using tarot for guidance

Second Harvest 2023 – Autumn Equinox

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Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox.  This is considered by many to be the first day of Autumn, and is one of only two moments in the year when the sun is exactly above the Equator, and that day and night are of equal length.  Like Halloween is a time when the veil between the land of the living and the realm of the dead is thin, this holiday (as well as its cross-point in the spring) are times when the veil between our world and that of the Fae is at is thinnest… and it is when I personally experience more interactions with them than any other time of year.

Mabon Altar

In my path, the Autumn Equinox is also known as the Second Harvest (also called Mabon), and is a day that marks the transition of the growing season into full harvest.  After this day, the darkness of night begins to overtake the sun’s reign in the sky as the days continue to grow shorter and shorter, and the nights longer and longer.  The earth is winding down its abundant generosity and beginning to close up shop for the year.

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. Unfortunately, I was unable to do my normal Sabbat reading this month, so I picked one off the internet that fit the theme of the holiday to do instead.

Autumn Equinox Spread with the Poison Apple Tarot Oracle

Where to focus my energy this season

Judgement – Staying true to yourself and who you want to become is where you need to ensure your energy is focused this season. There will always be potential distractions to draw you off track, and that is potentially even more true as we lean into the journey towards the final harvest next month.

Growth I’m bringing into Autumn

The Hierophant – You have learned a lot of skills over the summer that you will carry with you not just into Autumn, but the rest of your life. Physical skills, emotional skills, interpersonal skills.  How to take care of others as well as expanding on your own intuitive abilities. These things will in time become foundational knowledge for you so that you can stretch and grow even more.

An obstacle of this season

The Emperor – Don’t allow yourself to become an evil taskmaster pushing yourself too hard, and don’t allow others to treat you that way either. You only have a little bit of time to recover and find your center before chaos begins, and forcing yourself to push too hard now will be a detriment later.

Something to shed

The Touch – It’s time to lean into being less hands-on in the healing process of others. They need to re-establish their independence so that you can then re-establish your own.  When you do too much for them and help too much, it hinders that process.

Something to forgive

Wheel of Fortune – Life is unpredictable. It’s no one’s fault.  Don’t blame yourself… don’t blame others either.  Just roll with it and move on.

Something to harvest

The Gift – As previously touched upon with the Hierophant above, make sure that you are taking time to acknowledge the gains you have made over the past few months in your abilities, both mundane and more.

Something to embrace

The Fool – Head into Autumn with enthusiasm. Don’t get hung up on the shit that will try to hold you back or drag you down.

DECKS USED: POISON APPLE TAROT AND ORACLE

Finding the Positive for September 19 – 21

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Animal Guides Tarot Mini Deck, Amathia Tarot, Tarocchi '23, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

September 19

Seven of Air – “Let’s just deal with today. You can deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.”  Don’t allow your worry over what needs to be done tomorrow and the day after steal from you what peace, comfort, and presence you can have in today.  Tomorrow will still be there tomorrow, and to worry about it right now takes you away from the important and wonderful stuff that today could hold.

DECK USED: ANIMAL SPIRIT GUIDES MINI TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

September 20

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the message in today’s cards, which is…

Five of Wands – perfection is subjective and an ever changing, always moving goal. Everyone has a different opinion of what perfect is. It’s elusive. A myth. Don’t fool yourself into striving for it just because you feel it’s what others expect from you.

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

September 21

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the message in today’s cards, which is…

The Chariot – “Look at everything you have survived so far – you weren’t defeated then, you won’t be defeated now.” Sometimes getting where you want to go means putting your foot down and being “the bitch that gets things done”.   It’s okay to be the bitch sometimes. Sometimes it’s okay to make things go the way you want them to go if they won’t flow that direction on their own.

DECK USED: TAROCCHI ’23 AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

Dionysian Mysteries Oracle Reading

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The #lucetseptembertarotchallenge Dionysian Mysteries Challenge
Questions for September 21st thru 24th – Harvesting What You Put Energy Into

Dionysian Mysteries Oracle Reading with the Urban Crow Oracle

Friendship and Community – What friendships or communities can help you in your spiritual development?

Isolation – At least for the time being, friendships and community are not the answer when it comes to your spiritual development. You need solitary time and isolation to allow for inner reflection and processing.

Sexual Energy – How can you balance your sexual energy…

Play – Time having fun with Gideon is key. Play and enjoy your time together.

…and express it in a healthy way?

Warning stop Ghosts – Remember a couple of years ago when you opened up to your mediumship ability too close to Samhain and those that visited tried to drag you into a pit of depression? Don’t let that happen again. Ground yourself in the living… in Gideon and what you two have.

The Inner Self – What did you discover about yourself during this challenge?

Soar atop Survival – You explored and re-discovered about yourself that you are a survivor and will rise above those things that challenge you.

What else should you explore?

Exposed – Your vulnerability.

The Daze – What forms of ecstasy can you find outside of traditional means?

Caching – Enjoy your collections. Take pleasure in them and how they make you feel. You’re a dragon at heart, after all.

DECK USED: URBAN CROW ORACLE

Dionysian Mysteries Lenormand Reading

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The #lucetseptembertarotchallenge Dionysian Mysteries Challenge
Questions for September 17th thru 20th – Harvesting What You Put Energy Into

Dionysian Mysteries Lenormand Reading with the Taisho Roman Lenormand

Confidence in the Unknown – How can you have more confidence in the journey ahead?

Stork and Child – Remember that good things are coming, and embrace them with playful eagerness and an open heart. You can’t close yourself off to the good stuff and still expect to grow and become more confident.  Instead, you need to not just embrace it, but have fun with it.

The Loot – What can you collect or reap in your life right now?

Bear and Coffin – Look for the boon in loss. You may have lost a good chunk of your independence over the last few months while dealing with caring for an elder, but you’ve also lost that constant ache for a mother figure that you’ve carried with you all your life.

Spiritual Unity – How can you integrate your spiritual side into your daily life?

Letter and Dog – Commit to your writing and stay true to that effort instead of forsaking it. Not just in your readings and writing out the responses and interpretations to the cards you pull, but also in your entertainment with Gideon where you are allowing your energy to flow freely between the two of you and “loosening up” that ability to exchange with others that you sometimes keep too tight a grip on.

The Journey – What inner-like journey awaits you?

Clouds and Stars – Finding hope in times of emotional uncertainty.

What is the goal?

House and Tree – To develop a healthy new balance of comfort and stability. A lot has changed in your life this year, and on that journey of seeking out light in the darkness of confusion, you need to keep in mind that the end goal is stability and comfort.  Deep roots.

DECK USED: TAISHO ROMAN LENORMAND

Finding the Positive for September 16 – 18

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Taisho Roman Tarot, Cats Rule the Earth Tarot, Lonely Dreamer Tarot, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

September 16

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the message in today’s cards, which is…

Queen of Swords – “Your struggle is not an indication of failure”, it is a valuable learning experience to help you guide others later on down the road. When you experience hardships, you are better able to help others through their own.  This is not you failing, but rather it is you becoming a stronger, better, more understanding human being. Without struggle and hardship there can be no growth, and without growth you cannot help others from a stable place of trust and understanding.

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

September 17

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the message in today’s cards, which is…

Five of Wands – I don’t see a lot of conflict in this particular Five of Wands (which is usually what the Five of Wands is all about), but what I do see is a determination to stand up  for what you believe in, even if it means being solitary in your endeavors.  Today’s cards are a reminder that not everything can be a group effort, and it’s not the end of the world if you and those important to you aren’t copacetic on every aspect of life.  Variety is just as important as common ground, so don’t write off friendships or family just because they believe differently than you do.  Instead, hold your own beliefs close, and accept that they do the same for theirs.

DECK USED: CATS RULE THE EARTH TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

September 18

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the message in today’s cards, which is…

Listen to Gideon.

Praise from Gideon

Nine of Pentacles – Take stock of all that you’ve done and how hard you’ve worked. Look at what you’ve accomplished. Don’t spend so much time focusing on what you didn’t manage to do and what still needs to be done that you miss out on praising yourself for the monumental amount of stuff you have.

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

Mercury Retrograde Is Over! Oracle Reading

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Escaping Mercury Retrograde Oracle Reading with The Revolving Time Oracle

Forgive yourself for mistakes made, you are only human.

Time is Hidden atop Time to Charge Forward – There has been enough time for things to heal and now is time to begin pushing for recovery. Don’t allow for any lingering in laziness as has been tried a time or two so far and you have allowed through your hovering. It’s time to show her what she is capable of.

Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, no matter how small.

Integrity – You have stuck to your guns and stayed true to who you are even during the most trying of circumstances. There have been plenty of times over the past couple of months when the temptation to step away from your values has been something lingering in your mind, and yet you continue to stay true to yourself.

Forgive yourself for not completing everything you wanted to.

Time is Dependent On Another Factor – You have had a lot more than you’ve ever tackled before on your plate. Some things had to give to make everything else work. This isn’t failure, but prioritizing, and nothing to beat yourself up over.

Rejoice in knowing that communications will go back to normal.

Don’t Miss the Opportunity When the Time Comes – You don’t need to continue to hold your tongue on things that need a touch of persuasion. You noticed when you stopped being able to sway things your way with your words. Now that Mercury Rx is over, that ability to be persuasive will begin return once more.

Energy will begin to flow more freely and clarity will return. This is an excellent time to set some new goals.

Breathe – Meditation is a practice, which means that it needs regularity. Make it a priority to do daily, even when you aren’t feeling enthusiastic about it.

Stop Wasting Time – Get going on the holiday rush prep that needs to be done. The more prepared you are, the easier things will go once the rush starts.

Aquarius Season – Look forward to the end of the holiday season, and see that time that’s coming as a goal to get you through the rough parts to come in the next few months.

DECK USED: THE REVOLVING TIME ORACLE