using tarot for guidance

Tarotholics Challenge Dec 21, 22, 23

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#DiscordTarotholicsDec2023 Challenge
Questions for December 21st thru 23rd

Tarotholics Challenge Oracle Reading with The Christmas Oracle

What is it that you’re burying that needs to be set free?

Snowflakes – It’s time to dig up and set free yourself and those unique qualities within you that make you special. You’ve closed down in a lot of areas throughout the holiday rush, including this one, and now that the rush is drawing to a close, it’s time to begin reacquainting yourself with what makes you unique and sharing those qualities with others again.

How can you invite more creative spark into your life?

Family Dinner – Invite others in instead of holding them at a distance. You try so hard to keep people from seeing when you are struggling and the true extent of your efforts, when if you would instead allowed them to see, they would happily help.

What do you need to be more grateful for?

Coal – The lessons learned through the mistakes you’ve made need to be reflected on and appreciated. It’s through giving them attention and being grateful for what you’ve learned along the way that you are able to avoid repeating the same mistakes all over again.

DECK USED: THE CHRISTMAS ORACLE

Finding the Positive for December 19 – 21

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Christmas Cheer Tarot, Snowland Tarot, Vintage Christmas Tarot, and Christmas Affirmations Tarot

December 19

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Nine of Swords – “A bad day doesn’t mean a bad life. Tomorrow will be different.” Anxiety is high today, and not just for you. There was a lot of sniping and bickering today, of tense moments and irritations, sharp words and sharper glances. The stress is getting the best of you… and others as well.  It’s made everyone a bit on edge.

Remember that this is not an every day thing. It’s a “today” thing.  It doesn’t have to carry over beyond today, and everyone will be in a place better suited to smoothing ruffled feathers and settling back into the status quo tomorrow.

DECK USED: CHRISTMAS CHEER TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 20

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Nine of Swords – “You’re still making progress, even on your worst days.”  Don’t let the worries and fears of failure cause you to throw away your progress or disregard your accomplishments. Even when those fears might be valid, they haven’t come to fruition. They’re in your head, and are a product of your pessimistic mindset.   Set those negative worries aside and instead work to encourage yourself through acknowledging each of your successes, no matter how small.

DECK USED: SNOWLAND TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 21

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Knight of Swords – “Close your eyes and slowly take a deep breath.” It’s the last moment before the holiday rush comes to a close.  It’s time to start slowing down, even though you still feel amped up and like there are a million things to do.  Take that deep breath… and then do it again.  Let these small moments of pause to breathe help ease your energy down from the “go go go” and active strategizing you’ve been doing for the past six weeks.

DECK USED:  VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Winter Solstice 2023 – Yule Day Lenormand Reading

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Yuletide Lenormand Reading with the Simply Christmas Lenormand

What aspect of yourself is seeking growth?

Cross and Letter – Communicating your struggles to others is something that you’ve always had difficulty with, and it results in you taking on more and more burden instead of it being distributed among those that could help. This is an area you still need to work on, for as much as you’ve improved in this area, you still have a long way to go.

How can you shed light on this aspect to allow for that growth?

Dog and Key – The key here is in trusting those that are loyal to you. Sharing your struggles and how you are doing with them opens you up to vulnerability.  It’s through those that are trusted and loyal that you are safe in opening up and sharing. Cast your attention their way.

What needs to be sacrificed to allow room for this growth?

Tree and Lady – Stop worrying so much about her health and well-being, and instead focus on your own.

DECKS USED:  SIMPLY CHRISTMAS LENORMAND

Tarotholics Challenge Dec 16, 18, 19

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#DiscordTarotholicsDec2023 Challenge
Questions for December 16th, 18th, 19th

Tarotholics Challenge Tarot Reading with the Christmas Tales Tarot

Where should you direct your focus to foster better understanding towards others?

King of Pentacles atop The Empress – Remember that in their minds you will always be the stable strength that nurtures them and creates for them a sense of security and stability as well as comfort. They do not see you in the same light you see yourself, but with eyes of admiration and love.

Where should you direct your focus this week to be more…

Kind – Queen of Wands – Encourage others to follow their dreams and listen to them when they share their excitement with you.  Foster their desire to share these ideas and dreams with you.

Patient – Queen of Cups – Look at others as people needing emotional support, rather than treacherous landmines on the field of life.

Grateful – Seven of Cups – It’s a choice. You can cast your attention to those things that you have to be grateful for, and in doing so you become more grateful… or you can ignore these things and it will close you off more and more from others and your own happiness.

What aspects of your life could benefit from some grounding and centering?

Knight of Pentacles – It’s time to return to slow progress. The holiday rush is a time of chaos and things being so busy that there’s no time for anything else… no time to even breathe.  Now that the holiday rush is at an end, it’s time to slow your roll.  You’ll still be moving forward, but at a more manageable pace.

Page of Cups – It’s time to return to your emotions and the development of your emotional intelligence. Over the past few weeks you have had to tamp down on your emotions and close them away. Now is the time to open those closed doors and begin sorting through things and returning to the journey of learning you’ve been working on for the past couple of years.

DECK USED: CHRISTMAS TALES TAROT

Finding the Positive for December 16 – 18

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Christmas Storybook Tarot, Xmas Elf Tarot, Christmas Tale Tarot, and Christmas Affirmation Cards

December 16

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Nine of Cups – “Your kindness is the best present anyone could receive.” Strum up within you a wellspring of good cheer.  Sometimes it takes time by yourself to look over all that you’re grateful for and happy about, but we can’t sit there and wallow in all that goodness all by ourselves forever.  Make sure that you take that time… and then step out to share your happiness with others.  Let them know how you feel about them, and how grateful you are to have them in your life.

DECK USED: STORYBOOK CHRISTMAS TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 17

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Ten of Wands – “Self-care the crap out of yourself and you’ll get through this just fine.”  It can be hard when you’re feeling overwhelmed to make sure you are prioritizing your needs. Right now with everything so chaotic and busy, this is even more the case.  Today’s cards are a reminder that you -are- in fact overwhelmed, and need to give yourself a bit of self care and understanding.  In doing so, you bolster your energy, your resilience, and your mental health…. which allows you to keep going.

The finish line isn’t that far now.  You’re almost there.  Give yourself what you need in order to make the last leg of the journey.

DECK USED: XMAS ELF TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 18

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Queen of Cups – “You need to give yourself time to heal, no matter how long that ends up being.”  When scheduling your time off, do the self-kindness of making sure to give yourself a bit of extra time.  An extra thirty minutes at the coffee shop, an extra half hour early to bed or late to rise… an extra few days tacked on to the time off over Christmas.  Don’t cut it short out of the sense of responsibility you use to beat yourself into submission whenever you are tempted to “act out of line”.   Do something different and let yourself have that bit of extra time instead.

DECK USED: CHRISTMAS TALE TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Winter Solstice 2023 – Yule

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The Winter Solstice is coming up on December 21st! This holiday is (in essence) the Pagan equivalent to Christmas. Fun fact… when Christmas was placed on December 25th, the church chose that day to coincide with the pagan holiday of Yule (because as most know, Christ was actually born in the spring, not in December).

Although many of us have been feeling like we’ve been in it for months, the Winter Solstice is the “official” first day of winter, and marks  its spot on the calendar not by its date, but by being one of only two days each year where the daylight and darkness are equal.  In my path, this holiday marks a day of hope for the future, and candles are lit to celebrate the return of the sun as it begins to now become more and more prominent with each day that passes and every day becomes longer as the nights decrease.

yule

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of upcoming Imbolc at the beginning of February.

Winter Solstice Oracle Reading with the Seasons of the Witch Yule Oracle

As the Sun is reborn, what is being illuminated for me on the darkest day of the year?

Offerings – A realignment of values is asking you to spend some time examining your intentions and goals.  Having a clear focus and a path forward doesn’t happen automatically, it happens when transition is in play and you take the time to pin down where to go next.

What do I need to release and surrender to the Sun’s Fire?

Gatherings – Social obligations, especially those that feel like obligations, need to be set aside. If your social obligations are fun, or feel good?  That’s great!  But if they feel like a chore, it’s time to let those feelings of obligations, and the activities that come with those feelings, go.

With light beginning to return, what intentions should I set?

Mother Mary – Self care needs to be at the top of your priority right now.  Give yourself the care and understanding that you have been withholding over the past few months.  Now that the holiday rush is drawing to a close, it’s time to start plotting out how to incorporate self care back into your daily life again.

How can I hold space for the light to spread & strengthen my intentions?

Falling in Love – Spend time with Gideon and getting back the balance or rightness, comfort, and security that he contributes to your life.

What will manifest from my Winter Solstice intentions?

Gratitude – More and more to be grateful for is on the horizon. Reconnect with appreciating the little things as well as the big ones.

Message from the Sun.

Self-Care – You can’t care for others and effectively reach for your goals if you aren’t caring for yourself. Your cup is currently empty.  Take the time and set the intentions needed to help yourself refill.

Message from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

Merriment – Savor the holidays and every day. Find things to cherish and enjoy on a daily basis.

DECKS USED: SEASONS OF THE WITCH YULE ORACLE