Ten of Swords

Don’t Get Up Just Yet

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was supposed to be ten minutes long, but I dozed off and slept through it (and another 30 minutes on top of that).  I’ve got the stomach flu and I think my body just said that sleep was more important.  I’ll try again at the end of the day when I lie down to go to bed.  Then if I fall asleep on accident it’ll be okay.

Broken Isn't Bad Tarot - Ten of SwordsToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally about painful endings and finding yourself at the end of a difficult journey with lots of struggle and strife.  It can also be a representation of loss, betrayal, or coming out at the end of something feeling crippled in some way.

Honestly? This is such an appropriate card, considering how I’m feeling today. I woke up with an upset stomach and severely painful back today, and even after an Imodium, followed later on after the Imodium started working by dry toast and an ibuprofen?  I have still felt really rough throughout the day and it was extremely hard to focus on work.

The message in today’s card is in her position upon the ground, as she looks more in repose than as if she’s been struck down.  Today’s card is a reminder to take care of myself and allow myself the rest I need to feel better.

You will be happy to know that I did give myself some rest this morning while waiting for the Imodium to work.  I laid down on the bed and had a tel-appointment with my shrink (that I almost forgot that I had today) and I’ve been careful to make sure I eat enough (of only very gentle foods) to keep my blood sugars level even during the worst of the stomach upset.

DECK USED:  BROKEN ISN’T BAD TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Should people care more about doing the right thing, or doing things right?

Lost Hollow TarotReading Summary: Note the Four of Pentacles on its side.

The Adjustment card with the Eight of Wands indicates that one should go swiftly towards doing the right thing.  Adjustment/Justice is about cause and effect and “the law” (whether that be the laws of nature or the laws of man).  The Eight of Wands is about swift action.   These cards indicate that it is important to not just do the right thing, but to do so without hesitation.

The Four of Pentacles on its side is what blocks us from this swift action of doing the right thing.  The concept of “doing things right” is a concept of control.  It’s not about the rule of law (natural or otherwise) but about subjective opinion and control over one’s environment and how things are done.  This is not dominant but rather on its side… a blockage.  A problem.

Take Away:  These cards clearly state that people should care more about doing the right thing than they should about “doing things right”.   It is our ego that gets in the way from doing the right thing… and our ego that makes us focus on “doing things right”. 

DECK USED:  LOST HOLLOW TAROT

The Release

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was skipped, although I did soak in the tub this morning… so there’s that. I’m sure my downstairs neighbors were absolutely thrilled to hear me filling up the tub around 3:30am then draining it and taking a shower around 4:30am.

Japanese Traditional Tarot - Ten of SwordsToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of “coming to the end of the line” on a journey of hardships and struggle. This card is about endings, but of the painful variety.

I am personally a fan of the Ten of Swords, and in most cases consider it’s appearance a good thing.  It means something I’ve been struggling through or hurting over is drawing to a close.  It’s going to hurt, but it’s also going to be the end.  Sometimes? All that pain is worth it if you finally get to the end.

What really stands out to me today in the imagery of this card is the fact that a number of those blades have not yet pierced the flesh.   This feels like it reverses the meaning of the card backward by just a slight half step.  They are also symmetrical, with matching swords on either side of the spine/body like some sort of ultra dangerous set of wings.  In fact, the only blades actually piercing through flesh are where wings would be anchored to the body.

It feels like a display of that one breathless moment just before you can break free.  That one fraction of a second where you know the end is near… right there… filled with both hope and pain, anticipation and fear.  These blades look like an unlikely and unwieldy set of wings, and yet they represent a release that has the potential to let the figure obtain the freedom to fly, even if not physically.

The message here in today’s card is to focus on the release to come. Don’t focus on your current misery and don’t fear what comes after, just focus on the release from your current chains, and foster the hope and the eagerness for that release.  The holiday rush is more than half over now.  I’ll be released soon enough.

DECK USED:  JAPANESE TRADITIONAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is it that I’m burying that needs to be set free?

The Simplicity TarotReading Summary:  This is about finding a happy medium (Ten of Cups). I am trying to suppressing my inner drive (Ace of Wands) with moderation… and unintentionally suppressing a fuller view of perspectives and the world (The Hanged Man) with personal spirituality (Spiritual Cleansing).

Take Away: Neither moderation or spirituality is a bad thing.  Neither that inner drive, nor the seeking of diverse perspectives and opinions is a bad thing either.  But in order to find emotional completion and contentment, you have to make room for all of them, not allowing some to overshadow the others but rather allowing them all to work both independently… and together without stepping on each other’s toes.

DECK USED:  THE SIMPLICITY TAROT

Familiar Comforts

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and I admit that I was a little distracted because I was eager to get out and go hiking. I did a second meditation in the woods lying naked on the forest floor in the mountains before going above the treeline, and that was much more relaxing. Although I didn’t time it, I would estimate the meditation probably lasted about half an hour… maybe a bit longer.

Cosmos Tarot and OracleToday’s draw is the Ten of Air (Ten of Swords) which is traditionally read as “the end of the line” of the tragedies of the Swords suit and is a culmination of the suit’s struggles.  It indicates themes that have to do with defeat, betrayal, and wounds that cut deep.

What stood out strongest to me in the imagery of this card today is the defeated slump of Medusa’s posture, but even more so… the snake that is closest to her face which then brings my attention to the others in the light… and from there the others yet still hidden in the shadows. In noticing this I feel that they must offer some sort of comfort.  They have been with her all this time and are surely, even as they are a part of her, also a comfort to her that they are there in this moment.

The message in today’s card is about not allowing times when you feel defeated by wounds (internal or external) that have cut you down also isolate you. Take comfort in others, seek out those that love you and care about you, find those that will sit and make space for you to just be… you.   Don’t look to them to solve anything, but take comfort in their presence and the fact that they are there.   You are not alone.

With my subdrop sure to be just around the corner, today’s card is a reminder that when I am feeling out of sorts from the drop, you are there for me to help me through.  Just your presence makes things better and eases that ache inside my soul.  I need to not hold myself apart and strive instead to move in closer and let you soothe the drop and untangle those inner knots that the drop creates.

DECK USED:  COSMOS TAROT AND ORACLE

#TarotForGrowthJuly Challenge Prompt
Topic: I’m struggling with self-worth.
Question:  How can I be more mindful about challenging and correcting negative self-talk?

Way of the Panda Tarot

Reading Summary: Remember to look at things from another angle (Judgement) and pay attention to the fact that you really have done a lot (Ten of Pentacles) and you’re a hard worker with great deal of hard earned skill (Eight of Pentacles).

Take Away: Instead of allowing my inner narrative to have free reign, pay attention to what you hear with your ears and take that to heart. You’ve spent your life refusing to allow people’s perceptions of you matter, but those same perceptions can boost you up and create a positive narrative to help you in counteracting the negative inner dialogue you deal with on a constant basis.

Remember as well that you have created a comfortable life not just for yourself, but for L as well.  You share your stability and comfort with others, and are more than capable of sustaining it going forward.  The skills you have worked so hard to master, and have used to create this stability  in your life, are not going to just disappear.

DECK USED:  WAY OF THE PANDA TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2020 Challenge Prompt
Question:  How can I feel more grounded on my life’s current path?

Evolution TarotReading Summary: Make sure you are getting the alone time that you need (The Hermit) and use that time to forge a new path for your inner dialogue (Knight of Swords). Keep in mind that positivity and optimism (The Star) is not a natural state for you and takes repetition and diligence (Knight of Swords again).

There is a theme of darkness and purple through each of these three cards that does not carry through the entire deck.  This speaks to me of not just solitude, but peaceful solitude.  This is why I indicate that the cards say that I need to use the alone time for distancing from my normal inner critic’s dialogue.

Take Away:  Peaceful alone time and continued work on the optimism perspective will combine to give me an increased feeling of grounding in my life at this time. Neglecting my alone time now that I have the opportunity to get it (even if not in the same ways I could before) is detrimental and I need to make sure I’m fitting that in.

DECK USED:  EVOLUTION TAROT

#OwlandBonesJuly Challenge by Owl and Bones Tarot
Question:  pencil // pen  // permanent marker // tattoo

Slavic Tarot

Recipe For A Good Life

Pencil in the hardships.
Add strength and purpose in pen.
Write in nurturing balance in permanent marker.
And tattoo motivation and drive into your soul.

DECK USED:  SLAVIC TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question:  How can I think more creatively?

Karma Tarot

Reading Summary: Don’t allow (Seven of Wands) your addictions (The Devil) to get in the way of your motivation (Eight of Wands).

Take Away:  Having an addictive personality is a bitch.  Just sayin’.   But it’s really hard sometimes to force yourself away from the stuff that feels good and you want more of.  Whether that’s certain foods, or sleep, or whatever…  So many things seem so innocuous but can become a mess of addiction and patterns that need to be broken so easily… so very easily.

The cards here indicate that it’s by staying on top of that addictive personality trait and making sure it’s kept in hand that allows my creativity free reign to flourish and grow.

DECK USED:  KARMA TAROT

It’s Going To Be Okay

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was yet again non-existent.  I kinda sorta might have fallen asleep instead. Not on purpose, mind you, but apparently I was more in need of sleep than I was of meditation because I managed to fall asleep in my pirifomris stretch. As you might imagine, it was not easy to get out of after having slept in that position for about an hour.

Ten of Zephyrs - Ten of Swords - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is the Ten of Zephyrs (Ten of Swords) which is traditionally interpreted as coming to the end of a rough and arduous journey and can often indicate that that ending is fraught with experiences of pain, loss, or betrayal.

With the imagery on today’s card, what I see here is definitely the end of a road, but I also see a message of safety and care.   The resting child and the vulture that looks over it, a bird of pray and a scavenger… and yet also a watchful protector.

What I see here is a message of reassurance, and after the triggering event last night… a message that I needed to hear.   That message says that I am looked over and protected, even when I am at weakest and most vulnerable.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthApril Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I embrace that power? (built off yesterday’s cards)

The Good Tarot

Intuitive Interpretation: Remain open and receptive to love and nurturing.

Take Away:  The power that was referenced yesterday had to do with the touch of guidance from my spirit guides within my choices and my moral compass.  Today’s cards indicate that in order to embrace that touch within my life I need to stop ignoring their presence and pushing away the possibility of them being a hand in things, and open myself up to being more receptive to their presence, guidance, and love.

DECK USED:  THE GOOD TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where do I need to direct more gratitude?

Fantastical Creatures TarotReading Summary:  Instead of spending so much time trying to spread myself thin pushing forward (Seven of Cups) I need to look within and find the fortitude (Strength) that will allow me to accept that things are good (Nine of Pentacles) and enjoy that things are good. (Ten of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I spend a lot of time planning for the future and freaking out about if I’m doing enough and how I can do more.  The cards here speak of the need to let up on those habits and appreciate the here and now.  Yes, there’s a lot going on now to worry about, but the truth is that we are okay.  We have the ability to get food and medications that are needed.  We aren’t on the street or struggling with homelessness.   We are very, very fortunate in all that we have and I need to set aside that diligence and hyper-vigilance a bit to allow myself time to appreciate that.

DECK USED:  FANTASTICAL CREATURES TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What motivates me?

Lili White Tarot

Reading Summary:  The need for spirituality and balance in my life (Temperance), my moral compass (Judgement), and my need for stability and security (King of Pentacles).

Take Away:  One of the core tenants and foundations of my faith is balance.  It is one of the energies that I revere, even in my daily devotional and, even beyond spirituality… or perhaps it is because it is such an integral part of it, balance is an important part of how I view life and the world as a whole.  

My moral compass rules my life.   Sometimes I slip, just like everyone does.  But it is finding balance and holding strong to my moral compass that allow me to move forward with certainty.

The last card is a representation of my need for stability and security.  This need is rooted in fear, yes… but it is also rooted in my connection with the earth.  The core need within me to be grounded is an overpowering drive, and absolute need for me, and that need is not about fear but about what feels right to me and how I connect to the world around me.  Without that grounding force…. there is no sure footing beneath my feet to walk upon my path.

DECK USED:  LILI WHITE TAROT

#MidnightTarotChallenge Prompt
Question: How can I be more forgiving?

New Liminal Tarot

Reading Summary: Make the choice (Two of Swords) to accept that sometimes shit just falls apart (Ten of Swords) and make a conscious decision to rise above those moments and focus on recovery efforts (Queen of Discs).

Take Away:  This speaks of stepping away from thoughts of blame and instead stepping forward to offer support.   In doing this, you allow yourself to see things from the other person’s perspective rather than just your own, which fosters the ability to forgive more easily those that trespass upon us.

DECK USED:  NEW LIMINAL TAROT

 

Playing Favorites

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

So, Pagan Perspective is back online after their winter break and did new videos this week, but I felt very uninspired by the topic, which is about looking back at 2019 and ahead into 2020 and what our plans are.   I’m a bit burnt out on the whole transition from 2019 to 2020.   It seems to be all that’s focused on at this time of year from YouTube videos to writing prompts, tarot prompts, journal entries, etc.

So… I decided to do a different topic for this week.  Namely, since a few days ago I focused on what my favorite Major Arcana card in the tarot is (The Hanged Man), I thought today I would focus on a similar question.

Topic for the Week of 1/6: What is the card that you identify with most strongly from the Minor Arcana?  And, if it is different, what is your favorite card from the Minor Arcana?

Two of Pentacles

This is probably not surprising, but in the Minor Arcana, I associate most strongly with the Two of Pentacles.   I struggle with finding balance, and when I look at the imagery on most two of pentacles, that’s exactly what I see.   I see an eternal juggling of responsibilities, as I seek a balance that works for all.

The relationship and identifying I feel with this card isn’t surprising.  I hold down between three and five part time jobs depending on the season, plus run a home business.  I’m on my building’s administration board, and in a long distance relationship that requires my time and attention.  Add into this family responsibilities, medical responsibilities, and all the other things that make up a life as well as my own personal self care?   It’s a lot to keep in balance as the needs and responsibilities for each element are constantly changing.

Sometimes it feels like juggling and sometimes it’s even fun, other times it feels overwhelming, but it is a never ending task, which is what I see the infinity loop around the pentacles as being a symbol of in the card’s imagery.

Ten of Swords

Unlike in the Major Arcana where my favorite card and the card I identify strongest with are the same card, in the Minor Arcana this isn’t the case.

In the Minor Arcana, my favorite card in a tarot deck is the Ten of Swords.

This is because I appreciate a good warning that something’s coming that’s really going to hurt. I do predictive readings, and to me? That’s what this card says most often. It says, “Take a breath and keep moving. This shit is really going to hurt.”

It can also often feel a bit like compassionate understanding that sometimes to move through something or move on from something? It has to hurt… and that that’s natural and okay.

Cycles and Transitions

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was a bit over sixteen minutes long, and I took a break from the ‘how to’ series that I’ve been working through to instead do a body scan where I moved from head to foot concentrating on the skin, then toes to head concentrating beneath the skin.

It was very thorough and very relaxing.  The only thing missing was some nice soothing music, but I had to charge my phone, so I couldn’t hook it up to the speaker at the same time or I wouldn’t have gotten a quick charge.   I may do this meditation again with music in the future to see how it feels.

Ten of Swords - Slow Tarot Today’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is a card we spent some time on just last night in your lesson.   As you know from our discussion last night, I see more than just endings in the representation of the Ten of Swords, but also a time of healing (represented in this card by the birds).

The message in this card today is about looking for the silver lining.  Sometimes things come to an end, that’s just a natural progression, but in those endings there is an opportunity for growth and for moving on to something better.  It’s important to look for these opportunities and use them to pull yourself up off the floor and give yourself wings so that you can move on to the next thing.

Post Script Addition:  I was having a hard time finding a way to relate this pull to my life at the moment, and had decided to publish this post without that part added, as I figured that maybe it was just a positive message to keep in mind for the future.  But, I think you are right and that this message has to do with the extra time we’ve been able to have together lately.   With the holiday rush coming, that’ll come to an end very soon.   But fortunately, it’ll only be for temporary, and once the rush eases, everything can return to a far more happy and healthy balance.

Deck Used:  Slow Tarot

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthNovember

Question: What can I do to better handle conflict?

The Herbcrafter’s TarotReading Summary:  Slippery Elm is used in the soothing of mucus membranes and in magic is often used in halting gossip. When combined with the Five of Pentacles, it indicates situations where struggles with resources and finances are present, and although you are possibly close with others, you are refusing to seek assistance because of a fear of your situation “getting out” into the awareness of others.

Wild Cherry is an auspicious tree that indicates good fortune and abundance of beneficial gifts available for the whole.  When combined with the Nine of Wands, there is a message not just of abundance but also of accessibility.  This message holds a message about needing to temper one’s desire to defend and block everything/everyone from gaining access to the abundance there for all.

Apple is a symbol of fertility and, like the Wild Cherry mentioned above, of bounty.  When combined with the Nine of Pentacles it is a message of long term preparations towards self-sufficiency, abundance, and being in a place where you have enough that you can comfortably share with others without the fear of “shooting yourself in the foot” as a result of doing so.   This is a card that says “rest easy, as there is plenty to go around”.

Take Away:  This reading refers to inner conflict.  It indicates that I should not allow what other’s might think or say behind my back influence how I feel about how well I am doing, nor whether or not I reach out for help when I need it. Take time to appreciate where there is bounty in my life, instead of struggling under the weight of perceived scarcity.

Deck Used:  The Herbcrafter’s Tarot