twisted tarot tales

Stability and Satiation are Subjective

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

Twisted Tarot Tales and How to Be a Wildflower DeckToday’s draw is the Ten of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of satisfaction and stability in the area of one’s finances, resources, home, health, manifestations, and the physical world.

In the image if this card you see a depiction of something having gone horribly wrong.  The toxic waste cans, the gas masks, the damaged home in the background and jaundiced sky above.  And yet, the family is still all together, close and connected and cared for.

This card combines with the affirmation card for the day to remind us that even when life is a mess, there are still things to be grateful for.  It’s important to look at your priorities and discern what is truly important to you. If you can find what this is, even if the rest of the world falls apart, when you nurture this thing you value and prioritize above all else, you can feel as if you have stable footing and a sense of stability.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES AND HOW TO BE A WILDFLOWER DECK

Mr Lionharts’ #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonoftheWitchChallenge Prompt
Questions for October 25th and 26th

Silver Witch Oracle and All Hallows TarotFrom my lineage, my roots to my ancestry, what lives on, deep inside of me?
Black Cat atop Feather, Judgment atop Four of Wands

The ability and good fortune to be able to choose your own path, to follow your moral compass and what is right for you, instead of being forced to conform or hide.

It was through my ancestors doing the same in their own ways, through fighting or hiding, through travel, sacrifice, or relocation… that I have the good fortune to be open about myself and my beliefs, and that I am able to not need to conform, but instead be myself. They followed their compass, their path, and what was right for them, which has allowed me to do the same.

The witch, the craft, the moon, the veil, what will this Samhain unveil?
Candle and Ace of Swords

Purpose and a healing of your ambition that will set you free of the stagnancy you’ve been experiencing.

I can’t decide if I’m struggling with the onset of depression, a general moody malaise caused by Gideon being away on vacation, or just having issues with the transition period between where my focus has been most of the year and where it will need to be for the next six or seven weeks.

DECK USED: SILVER WITCH ORACLE AND ALL HALLOWS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2021 Challenge Prompt
Questions for October 25th and 26th

Twisted Tarot Tales DeckA Problem – The Lovers – Self sabotaging choices and behavior.

During this time of limbo and transition (it’s a bit of both) as the holiday rush approaches and prep for that rush is in focus (or at least should be), I find myself in a place of self sabotage as I drag my feet and want nothing more than to bury my head under a pillow and pretend the world at large as well as my responsibilities don’t exist.

This, of course, is damaging and unhealthy for me on a number of different levels, but even in knowing that? I’m struggling to make healthier choices for myself at this time.

What Action to Take – Four of Swords – Allow yourself the rest and recovery that you need. It’s not crunch time just yet.

This card indicates that it’s okay for me to rest right now instead of “lighting a fire  under my ass” as I feel like I should be doing. It doesn’t help that I feel guilty for resting and not doing prep work… which is making rest difficult.

What to Wait On – Seven of Wands atop The Devil – Don’t fall into battle mode just yet. It’s okay to let those old habits lie and ease up on yourself for a bit longer.

Perhaps I need to return to re-read this reading a few times a day over the next few days or something.

What positive generational gift has been passed down to me from my ancestors?
King of Cups atop Six of Swords

The ability to know what you truly want and go after it, abandoning what isn’t healthy for you in the process.

I have displayed this behavior again and again throughout my life from the rejection of my father’s demands on my choices to emancipating from my parents at sixteen. It is displayed in how I run my life, the relationships in my life, and how I deal with employment.

DECK USED: TWISTED TAROT TALES

Daily Self Kindness

I had my smoothie, and my tea.  Although… I missed my vitamins.  And I discovered that at least one night this week, at some point, I missed my nighttime meds.

Accepting Comfort

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve fallen behind again and I can’t remember whether I meditated on the 30th or not. So, like yesterday, I’ll leave this empty this time around as I finish up these posts that got started… but never published on the blog.

Tarot of Haunted House - Queen of CupsToday’s draw is the Queen of Cups, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s emotions, relationships, imagination, and intuition.  This often translates into a nurturing energy, personality, or person that has the ability to touch our emotions and soothe them, as well as bolster them.

What stands out to me the strongest in this imagery is the wings and the warm glow that the imagery holds.   The wings are soft and large.  They appear as if they would be too heavy for the woman in the image, and yet she holds them aloft without stress or strain.  They are all encompassing, stretching wide like arms seeking to embrace and hold, to provide comfort in the warm glow of the light that surrounds her.

The message in today’s card is about accepting comfort when it is offered.  We all need comfort sometimes, and it’s okay to sink into it instead of berating yourself for needing it or for accepting it.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF HAUNTED HOUSE

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: Savor – Something good I should keep, or remember, for November.

Cute and Creepy Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure you rest when you need to (Four of Swords), keep your true desires in mind when pushing forward (Knight of Cups), and don’t get yourself fall so deeply into the chaos that you end up flirting with burn out (Nine of Wands).

Take Away:  With the holiday rush coming, all of the advice in these cards is specifically directed at the things I need to keep in mind for my self care during that chaotic time.  It’s important that I rest and give myself chances to recover from the work and the stress involved in the holiday rush.

Without that rest, my constant drive to keep going will take over and I will end up doing myself a good deal of harm… coming out the other side not just exhausted but in need of serious mending.  The center card is a reminder that I need to keep in mind what I really want, and don’t get so swept up in everything that I lose that focus.

DECK USED:  CUTE AND CREEPY TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Grab a spread of your choice that you’ve been curious about… and give it a go!

Twisted Tarot Tales - Full Moon in Taurus Tarot Reading

How can I center myself during these unpredictable times?

Knight of Cups – Stay focused on what you want. I’ve been having a bit of an issue with focus lately, and in centering myself with a focus in mind, it will be help me hold onto that center more easily, and the focus as well, than trying to do them separately.

How can I bring more stability into my life?

Two of Cups – Connect with others, especially on an emotional level, and it will help you in finding more stability in your life.  It will also help when things fall into instability, as they will be able to see what’s going on and help lift you up, or at least slow the slide into deeper waters.

What do I value most and how does this influence my actions?

Three of Cups atop Rabid Raccoon – I value my family and those that are my chosen family, and the protection of them from others and/or events that might hurt them or steal them away.

Seven of Pentacles – This influences my actions by making sure that I make long-term plans that work to build a better future for all of us. I work to keep us together, and to grow our relationship and our lives in positive ways that foster that unity between us from one year to the next.

What changes am I being called to be a part of?

Six of Pentacles atop Page of Swords – I am being called to look at how I give to others and reevaluate the best ways forward in this area. Look for the differences between generosity and foolishness, and make adjustments that lean toward more logical choices rather than those driven by a sense of obligation.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I embrace yesterday’s message for the next year?

The Cryptid Tarot

Reading Summary: Make sure that you’re taking in others perspectives and looking at things in a different way (The Hanged Man).  You can overcome the warning from  yesterday (Five of Swords), but to do so it will take making conscious choices that lead you away from the chain of events yesterday’s reading indicated. In other words, it’s not something you’ll fall into naturally.

Take Away:  The message yesterday was about overworking myself and turning into an asshole as a result.  The thing is? When I reach the cusp of burnout?  I do turn into an asshole.  I just don’t have patience anymore at that point.  Not for myself, or for anyone else.  Repercussions happen when you treat other people like shit, and I need to make a conscious effort to pull myself back from that path now, before I get to the point of no return.

The message here today is indicating I have the ability to do this, but I’m going to need to slow down and take some time to pay attention and listen to myself and others.  I need to seek out another path, and make the daily concentrated choice to then stay on that healthier path instead of falling into the old habits that have started to creep up and cause conflict.

DECK USED:  THE CRYPTID TAROT

Manifesting Abundance

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Today’s meditation was was a part of me soaking in the tub… of which I did for damned near three hours apparently.  I didn’t mean to soak in the tub for three hours, mind you.  But it turns out that I only want to get out of the tub while the water is hot.

Once it cools down?  I’m happy to lie around in there forever until the temperature gets to shiver-inducing temperature. Even then?  When the temperature has cooled I feel much more inclined to add a little more warm water to keep the temp going than actually get out.  It makes getting motivated to actually get out of the tub surprisingly difficult.

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina's Tarot - The MagicianToday’s draw is the Magician, which is traditionally a representation of being capable and skilled, and having all the tools at one’s disposal to deal with what needs done or dealt with.   It’s about being resourceful and having the motivation and expertise at your fingertips to manifest into reality what you want (or want to happen).

What stands out to me the strongest today in the imagery of this card is the abundant bounty sitting on the table behind the figure.

With the Magician card being about manifestation, what I see here is someone that has found the skills and expertise necessary to manifest abundance into their life. This shows capability to care for oneself and others, to manage life and provide the resources needed.

Today’s card is a reminder that I am capable.  That I am skilled.  That I am more than able to care for myself and for others.  More than able to deal with keep my business afloat.  More than able to handle the things that need done, and to manifest the abundance needed for myself and those that depend on me.

DECK USED:  MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: How am I asked to honor the Spirit World this Samhain?

Golden Age of Horror Comics Tarot

Reading Summary: Welcome home those that come to visit (Four of Wands) and spend time connecting with them (Two of Cups).  Allow the emotional connections to happen and take the support offered in their presence at this time (Queen of Cups).

Take Away:  Not all that come through from the spirit world do so to berate me.  That is solely my father’s schtick. The cards here are a reminder that the spirit world as a whole is not my enemy and I can connect with it and make bonds through the veil that have nothing to do with him or the influences that he has had upon me and my life.

DECK USED:  GOLDEN AGE OF HORROR COMICS TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: A Problem / What Action to Take / What to Wait On

Dark Grimoire TarotA Problem – The Empress – Neglect. Lately I have been neglecting myself.  Not eating as well as I should, not doing my meditations.  Sort of retreating into myself and feeling off kilter in a general malaise sort of way. This isn’t just the drop, but rather an over all lack of enthusiasm for life and what it has to offer as a whole.  It’s not healthy.

What Action To Take – Ace of Swords atop Two of Swords – I need to find a better way to communicate how I’m feeling.  This isn’t my strong suit at all and will take a conscious effort, but finding the words is important.

What To Wait On – The Tower – Don’t catastrophize things just yet.  It’s not the end of the world, just a bit of an uphill struggle of the moment.  I need to remember that this isn’t some huge issue.  It’s also not forever.

DECK USED:  DARK GRIMOIRE TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How can I strengthen my relationship with my Guides?

Twisted Tarot Tales

Reading Summary: Reach for them to help me make good choices (The Lovers) when I am feeling combative (Five of Wands) or down on my luck (Five of Pentacles).

Take Away:  Sometimes, making the choices that are for my best interest, are not entirely an easy thing to do. Conflict and disillusionment can make impulses hard to resist, and there are times when hardships can pollute one’s view and make other perspectives difficult to see.  This is the time when reaching for my spirit guides can help in strengthening our relationship, as it creates a conscious bond of trust instead of an unconscious one followed through intuition.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I keep my spiritualism focused?

Anne Stokes Gothic Tarot

Reading Summary:  Stick with it and work at it (Three of Pentacles) through the ups and downs of life (Wheel of Fortune).  Practice patience in your progress (Temperance), and kind understanding of yourself along the way (The Empress).

Take Away:  Tenacity.  The key to keeping my spiritualism focused is accepting that it’s going to have its ups and downs along the way and that you just need to stick with it regardless of that.  The cards also note that providing myself with patience and understanding is more than just for work and the business, and needs to be applied to this area of my life as well.

DECK USED:  ANNE STOKES GOTHIC TAROT

Frowns Can Be Infectious Too

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IMG_7104Today’s meditation was ten minutes in length and was another of the guided meditations with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.  I can’t honestly say that I paid all that much attention to the guided part of the meditation today, and it might be time to switch back to non-guided meditations for a bit since I seem to have toned out the voice entirely through a good part of the meditation.

The part that I did hear was about not allowing reactivity and/or anxiety to spur you into making impulsive decisions and snap judgements. Instead, in those moments, it is a time to pause and take a moment to process.

Madam Lydia Wilhelmmina's Tarot - The SunToday’s draw is is the Sun card, which is traditionally a representation of optimism, joy, playfulness, and positive opportunities. It’s about all those upbeat things associated with fun, positivity, and success as well as youthful exuberance.

I don’t see much of anybody having all that much fun int his photo.  One kid’s looking back at the eldest with black eyes like there’s a serious problem, and the other is in the process of trying to squirm off their seat. It’s a family photoshoot gone wrong, and I feel like the contrast between the card’s imagery and its traditional meaning is where the message lies in today’s card.

The message here is to not let other’s attitudes or a crap-ass time drag you down into a place of pessimism and displeasure. Everyone has seen the truly optimistic as they move through the sludge of a bad day.  They remain optimistic even in the face of road blocks and naysayers.  Take a page from their book and keep your head up and a smile in your heart.

DECK USED:  MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: A thought, dream, or hope I am asked to work on.

Tarot of Vampyres - The World and TemperanceReading Summary: The foundation of transformation and growth (The World) is patience and moderation (Temperance).

Take Away:  Transformation is the thought, the dream, and the hope in this reading.  I truly desire to change how I’ve been handling my work and responsibilities (vs.) my self care over the majority of my life. I’ve made a lot of big leaps this year in that direction. 

The thing is, though?  It is important to remember is that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you work at a little at a time, adjusting again and again along the way.  And then one day you look back and realize you’ve made it to an entirely different place than the one you were in when you started.  

Even as I track my progress, I need to keep in mind that it’s okay to take my time.  It’s okay to backslide now and then, just as long as I catch myself and continue forward.  This effort is not a sprint but a journey and it’s going to take time and patience as I move along that path.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF VAMPYRES

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What needs… revealed / concealed / discarded

XIII TarotRevealed – Knave of Cups – Sometimes when I express my emotions, I feel as if I’m speaking into a bucket. My own voice reverberates back at me, but that’s the only feedback I get.  I struggle with my emotions, even the good ones… even now.  I struggle with being in touch with them, with expressing them clearly, and with understanding them.  Sometimes I have no idea what the emotions I feel actually are or what the words are to express them. I know that this is a part of the learning process, but this is my confession.  My vulnerability on this path of emotional growth revealed.   I hate feeling lost and confused…. and sometimes on this journey, those feelings are the most overwhelming of them all.

Concealed – Seven of Wands atop Ace of Swords – I need to make sure that I’m fighting back against my negative inner dialogue as it tries to dig in and get a handhold.  Every time those fingers curl on the edge of that rocky shelf, I need to make sure I’m smashing them back.  This battle isn’t really something that needs sharing with others, as speaking what that negative inner voice is saying aloud will only give the words more power.  Instead, remember that it is important to pay attention and stay on the defensive with that pessimistic voice.  Be diligent and keep it in line.

Discarded – Six of Pentacles – You spend a massive amount of time throughout the year focused on others, giving your time to helping others and making time for others to come to you.  At this time when you’re moving into the holiday rush?  It’s just not the time for this sort of thing.  You need to be focused on yourself and your business and not worry so much about others.  You can go back to being your generous and giving self again after the holiday rush has come to an end.

DECK USED:  XIII TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the significance on my journey of the lesson revealed yesterday?

Twisted Tarot Tales - The Moon, Page of Swords

Reading Summary: Holy crap to the double moon cards. Your uncertainties and fears (double Moons indicating an overwhelming power in these concepts) can lead to misguided thoughts and bad ideas to get interjected in your learning process (Page of Swords… partially based off imagery).

Take Away:  Yesterday’s message was about staying focused upon and connected to my hope, to my spirituality, and to my progress through the transformation I’m working on, and not give up.

Fear, uncertainty, illusion, and confusion are all a part of changes and transformations. The thing is though?  If you give these concepts/feelings power they will take over and you will become lost in them.  The are them able to derail not just your trajectory on the path forward, but all of the progress you’ve made along the way.

By focusing on the optimistic side of things and staying connected to your hope, spirituality, and the progress you want to make, it helps in keeping those more negative emotions and fears reigned in so that they don’t cause you to fall off track.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: How can I use Tarot and crystals together more effectively?

Luis Royo's Labyrinth Tarot

Reading Summary:  When you are in conflict over which stones to use in your readings (Five of Wands), lean into learning to communicate more effectively (Jack of Spades) as opposed to allowing aesthetic to weigh in (Six of Wands).

Take Away:  I regularly use crystals and stones in my readings.  Sometimes my personal readings, but always my client readings.  Sometimes?  It’s true that I have a little bit of a debate going on as I pick the stones.  “This one is more apt… but this one will look better with the cards and could also work.”   The thing is?  I could improve my use of crystals (and plant matter as well) in my readings if I let go of the aesthetic aspect and simply went with what will work best for the purpose needed.

DECK USED:  LUIS ROYO’S LABYRINTH TAROT

Enjoying the Present

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#DailyCalmToday’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer.  I’m still working on getting back the flexibility I lost by skipping my stretches for those couple of days.  I had not realized that in skipping a day or two it was taking so long to recover, but I’m definitely noticing now.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was about intentions, and about living in the present. It is about looking forward, all the while you keep your awareness in the present.  All too often, we get so wrapped up in plans for the future or the memories of the past that we forget that there’s a whole world for us to experience right now in this moment.  It isn’t just that “tomorrow is a new day” but every minute is a new day… a new lifetime… a new world.   Don’t forsake what you  have in the now for the things that are already dead and gone, or those that are not yet even a reality.

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina's Tarot - Six of CoinsToday’s draw is the Six of Coins, which traditionally is a representation of creating balance through generosity (or the openness to accept generosity from others).

What really stands out to me in this card today is the differences between the two highly coiffed ladies, and the more natural woman off to the left.  The ladies on the right make me think of the court nobility of centuries past with their white powdered skin and hair. The woman on the right feels to be below their station, as she is not so very “put together” as the other two, her skin tone and hair natural and indicating a lower station, no matter how lovely her dress may be.

And yet these women of higher station fawn over the other one, seeking to offer her what is needed to appear above her station and more on their level. The thing is, though, that the woman does not look all that thrilled with the offer.

And that’s today’s message. It’s okay to be happy with where you’re at, even if that’s not as well off as others around you. As long as you are happy, it’s okay to not be striving for more.  And if others don’t like that?  That’s their problem, not yours.

DECK USED:  MADAM LYDIA WILHELMINA’S TAROT

LionHart’s #TheOctoberTarot #SeasonOfTheWitchChallenge Prompt
Question: I am curious and full of wonder when I…

Halloween Tarot

Reading Summary: Watching others steal off with ideas that don’t belong to them (Seven of Bats) and claim these ideas as their own inspirations (Ace of Imps), while leaving the other person bereft and full of anxiety about it happening again (Nine of Bats).

Take Away:  This is about being curious concerning other peoples motivations on why they do things that hurt people, and how they are able to go against the norms of what is clearly wrong for their own selfish reasons. The motivations that create this ability strikes at my curiosity and my fascination. Not because it is something that I idolize, but rather it’s something that I don’t understand and have a hard time wrapping my mind around. It makes me want to pick their brains apart and figure out how they work.

DECK USED:  HALLOWEEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsOct2020 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question: Does fate exist?

Ghosts and Spirits TarotReading Summary: We are all bound fate (Chains)… but if we are open to finding balance within the give and take of the world around us (Six of Pentacles), we can gain more control over what we do and where we go while getting there (Queen of Wands).

Take Away: The answer given by the cards is that yes, fate does exist.  That life isn’t about what is fated for us, but about enjoying the journey in getting there.  It’s okay if not everything is under our control, as long as we relish those things that are and live the best life we can while striving to become better people along the way. 

For example.  If you know for certainty that you are to die at 78 years old in a tractor accident, does that mean that you should really spend every day between now and then focused upon what’s coming?  No…. it means you set that knowledge aside and enjoy every moment of every day between now and then so that you can say you lived a full and fruitful life once it’s all over.  Fate is not the path we walk, but simply a few landmarks along the way on our journey.

DECK USED:  GHOSTS & SPIRITS TAROT

#MysticStarChallenge October Challenge Prompt
Question: How does yesterday’s message relate to my journey?

Twisted Tarot Tales

Reading Summary: There are going to be ups and downs in life no matter what you do (Wheel of Fortune), so you might as well enjoy yourself (The Sun), and take control to move yourself in the direction you want to go while doing the things you want to do (Queen of Wands).

Take Away:  The guidance on the 6th was to make choices that lift myself and others up while accepting that road blocks and hurdles are a part of life.  Today that message is related to my personal journey through a reminder that ups and downs happen and approaching them from a positive angle and go after my dreams.

DECK USED:  TWISTED TAROT TALES

#ConnectWithYourDeckChallenge by E Roebuck-Jones
Question: What do the Moon phases mean to me?

Dark Grimoire Tarot

Reading Summary: The down and up and back down again of energy (indicated in the contrasting energy between the Four of Cups and Three of Cups). Creating balance and moderation as we move through the phases again and again (Temperance).

Take Away:  The Moon’s phases are about the flux of energy that the moon goes through each cycle.  It reflects the cyclictic balance that life requires to be a positive and fulfilling journey.  Never too much downtime, never too much celebration and high energy…. instead the moon teaches us that there is room for both, and that both are needed and healthy.

DECK USED:  DARK GRIMOIRE TAROT

 

Aces, Aces Everywhere

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was not a guided meditation.  Instead, I did a body scan to some quiet music to follow along.  Although not as perfect (for me) for meditation as the background music in the meditation app, it was very soothing and relaxing.

Ace of Pentacles - Dark Mansion Tarot Today’s draw is the Ace of Pentacles, which is a representation of seeds of potential, new beginnings, and opportunity in the area of resources, manifestation, finances, and the physical world.

The message that I get from the appearance of this card today is that its important to pay attention and watch out for the appearance of these things.  If you’re not paying attention, these sparks of new opportunity can pass you by.  Sometimes seedlings break free from the seed and stretch up for the light only to be trampled by a careless boot.

Don’t be the careless boot.

Deck Used: Dark Mansion Tarot

Bonus Reading

Another #TarotForGrowthOctober prompt.

Question: What is transforming for me at this time?

Twisted Tarot TalesReading Summary: This is all about my passions (Wands).  It’s about finding the places within my passions and ambitions where I am struggling (Nine of Wands), sorting through what they entail and finding what holds value and what doesn’t (Judgement), and then moving forward with renewed passion in a new direction with what’s not been discarded (Ace of Wands).

Take Away:  What is transforming for me at this time is that over the week while I’m supposed to be taking the time to rest and prepare, it is going to give me time to “switch gears” essentially.  It will allow me to return with vigor for the busy time to come.

Deck Used: Twisted Tarot Tales