always so very persistent within me.  I put off the administrative tasks because I don’t find them pleasurable or particularly interesting, and then they build up and I have to “binge work” to get through them. Back when the business was slower, that was fine.  But, over the past few years as things have picked up, it’s started to become a problem.

DECK USED:  THE DREAMKEEPER’S TAROT