That “Thank God It’s Over” Feeling

IMG_8889Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes, and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

Today’s meditation was about not allowing your emotions to “talk you into” skipping practice.  And… I almost skipped practice.  So this is fitting, yeah?  It did give me food for thought, though, as I had never really considred the times when I feel the need to avoid a self-care practice as emotionally driven.  I think that it is, though, on reflection of the idea.  I’m very much sure that it is, actually.   So I learned something new about myself today… even when I bury the fuck out of my emotions?  They still find ways to screw with me in unexpected ways. Not that I’m burying them right now, but I’ve been struggling with this avoidance/skipping issue for most of my life.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Four of WandsToday’s draw is the Four of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of themes to do with homecoming and celebration.

This is another of the cards in this deck that the words at the bottom of the card are non-traditional to the card and give me a moment’s pause, throwing me off a bit. 

This is actually the first card in this deck that doesn’t really “do it” for me.  Not only do the words at the bottom feel contrary to the traditional meaning of the card, but so too does the image.  The symbolic elements are there, but it just seems too dark.  There’s no celebration here, no welcoming warmth.  The courtyard is dreary, the wands and wreath are shadowed… the door is closed.

The thing is?  Sometimes homecomings (and perfect work, for that matter) go uncelebrated.  There’s no happy welcome, and no big to do.  Just relief.  Relief at a job finished.  Relief at finally waking through the door and setting down your keys.   Sometimes it’s not about the fanfare, it’s about leaning back against the door once you’re inside and going “thank god that’s over”.  That in itself is a sort of celebration.  Sometimes… it’s the absolute best kind of celebration.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question
: What is the current status of my {self-love} cup? {draw a cups card)

Garnet Witch Tarot - Five of CupsI freakin’ knew this card was going to come up.   It took three tries before a Cup card finally fell out of the deck, which really isn’t that bad all things considered.  I could have had to try twenty or thirty cards before getting a Cup.    That said?  Of course it was the Five of Cups. 

Why?   Because I’m dealing with depression right now and with depression comes great deal of disinterest in damned near anything and everything… including self care and self love.  Maybe especially self care and self love. My cups are spilled all over the floor, my emotions a mess and all I want to do is ignore them and hide from then and be miserable and dissatisfied.  Why?  Because that’s what the chemicals in my brain are demanding.   I’m just trying to do my best not to give in.

DECK USED:  GARNET WITCH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question
: What luck is coming your way, and how can you foster it into fruition?

Transire TarotWhat luck is coming my way?

The Sun – The opportunity to climb my ass out of this depression pit that I’ve fallen into, breathe fresh air, and feel the sun on my face again.

How can I foster it into fruition?

Five of Cups atop Eight of Pentacles – Don’t neglect your work or worry too much about your progress in this area.  It can take care of itself for a while if you just do what’s needed and let the rest go.  There’s no need to push.  You are more than capable and experienced enough to keep things running smoothly while you deal with the lackluster feelings of the depression and the work involved in climbing yourself out of the darkness.

DECK USED:  TRANSIRE TAROT
 

Daily Self Kindness

Today’s self kindness was in the form of allowing myself to spend the majority of my day lying down nursing a migraine. Instead of my natural inclination to try and plow through it and ignore it, I settled in a nice dark room with some migraine meds, and spent most of the day there trying to get it to ease up.

Steady Ground

Today’s meditation was another of those “start meditating and end up napping” meditations.  Which is to say, I didn’t meditate today.  I napped. Apparently, I really needed to sleep, no matter how much I might have also needed the meditation.  I will try again to meditate tonight before bed.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - The HermitToday’s draw is the Hermit, which is traditionally a representation of taking time to oneself for inner exploration and reflection. It is about being alone in order to seek out one’s inner voice and do a bit of soul searching.

What stood out to me in this imagery is that when I first looked at it this morning, I first saw rough ocean waters behind the Hermit instead of the mountain range.

It is in this shift of imagery that I see the message in this card today, for it is about the need to have some sort of stability under your feet when you do your soul searching journey and not the instability of rolling waves.

Just as it is a bad idea to do shadow work on yourself when your world is in upheaval, so is a time when you don’t have steady footing a bad time to settle into aloneness and introspection.

During times of chaos and instability, you need others around you to help support you.  Do your alone time and introspection later when the world has settled into solid ground under your feet once more.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question: What surrounding elements are currently supporting my plans?

Transire Tarot

 Reading Summary:  Energies of deconstruction (The Tower) and slow growth (Seven of Pentacles) surround and support me, no matter how worrisome those energies might feel sometimes (Nine of Swords)

Take Away:  It’s not always a bad thing to pick things apart.  By taking things apart you learn from them how they work and what they’re about, and you gain knowledge on how to build something better as a result.  But this process takes time, and sometimes that time can allow worries and anxieties to rise up to pick and poke at the mind.  Even worry can have its place, though.  It can motivate and keep you alert and paying attention one’s progress… as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.

DECK USED:  TRANSIRE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic
: Do Spread 2
Question: How is Mister R handling things with his health at the moment? Is he going to stick around for a while longer?

Magical Nordic TarotReading Summary: The Queen of Cups through it’s coloring, stands alone, only the fish connecting it to the Strength card and the Six of Pentacles… the aqua of the water also connects to the dress in the Strength.  This is an indication that he is feeling emotionally sated and strong due to the support he’s receiving. He wraps himself in that support and it makes him stronger. It feels good to him that those at a distance have reached out to him during the troubles he’s been having (polar bear).

Through color connection, the Five of Swords is also an outlier in this reading, with only a slight echo in the bottom of the Six of Pentacles).  It lies beneath the Six of Pentacles indicating that he’s willing to fight hard to stick around, demanding that he get the most out of life and using the support of others to help him in that effort.  That support then flows down into the Strength card, again echoing the connection between the support he’s receiving, and the strength that he gets from it.

Take Away: It is when Mister R is feeling alone and separated from others that he begins to slide down into self-defeating mindset and attitude.  As long as he is receiving support from others around him, he will continue to fight and take strength from that support to stay on top of things.  That support gives him a boost in this fight, and also an emotional boon to his soul.

To give him the best chance, you need to call and talk with him often… and encourage others to do the same.

DECK USED:  MAGICAL NORDIC TAROT