the star card

An Emotional Buoy

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Today’s meditation was skipped.  I didn’t really want to, but I also didn’t want to spend hours and hours on the road today and that’s exactly what I did.   So… yeah.   It just didn’t happen.  When I got home from the drive, I ate and then laid down on the couch and crashed hard.

Tarot of Haunted House - The StarToday’s draw is the Star card, which is traditionally a representation of a hope, optimism, and a connection with spirituality and/or divinity.

This is a really interesting image in my opinion.  She is waist deep in water, hands clasped in prayer.  This connection to all that water that is seen in the card incorporates a great deal more emotion into the Star card than I usually see in this particular card.  Yes, the card means hope and optimism and potential…. but it also is usually about connecting with spirituality and bridging the gap between the physical and the spiritual.

Here, we see the star card fully immersed in the spiritual and emotional, and only the reeds that surround her hint at the physical aspects of the world.

What I see here as the message in the imagery of this card today has to do with connecting to my intuition and my faith, blending together inner knowledge and hope so that they are incorporated into one another.  I need to allow my spirituality and inner knowledge to help in lifting me up emotionally when I am feeling that I stand on unsteady ground.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: What energy is available to me this month?

Hephoe Tapo

Reading Summary: Ignore (Eight of Swords) moderation (Temperance) and go after fulfillment (Nine of Cups). Don’t close yourself off from others right now (The Hermit Rx).

Take Away:  The energy available to me this month is exactly as it should be for this time of year.  I need that “plow forward” momentum in order to prep for what’s to come when next month rolls around.  The reminder in the reversed Hermit is simply to not put my head down so long that I lose touch with others in the process.

DECK USED:  HEPHOE TAPO

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with my ancestors / ancestry at this time?

Nicoletta Ciccoli TarotI am currently moving towards a more face to face relationship (Left Card) and budding collaboration (Center Card)… but I’m not quite there yet. They are still in the peripheral (Right Card).

There is a color coordination between the two left cards that indicates a connection between them.  Where the girl’s hair in the far left is orderly and coifed, in the center card it is frizzed out and all over the place. This hair change combined with the flutterbys in the air in the center card indicate that I need to reach for that inner voice and use it to “listen” to the energies around me.

I’m on the right track and I’m getting there in finding that closer relationship.  The left card indicates that I am actively pursuing this and putting effort into it.  The far right card indicates that it is paying off by creating stronger threads between myself and my guides/ancestors.  More reflection is needed (her eyes are closed) and more time needed (the darkness surrounding her in the background).

DECK USED:  NICOLETTA CICCOLI TAROT – MODIFIED – TRIMMED OFF TITLES AND BORDERS

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: Pull a card. How does this card relate to my greater purpose?

Zombie Tarot - King of CupsThe King of Cups indicates that my greater purpose in this incarnation on earth is in the efforts I’m currently delving into, and learning how to not just connect to my emotions, but connect with other’s emotions as well, and find a balance between those emotions and my responsibilities.  

I would be neglectful to not mention that the King of Cups is also a representation of Gideon for me. In the aspect of this reading, the inference here is that he is not just meant to be a part of my life and someone that I very much believe my soul returns to again and again, but also someone that is here to help teach me how to get to know my emotions, feel them and learn them, and relate them to others, as well as help me in  find that balance between emotions and responsibility as more and more of my emotional self is unveiled and brought to the surface to be processed.

DECK USED:  ZOMBIE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: Can I be open about my spirituality?

Ritual Abuse Tarot

Reading Summary: It might freak some people out sometimes (The Moon) which may cause some backlash (The Dog in the Moon), but you are comfortable and confident in your path (Two of Wands), and your inner compass and intuition know the way forward (The High Priestess).

Take Away:  The reading sort of took a sideways turn off the question because the question wasn’t really all that relevant to me.  I am very open about my spirituality.  It’s not so much that I shout it from the rooftops or tell everyone I meet, so much as I make no active effort to hide it… and am happy to mentor others when they appear in my life in need of guidance I can offer. I am not in the “broom closet” and haven’t been since I left my parent’s home at sixteen years old.  Sixteen years later?  I have absolutely no interest in stepping into the closet at this point.

DECK USED:  RITUAL ABUSE TAROT

Spirituality and Purpose

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IMG_6773Today’s meditation was ten minutes long and without a guided meditation, although I did use the interval timer to keep me on track with my piriformis stretching during the meditative practice.

I had a bit of considering to do during my meditation today, which in itself made it more of a self-guided meditation than one of the more quiet and peacefully empty ones that is usually the case when there is no guide.

Instead, I took the time to focus upon how the work that I do in my business influences others around the world.  I have created beautiful pieces of jewelry that have brought joy to thousands of people, lightening the weight of their days and bringing them a sense of beauty and happiness from the experience of opening an aesthetically pleasing package all the way through to the pleasure they take in wearing the beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve sent them over and over again.

I feel like when I started on this journey over a decade ago of the business I now run, I spent a lot more time focusing on and taking pleasure in this element of things.  I think that in the present, I need to work on focusing on this side of things more.

Hush Tarot - The StarToday’s draw is the Star card, which is traditionally a representation of themes having to do with hope and spirituality.  It’s about being connected to the inner-connectivity between life and divinity, and about allowing that connection to renew your sense of hope and purpose in the world.

And… I just have to say.  I really love the imagery on this card.  The interplay between the earth and humanity, between life and death, and between endings and new beginnings.  But, for today, what really stands out to me in this card is the banner that the bird holds in its beak with the worlds “a hunting we will go” scrawled across its length.

The message that I see in today’s card is about finding one’s purpose.  It’s about acknowledging that you need to look beyond the earthly needs of business and life, and delve into one’s spirituality in order to find your true purpose and path.  That is because our purpose stretches beyond life, beyond work and the material… our spiritual path is not over when our life ends, but continues on.

DECK USED:  HUSH TAROT

#Zentember #LovelyHealing Challenge Prompt
Question: How do I connect with the Divine?

Tarot Leaves

Reading Summary: Look at all those pentacles! By being proactive (Knight of Pentacles), no matter the circumstances (Wheel of Fortune), to get myself out in nature (Ace of Pentacles) and ground (Four of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I connect with the Divine through nature and the earth, and in doing so in this way,  it requires that I am proactive in pursuing time in nature.  Each time I step into the forest and am surrounded by the trees and the moss and the moist earth, it is like the first time all over again. It is an embrace that feels new and exciting, yet familiar and comfortable.  And one that I need to visit often to ground with and connect deeply with.

DECK USED:  TAROT LEAVES

#DiscordTarotholicsSep2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs a little more focus and energy to complete before winter arrives?

Tarot by Alexander DandiloffReading Summary:  Finding stability (Four of Pentacles) in the changes that I’ve worked through putting in place in the spring and summer (Death). Make sure that you’re getting help from those that care for you and that you care for in turn (Two of Cups).

Take Away:  This is something that I’m struggling with, and in struggling with it I’m not getting the prep work done that I need to get done because I’ve got so much of my energy turned towards this issue. I feel… like I need to find stable footing for the growth I’ve made.  At first, I thought it was about choice.  That I had to choose that new emotional depth or my holiday rush… but I understand I don’t need to choose.  Yet I still feel like things are unstable and I need to find a way to shore up the foundation beneath my feet.

DECK USED:  TAROT BY ALEXANDER DANDILOFF 2012 IV EDITION

Lionharts #AstroTarotChallenge
Question: What is the biggest lesson I can take from this month?

Science Tarot

Reading Summary: Creative flow and the desire to move forward (Page of Wands) gets stalled out (Hanged Man) and moderated (Temperance) by worries, concerns, and anxiety (Nine of Swords).

Take Away:  Anxiety is a creativity killer and the death of motivation. That’s the lesson. 

DECK USED:  SCIENCE TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How do I make time for rest and relaxation… every day?

Joe Sparrow Tarot

Reading Summary: Stop using your ambitions to push yourself forward (Knight of Swords) and reassure yourself of what good you already have (Nine of Cups). Opportunities are not going to run out anytime soon (Ace of Pentacles)… Which means it’s okay to skip one now and then and not have to listen to yourself lecture about it in your head (King of Swords Rx).

Take Away:  I can make time for rest and relaxation in my daily life by understanding that just because I might miss an opportunity for progress doesn’t mean that another isn’t right around the corner to offer itself up next.  Also, stop listening to my father’s voice in my inner dialogue telling me that rest is for the weak and is a progress killer.

DECK USED:  JOE SPARROW TAROT

A Bit of Wallowing is Okay

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IMG_3717Today’s meditation was just over twenty minutes long and was not a guided meditation.  Instead I did one of my pain management techniques.  Because I haven’t been able to go in for treatment by the specialist over the past few weeks, I have a few issues cropping up concerning my pain and, subsequently, my flexibility.

This technique is a meditation based upon the breath, and centered upon gentle stretching during that focus.   As you breathe in a slow deep breath, you visualize the air slipping through your nose and down your throat, traveling through your body like swirls of smoke to seek out a specific place of pain and tension.

That visualization of air is then seen swirling within that body part, filling it up and dispersing through the pain as you hold the breath for a pause.  A beat of two or three seconds.  You then exhale and visualize that swirling air carrying pain and tension out of the afflicted area, up through your body, and out through your nose.  You then wait a beat of two or three seconds to savor the peace and stillness before repeating again.

It is peaceful, and it helps.  Is it perfect?  No.  But sometimes it really boils down to the little things and every little bit helps.

The Star Card - Stolen Child TarotToday’s draw is The Star card of the Major Arcana, which is traditionally a card representing hope and renewal of faith.

What I see in this card’s imagery is more than hope but comfort.  In the imagery, the sea-otter boy lingers among the bounty of a tide pool, and surrounded among these creatures it has all that it needs.  Land and sea, food and much more.  Everything is looking up in the world for the otterboy.

What came into my mind when I saw this happy otter was that the twilight of joy comes with a moment of uncertainty… followed by the sun.  A phrase that stretches the span of not just the Star card, but also the Moon card and the Sun card.

Today’s message is to bask in the good stuff.  It won’t always be there and soon enough uncertainty will come to toy with your thoughts and emotions and life.  So enjoy what you have while you have it.  Take pleasure in those things that give you a sense of goodness, hope, and well-being.  Hold them close and enjoy them for all their worth.

DECK USED:  STOLEN CHILD TAROT

#TarotForGrowthApril Challenge Prompt
Question: What part of my current state of spirit is within my control to change? (built off yesterday’s cards)

ETA Tarot - Emerging Toronto Artists TarotReading Summary:  Allow that growth to develop and grow (Seven of Pentacles).  Don’t allow yourself to be pulled aside (Seven of Wands) by misplaced confidence (Six of Wands) that urges me to go developing new distractions (Ace of Pentacles) to replace those that have been discarded.

Take Away:  This is a huge bad habit of mine.   That is, the habit of piling more and more on my plate until I’m swamped and overwhelmed, and then forcing myself into sustaining it over long periods of time.   The cards here indicate that this habit is a distraction that will hinder my spiritual growth at this time, as well as hinder my ability to move into a better relationship with my spirit guides.

DECK USED:  ETA TAROT (EMERGING TORONTO ARTISTS TAROT)

#DiscordTarotholicsApr2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Do Spread #2 How can I better handle this lack of alone time?

Cosmic TarotReading Summary: Appreciate and foster the growth (Seven of Pentacles) of the connections coming from the added feminine influences (High Priestess) in my life right now rather than struggling in vain against what cannot currently be changed (Nine of Swords). Acceptance is a better path (Temperance).

Take Away:  Having this extra time with L and Z is a blessing, and when I am struggling with feeling overwhelmed by my current lack of alone time, I need to step back and take some time to remember that blessing and the opportunity that it is providing me to develop a deeper and stronger bond with both of them.

DECK USED:  COSMIC TAROT

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How do others perceive me?

Fantastical Creatures Tarot

Reading Summary: A planner and a go-getter that uses their past experiences to map the course forward.

Take Away:  The cards indicate that people see me as someone that uses their past experiences and the positive aspects of what has been learned from them to both guide my own steps, but also assist others in finding their path forward in the direction of their goals as well.  To be honest?  I really like that.

DECK USED:  FANTASTICAL CREATURES TAROT

#MidnightTarotChallenge Prompt
Question: What is my relationship with my mind? How can I improve it?

IMG_3637

Relationship With My Mind: I am both well seated and happy to guide others with the workings of my mind and have a deep sense of independence and decisiveness. (Queen of Swords)

How to Improve that Relationship:  Foster more positivity (The Sun) and seek balance by reaching out for (and accepting) the help of others (Two of Cups).

Take Away: Although I don’t have an issue with decisiveness and independence, I can improve upon my relationship with my mind by allowing more input from others, especially in the area of interpreting my emotions and giving me a “light at the end of the tunnel” to focus on when I get too wrapped up in my own thoughts.

DECK USED:  COSMIC TAROT

 

Hope, Comfort, and Growth

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Today’s meditation was just over fifteen minutes long, and was a healing light meditation that I used to focus on my wrist injury.  It was very relaxing, despite the fact that the guide’s voice wasn’t the best.

Halloween Tarot Today’s draw is a double without a jumper, meaning that both cards came out together as one. The cards in today’s draw are The Star card of the Major Arcana and the Nine of Bats (Swords).

This message has to do with vulnerability and inner struggle, and after the evening that I’ve had, I definitely understand where it’s coming from.   The message is that there are going to be times when you’re feeling vulnerable in a very not-pleasant way.  Between the shadow reading I received today and the phone call from my mother, my unpleasant vulnerability is at a high, and as the Nine of Bats indicates, it has definitely caused me some distress.

What I also see in these cards though is the shining sun on the bed and comforting concern of the cat in the Nine of Bats… and the brightly shining star combined with the growth of new green in the Star card.    To me, these factors speak of comfort and hope.

What this means is that yes… it’s been a hard day.  YES, the last few hours have sucked.   But I have right before me the gifts in my life that will help me through it and allow me to grow from the experience rather than letting it drag me down.

Deck Used: Halloween Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What accomplishment of mine should I give myself more recognition for?

Golden Age of Horror Comics TarotReading Summary:   The work that I’ve been doing in an effort to better balance my spirituality (The High Priestess), my newly uncovered level of emotions (Page of Cups), and my responsibilities (King of Pentacles).

Take Away:   This has been a real struggle for me of late and a lot of the time I feel adrift in uncertain waters.  For a while, I was starting to think that I’d dipped my toe in too deep of a pond with the emotion digging, but what I really think is that this new level is just new and makes me feel uncertain.  Balancing that uncertainty with the familiarity of my spirituality and the rigid demand of responsibility has been difficult and… honestly?  I always feel like I’m failing when in truth?  I’m probably not.

Deck Used: The Golden Age of Horror Comics Tarot

You Have What You Need

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Today’s meditation was twenty minutes long, and was not a guided meditation.   Instead, I settled in to focus solely on my breathing and a full body scan that started at the top of my head and worked its way down through my body, one part at a time, to the tips of my toes.  I then expanded that awareness back up through my entire body, and outward into my environment.

Today’s draw is the 17th card in the Major Arcana, the Star card. This card is a representation of hope and/or despair, faith and/or loss of faith, renewal, spirituality, and disconnection and/or interconnectedness.  Often, when I see this card, I read it as that interconnectedness and faith, especially in a one-card draw where there is no other cards to turn the meaning in a different direction.

The imagery for the star card in this deck has an otter with its belly exposed, eyes filled with alert interest while comfortable within his environment.   His environment supports him, all that he needs surrounding him and providing for him. What I see is a deep connection to environment and nature, while allowing openness and vulnerability.

This is an important message about trusting that life will provide for you.  Trusting your connection with what fills you with comfort.  It’s a message about not just trusting yourself, but in life itself and your environment, that it will assist you and support you.

Sometimes I feel like I have to do everything myself, and I push myself hard to make sure things are secure and I am provided for.   This card’s appearance is a reminder that I AM provided for.  I don’t have to be that towering push for strength all the time, nor do I always need to fight for every little thing I have.

It’s okay to let go and wallow in what you have, now and then, rather than always pushing for more.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot