Support System

Today’s meditation was skipped once again.

Visionary Tarot Silver EditionToday’s draw is Queen of Branches (Wands), which is traditionally a representation of a nurturing and receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s drive, passions, determination, willpower, values, and principles. This often translates into themes that have to do with the teaching and nurturing of other’s dreams, aspirations, values, and principles.

The figure here looks away instead of toward the viewer, and for some reason this in some way “turns” the card for me and speaks of not so much how I might be able to teach and nurture those themes mentioned above in others… but who does this for me?

The encouragement here is to reflect on those that support my beliefs, my principles, and my moral compass. Who is it that does not question with objection or derision, but rather with interest and curiosity, fostering your perspectives and encouraging growth rather than trying to discredit or shut you down.

DECK USED:  VISIONARY TAROT SILVER EDITION

Mr Lionharts’ #TheMarchTarot Animal Guide Challenge Prompt
Questions for March 4th thru 6th

Animal Guides CardsAnimal Guide for the Month of March:

Raccoon – Teamwork and finding healthy balance between independence and community, goal-oriented, ingenuity, industriousness, cleanliness, curiosity, adaptability, and equality.

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Visionary Tarot Silver Edition and The Personal OracleWhat is your first impression of me?

The Hanged Man and The Eye – You like to see things from different perspectives, and often pause in order to take those in, because you like to see more and understand more then can’t be perceived at first glance.

This is a part of your natural spirit curiosity. You are eager to explore, to learn, and to understand those things that are still a mystery to you. That is something that you share with the racoon spirit.

What would you like to teach me?

Eight of Branches and The Antler – Move it or lose it. This is a sentiment that has repeated a few times recently, and it is a reminder that even if you are taking small steps?  You can still make progress. So take a small step, and then another.  Any steps are better than none. Frozen in the headlights will only lead to loss, so stop standing still.

What can you help me to realize?

The High Priestess and The Bloom – Your own potential. Especially where your intuition is concerned.

DECKS USED: VISIONARY TAROT SILVER EDITION AND THE PERSONAL ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

Although I wanted to just rush right home and hop online to get some time with Gideon, I made myself stop to get something to eat, and then take some time to take a nap when I got home while he was still out with family.

Calm Comes After the Storm

Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Tarot of the Toiling HandsToday’s draw is the Five of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of discouragement and dissatisfaction, disappointment, regrets, and looking at situations from a pessimistic perspective.

Here we see a woman weeping “over spilled milk”.  Instead of picking herself up, cleaning up the mess, and moving on to figure out how to get past this moment, she chooses to crouch down and linger there in the moment instead.  This draws out her pain and doesn’t do anything to help the situation.

And yet… sometimes?  You just have to pause and cry.  Crying can be cathartic. It can be healing.  It can -help- in releasing stress and finding the calm within.  When I look at this card?  That is what I see in this imagery.  She’s not dawdling because she’s lost in the moment, but rather she is purging those negative feelings through her tears so that she can then deal with things more calmly afterward.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE TOILING HANDS

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for March 3rd and 4th

Oracle des HaïkusWhen am I intuitively confident?

Illusion and Sincérité – You use your intuition to navigate the world and social situations.

In doing so, this allows you to see beneath the masks of others and discern who is honest and sincere, and who is not. You are very confident in this ability, as it’s something that you’ve been doing throughout your entire life.

When am I intuitively insecure?

Evasion and Confiance – When logic tries to step in and muddy the waters of your intuitive voice, it steals confidence from you in the same way that autumn steals leaves from the trees.

DECK USED: L’ORACLE DES HAÏKUS

#DiscordTarotholicsMar2022 Challenge Prompt
Questions for March 3rd and 4th

Tarot of the Toiling HandsWhat is my greatest weakness?

Three of Swords atop The Lovers – Your greatest weakness is in allowing your moods and bouts of depression to pull you away from making healthy choices for yourself.  In these times, your emotions are too overwhelming, and even when you know what the good choices are, you cannot manage to make them.

How can I best improve in the area of this weakness?

Seize control (The Emperor) and “do the thing” (The Chariot), regardless of whether or not you are enthusiastic about it at the time (Knight of Cups).

This is the advice that the shrink has given you again and again, and all the good intentions in the world fall short when, in the moment, you don’t follow through.  Here in these cards we see that the key to following through is in seizing control and forging forward even when your emotions push back.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE TOILING HANDS

Daily Self Kindness

I’m still playing a bit of catch-up at the moment and I can’t remember what my self-kindness was for this day.

Listen to the King of Cups

Today’s meditation was skipped (again).

Luis Royo's Labyrinth TarotToday’s draw is the King of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, intuition, and creativity.

This card often represents my partner Gideon, as he carries within him the qualities of the King of Cups and is very often the personification of this card. He is definitely of the “alpha” variety as his personality is quite dominant, but in a supportive way that fosters trust and connection.  He understands the struggle of emotions and is always there to guide and/or support as needed.

IMG_E8689Today, as I was pulling my card, I was talking with Gideon in Trillian, and this is what he was saying just as his card fell out of the deck.

The message in today’s card is a reminder to make sure that I am listening to Gideon.  Listen to him when he tries to lift you up.  Listen to him when he provides you with support.  Listen to him as he reaches for you to help ease your feelings of stress and anxiety.

DECK USED:  LUIS ROYO’S LABYRINTH TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMar2022 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question
: Is generosity an inherent virtue, or is it learned behavior?

Vies Antérieures OracleReading Summary: It is something that we learn from those around us (Ville), and from those that lead us (Dirigeant)… it is about what lies behind us (Savoir Antérieur).

Take Away: These cards indicate that generosity is learned behavior, and not something that we are inherently born with. We learn through the example of others, and through reflecting back on those examples to help guide us forward in or own behaviors.

I wouldn’t say that -all- generosity is learned behavior, but in my opinion?  I’d say that the cards are correct when it comes to the majority of cases.

DECK USED: VIES ANTÉRIEURES

The #ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge Prompt by E Roebuck-Jones
Questions for March 1st and 2nd

Luis Royo's Labyrinth TarotWhat does intuition mean for me?

Nine of Wands, Five of Swords RX atop The Fool – It is a way for me to understand the world and diffuse conflict through better boundaries. Without my intuition to guide me in social situations, I can often feel like an idiot fumbling along in the dark without any real guidance or skill.  Intuition gives me the ability to overcome this feeling and navigate such situations more smoothly.

How can I better listen to my inner voice?

Page of Pentacles and Queen of Pentacles – Remember that you still have a lot to learn and need to take your time in doing it.  Don’t rush, but allow things to move at their own pace while focusing on how to nurture yourself through the journey.  When you are kind to yourself, you give yourself more room in which to grow.

DECK USED: LUIS ROYO’S LABYRINTH TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’m playing a bit of catch-up at the moment and I can’t remember what my self-kindness was for this day.

Fate and Adaptability

Today’s meditation was skipped.

The Greater Secrets Tarot - Wheel of FortuneToday’s draw is the Wheel of Fortune, which is traditionally a representation of

In the imagery of this card we see a representation of the three fates.

The idea of the three faiths that not everything is under our control, no matter how much we want it to be. Some things will be decided for us, depending on the situation and external forces. There’s nothing we can do about this except to be adaptable and prepared to adjust to what is thrown in our way upon our path by chance or fate.

DECK USED:  THE GREATER SECRETS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsMar2022 Challenge Prompt
Question for March 1st
: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this new moon?

Dráô OracleReading Summary: As you work on strengthening your connection with your guides (Guides and Gestation), remember that they are on your side and here out of a love for you, to help you and nurture you on your path (Amour).

Take Away: Now is a time of growth between you and your guides. To help facilitate this growth, you need to remember that they are on your side always. Trust doesn’t always come easy, and this reminder is here to help you keep this in mind as you move forward.

“We are here to provide guidance, not fuck you over.”

DECK USED: DRÁÔ ORACLE

Mr Lionharts’ #TheMarchTarot Animal Guide Challenge Prompt
Questions for March 1st thru 3rd

Animal Totems and the I-ChingDraw a card from an animal deck to reveal your animal guide for March.

Raccoon – Teamwork and finding healthy balance between independence and community, goal-oriented, ingenuity, industriousness, cleanliness, curiosity, adaptability, and equality.

The Greater Secrets TarotWhy are you showing up for me right now?

The Tower, Seven of Swords and Three of Cups – You’ve recently experienced a lot of “tower-type energy”. At this time, you need the love and support (as well as a bit of distraction) provided by those around you to help foster a stronger foundation and lift you up, so that you can continue to stand strong as you move forward.

How would you prefer me to work with you?

The Lovers and The Fool – “Use the energy I possess to forge a path forward that is both healthier and happier, and allows you to have more fun with less worries and stress.”

DECKS USED: ANIMAL TOTEMS AND THE I-CHING, THE GREATER SECRETS TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’m playing a bit of catch-up at the moment and I can’t remember what my self-kindness was for this day.

Stirring Up Energies

IMG_0268Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and another of the short Calm app meditations combined with the interval timer for my piriformis stretching.  Thing is?  Although I benefit more from the eighteen minute meditations than I do the ten minute ones?  I have a hard time allotting myself that extra eight minutes.  I’m not sure why but I do.  So…. I’ll save those for when need that extra amount of meditation and go for the shorter ones for the day-to-day.

The focus of today’s meditation was about trying new things and not -avoiding- trying new things if the reason for avoiding them is just that it’s uncomfortable in some way.  All new things are uncomfortable.  All new things can cause worry or anxiety or discomfort.  That doesn’t mean new things are bad.

Denizens of Earth Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Nine of Earth (Pentacles) which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction with a job well done and the sense of security that comes from that. It’s often a solitary card, but one filled with gratitude and self-acknowledgement for one’s blessings and accomplishments.

The crocus is one of the first announcements of spring each year, emerging from cooler temps to greet the warmth of the season and it’s earthy themes of rebirth.  It is a sign that spring has arrived and all is well, and that the bounty of summer is coming.

What I see in this card is not so much about what you have, but rather the potential of what can be achieved.  The promise of opportunity ahead to fulfill your needs, succeed in those things that create stability and comfort in your life, and not just survive but thrive in the budding energy that spring has to offer us all.

When combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, the message here is that not only is the opportunity there for you to make these things happen, but so too is the capability within you to do it.  Sometimes we feel like we’re just not enough, and because of that feeling, we allow opportunities to pass us by that otherwise we would have jumped at.  Don’t allow this spring to be one of those times you let opportunities pass you by. Instead, choose those things that will help you thrive, and pursue them.  You have it within you to ride spring’s energy and direct it into a positive outcome.

DECK USED:  DENIZENS OF EARTH TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

LionHart’s Whispering Woods Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question
: What good have I achieved for myself this month?

Bumbleberry Hollows Tarot

 Reading Summary:  New beginnings and new ideas this month (Ace of Swords) have allowed me to turn past bad habits and tendencies (Six of Cups) into something healthier and more beneficial moving forward (Nine of Pentacles).

Take Away:  I’ve come to the realization this month that emerging from depression is a form of rebirth.  A way to change things I’ve done wrong in the past an do better in the future.  In the past, my focus coming out of a depression has always been about “getting back to normal”, but I’m starting to understand that this is not the only way to approach my recovery, and that emerging from depression’s darkness provides me a way to essentially “begin again” and create new habits and new ways of dealing with things.  That the depression wipes out the majority of old habits, creating a blank slate to rebuild upon… and in this opportunity resides the potential for building something better.

DECK USED:  BUMBLEBERRY HOLLOWS TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsMar2021 Challenge Prompt
Question
: Do Spread #3

Denizens of Earth TarotWhat to leave behind along with the winter’s chill?

Father of Earth (Dragonfly) – It’s time to trade in more stagnant and staid energies for something with more vitality and alacrity. Being grounded is all well and good, but not to the point that you’re losing range of motion and opportunity through inaction.

What to take with me into the spring?

The Emperor – A sense of empowerment is necessary and you need to make sure you foster those feelings as you move into the spring.  Allow that sense of being “large and in charge” spur you into using your energy wisely to not just find your footing but run with those things that you want to build in your life and accomplish.

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

The Lovers – You are doing the best you can to make the choices that are healthy for you and this is not something to hide away from the world, but rather something to celebrate.  When combined with the forward motion of the Emperor in the previous position, we see a message of leading by example.  Encouraging others to make healthy choices in their lives by showing them how it’s done within your own life.

What needs kept close for further contemplation and meditation?

Child of Fire (Red Fox) atop The Wheel – Inspired ideas that you want to explore need a bit more time to percolate in your head before you act on them. You have plenty to do without adding on more that will imbalance everything and “upset the apple cart”.  Keep them close and sort them out before acting, as you need this time to make sure these ideas become a success, rather than depending on luck to make them work and succeed.

DECK USED:  DENIZENS OF EARTH TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I bought CocoPuffs!  Okay so yes, I need to eat healthier and I get that but it’s COCOPUFFS!  I will just have to practice that whole moderation thing and make them last.

Lessons Lost

Today’s meditation was skipped, although not intentionally.  I ended up falling asleep and having a nap instead, and when I got up it was a bit later than I’d like and I had to do my cards before I lost the sunlight.  Thus… no meditation.

Baby Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Wheel of Fortune, which is traditionally a representation of the ups and downs of life and how life can, at times, be unpredictable.  At times, there are those that read this card as being about good luck, or about bad luck.  In truth, it is about both and how one’s fortune is constantly changing.

What stands out to me in the imagery of this card today is the fact that the baby on the far left looks scared.  The thing is?  Sometimes that’s just how things go.  Fear is a part of the human experience and it can teach us lessons,  just as mistakes and pain can.    It can also allow us to learn from other’s mistakes, so when it’s our turn to learn that lesson the other person learned?  We have a step up to doing things better than the person before us did.

When combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, the lesson here is that even in our mistakes, there’s a lesson to be learned.  Even in our fear and pain, there’s something to be gained.  But we have to look for it.  Sometimes these lessons go by unlearned because we are too stubborn or too wrapped up in the misery to look for the lesson.  It’s important to look for the lesson.  That is… the lesson that makes us better than we were before the experience came along. The lesson that makes us better at something, and/or a better person.  If all you take away is the negative aspects of the experience, then the experience was wasted and the lesson the universe intended you to learn is lost.

DECK USED:  BABY TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question
: How can I more easily depend on others to help me?

Tarot Art Nouveau

Reading Summary:  Start your journey over (The World) from the beginning (doubled Aces) with a fresh and open heart (Ace of Cups) and new perspective on your passions (Ace of Wands).

Take Away:  In the process of surfacing from the MDE, I am given the opportunity to “begin again” with a new perspective.  Like a snake shedding its skin, as I come out of that dark pit of depression, what was before is being left behind and I am able to start over in how I deal with my responsibilities and how I handle myself concerning stress and pressure.  The cards here represent that new beginning, and remind me that if I want to allow people to help me more in my life and responsibilities (which I do), I need to reassess my feelings concerning this and adjust my passions and drive to include them from the beginning.

DECK USED:  TAROT ART NOUVEAU

#DiscordTarotolicsMar2021 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What do I need to focus on for self-care for this full moon?

Baby TarotReading Summary:  Restructuring (The Tower) how I expend my energy.  There is a need to instill more care and nurturing into how I do things (Queen of Pentacles), which will take a bit of learning… which will be slow going but worth it (Page of Pentacles).

Take Away: As my other reading for today already mentioned, I’m at a place where I have the opportunity to do things differently.  A place in my recovery from my depression where I can “begin again” and do things better this time around. I’ve been working for a long time at finding a better way to treat myself and nurture myself, to care for myself while I carry on the responsibilities that lie on my shoulders.

I need to make sure, during this full moon, that I tip my energies towards that restructuring of how I do things, and lean into those efforts to approach things in a better and healthier way.

DECK USED:  BABY TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I didn’t get angry at myself for taking a nap today.  I also managed to resist buying a few decks that I’ve been tempted by but have decided to wait on until later.  Perhaps late in the fall when orders for the jewelry business pick up.  I don’t think there will be any worry about losing out on getting them between now and then in this case, and if I still want them by then, I’ll have the extra money to splurge.