The Experiential Tarot

Balancing Out

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Today’s meditation was… ugh…. you guessed it.  Skipped again.

The Fox Tarot Pips Edition and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of painful endings, coming to the end of a difficult life journey, defeat (or defeatist thinking), and moving on.

Sometimes life is unfair. Sometimes, things have to come to a head. And yeah, sometimes it really sucks.  Everyone feels these moments of defeat and as if life is picking on them. Everyone.

That doesn’t mean that life is against you, though, or that you’re cursed with bad luck. What it means is that your life is out of balance in some way, and is trying to balance itself out and align itself along the path you need to tread. You’ve gone off course… and often, the crappy shit happening in your life is a course correction to put you back on the right path.

Don’t forget this during troubled times.  Trust that life is seeking balance.  Sometimes that means crappy shit has to happen.

DECK USED:  THE FOX TAROT PIPS EDITION AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
The Earthcraft Oracle and The Experiential TarotQuestion for July 24th + Bonus Question

If I could live my life more creatively, I would…
Drought and Six of Pentacles
…find myself struggling to contribute more to others.

The thing is?  I only have so much time in a day and so much energy to give out. More time pushed into creative endeavors means less time for other people, less time for myself, and less time in general.  Creativity takes time, and no matter how much I might enjoy it, I don’t enjoy the drought of energy and feelings of burnout that overextending myself can bring with it.

How can I balance my energetic output for a healthier and happier life?
You Are Sacred and Five of Cups Rx

Stop ignoring what you need. Treat yourself as if you are sacred, instead of as an afterthought. Your needs are important and shouldn’t be put off or ignored.

This is something I’m working on, although those six weeks of the holiday rush are coming, and as much kindness as I can give myself now, I know that time of energetic drought mentioned in the first question is coming.

DECK USED: THE EARTHCRAFT ORACLE AND THE EXPERIENTIAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where in life do I need to be more serious and buckle down?

The Fox Tarot Pips EditionReading Summary: Moving away from (Three of Wands) allowing your childhood and past negative experiences (Six of Cups Rx) to influence the present and how you treat yourself in the now (Ten of Wands atop Nine of Cups).

Take Away: Although you’re taking time off, and you’re working on putting the past in its place, you’re still in a mindset where you’re trying to overwhelm yourself with things to do and that need to get done. It’s blocking your path to happiness and it’s something that you’re going to have to deal with, because it’s not going to go away on its own.

Work at building that severing gap between the present and the past, and remember that it’s okay to go slow, to take time for your self, and to dawdle when you’re enjoying yourself.

DECK USED: THE FOX TAROT PIPS EDITION

Daily Self Kindness

So, this is a bit different from my normal self kindness today.  I made the conscious choice to not get upset and worked up about EA and his super rude, thieving ways. Normally the kind of shit he pulled would really bug me a lot, but I feel like I just don’t have the “oomph” to really give a fuck where he’s concerned.

Coming Home

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was the second installment of the Balance app’s introductory sessions. It went as quickly and smoothly as the last, and was an extension on the basic breathing exercises that had been introduced in the first installment.

Fyodor Pavlov Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of one’s passionate love for the security and welcoming energies of home.  This often translates into themes that have to do with homecoming, celebrating home and stability, as well as relaxation in comfortable spaces.

Sometimes?  We get so wrapped up in work and responsibilities that we lose track of the simple pleasures that are offered to us in just having a safe and secure place to live and rest.   We forget just how fortunate we are, and just how much we have to be grateful for and celebrate in our lives.

The cards in today’s draw are all about the need to take a step back from responsibilities and obligations to make sure we are appreciating these things we take for granted.

By protecting your time and giving yourself room to truly get in touch with a practice of gratitude, taking time to appreciate those things that make you feel good and happy, safe and secure, it opens up our lives to instill a “breath of fresh air” into the times when we have to push ourselves a little harder.  So don’t forget, when you walk through your front door, to take a moment to pause.  To connect with the sense of safety and security, comfort and pleasure, that coming home creates.  Connect with… acknowledge… and appreciate just what that moment of easing does for you, and how good it feels.

DECK USED:  THE FYODOR PAVLOV TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Questions for July 16th thru 18th

The Experiential TarotWhat abundance can I expect throughout the summer?
Ten of Swords and Queen of Pentacles

As the summer continues, so too will continue your gentle and slow exploration of this year’s shadow work. There will be painful moments, and lots of opportunity to show yourself kindness and help yourself heal. Throughout this period of time home life and finances will continue to remain stable.

What abundance can I expect throughout the autumn?
Knight of Cups and The Hierophant

Autumn will bring about the opportunity to dive into old traditions surrounding what makes you happy. Lots more time outside, in the woods and among the liminal places of the forest. The summer having been so hot and dry, autumn I’ll give you the break that you need from these conditions so that you can dive in and once again really enjoy these long-standing methods of instilling joy, peace, and happiness in your life.

What abundance can I look forward to in the winter?
Ten of Pentacles and The Wheel of Fortune

Money. Money. Money. And a wealth of ups and downs that come with a busy season. The holiday rush is always a roller coaster ride of anxiety and overwhelm. But, the benefits of it are in the monetary gain that then stretches out throughout the rest of the year to support in the times when things are not so busy or lucrative.

DECK USED: THE EXPERIENTIAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsJul2021 Challenge Prompt
Questions for July 16th and 17th

Fyodor Pavlov TarotWhat unresolved angst is my inner adolescent still holding onto?

Eight of Pentacles Rx and Three of Swords – That “not good enough” dissatisfaction and disappointment in yourself. This topic has been explored a bit in a handful of readings over the past week, including touching on where those feelings come from and where they belong. This is something that needs working on, and worked with, in order to ease up on and eventually release.

What steps can I begin to take to help my inner adolescent in letting go of their unresolved angst?

Nine of Wands Rx and Ten of Cups – Work on easing up on your inner defenses in order to give yourself permission to truly heal, while mixing in a gratitude practice that points out all of the good that you have and that you do for others at this time in your life. This echoes back to yesterday’s cards and the advice about compartmentalizing the past and the present, to make it easier to identify where certain unhealthy inner dialogues are coming from and begin working at finding more satisfaction in the present.

DECK USED: THE FYODOR PAVLOV TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap.  I didn’t really want to, but I needed it.  And, I feel better after having taken it, even if I still feel a bit scattered.  I think that last part may be a bit of the “dazed and confused” beginnings of a sub drop.