using tarot for guidance

First Harvest 2023 – Lammas/Lugh

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Tomorrow is Lammas, which is known as the First Harvest of the year. This day marks the transition into the harvest season of August, September, and October (of which there is a Second Harvest and Last Harvest that correspond to these months).

First Harvest Moon

This holiday is often referred to as Lammas, Lughnasadh, or Lugh, although I usually just refer to it as the First Harvest. On my path, it celebrates the beginning of Summer’s decline and ramping up of the busy season where we begin to reap in the abundance that the bounty of summer’s energies has encouraged to grow and flourish. It is a time filled with a combination of abundance, hard work, and gratitude.

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.

Lughnasadh Tarot Reading with the White Neuman Tarot

What skill have you grown that will best serve you?

The Devil Rx – Resisting temptation and being more discerning in indulging in your addictions.

What is still ripening and needs time to further mature?

Nine of Pentacles – Learning to appreciate your accomplishments and those things in life that make you feel fortunate, rather than ignoring them for the negative viewpoint or your ambitions.

What needs to be sacrificed/released for you to prosper?

Ten of Wands – Stop trying to do everything. It’s too much. If you don’t want to drop it all and screw it all up, you need to start selectively lightening your burden where you can.

Will your current path serve you well as we prepare for the darker months?

Page of Wands Rx – Not really… No. You need to be open to learning a different way to getting to what you really want.

What do you need to focus on between now and the autumnal equinox to prepare?

Eight of Wands Rx – Make sure you are taking things slow. You still have plenty of time to prepare for the holiday rush, and there’s no need to push yourself right now.

DECK USED: WHITE NEUMAN TAROT

🌕 Full Moon in Aquarius – August 2023

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Tonight is the full moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is brought to you by EmeraldLotusMystic.

Aquarius Full Moon Tarot Reading with the Word Cloud Tarot HappyToast Deck

What is awakening in my life at this time?

Nine of Pentacles – Gratitude and a greater appreciation for your accomplishments. A greater awareness of how far you’ve come and sense of enjoyment for all that you’ve earned.

What is something I need to sit with to explore?

Nine of Swords – Your fears and anxieties. You’ve been triggered a few times of late, and instead of pushing those things away it would be better to sit with and explore them.

How can I be vulnerable with others to improve relationships?

Seven of Wands Rx – You need to work on being less defensive.

What type of accelerated growth will I experience over the next few months?

King of Wands – Don’t pass up the opportunity to connect to your passions and to use them to connect with others.

Full Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

The Tower Rx – Don’t inflate setbacks into end-of-the-world scenarios. Catastrophizing evens will only make it harder to move forward, and get you stuck in an anxiety loop.

DECK USED: WORD CLOUD TAROT HAPPYTOAST DECK

Finding the Positive Message for July 31

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The Chariot from the Spacious Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. “You weren’t defeated then, you won’t be defeated now.”  Combined with the imagery in today’s card (The Chariot), I have a feeling something is coming that is unavoidable and going to be a challenge. There’s no indication what that something is, but the rushing of the water in the card combined with the affirmation for today… this card is a reminder that whatever is coming is not the end of the world. It’s something you’ve gone through before, and although you may have to go through it again, it won’t defeat you this time any more so than it did last time.

The Chariot – In general, the Chariot card is about control and direction.  Here in this card, we see rapids running through the canyon channel of tall rock walls. You cannot see where the water is going as you ride along within the water, and you have no choice but to continue forward as there is no going back. The key here is to ride the water like rapids. Keep your head above water and make sure that you steer yourself around any major obstacles so that you don’t end up crashing on the rocks.

DECK USED: SPACIOUS TAROT

📆 Transitioning from July to August

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Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with the MIMIT Tarot

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

The Emperor – Large and in charge, you are making responsible decisions about what is best for everyone but yourself.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

The Sun Rx atop Ten of Swords – Don’t let the misfortunes, tests, and trials that feel like they’re beating you down actually drown you in the pit of depression. You may not be able to drown without the drop, but you can make sure you don’t allow it to drag you into the dark by letting go of self defeating thought patterns.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Seven of Cups – The echoes of who you were are still there. Just make sure you are only resurrecting the good stuff.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Ten of Wands – Take care you aren’t flirting with overwhelm and burnout.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Six of Cups – Your ancestors and guides are clamoring to become more involved.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Nine of Pentacles – It can often be difficult for you to sit in your moments of accomplishment, as you’ve been conditioned to always push for more.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Ace of Wands – Stir up in your memory the experience of your inspiration and creative spark flaring to life. Don’t forget how good it feels to be seized by inspiration.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

The Last – Pay close attention to what is dying out. If it’s important to you, you will be given the opportunity to breathe new life into these things.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Cards – Don’t pass up the opportunity to give comfort to those who need it, and accept comfort from those offering it to you. Everyone needs others to apply a bit of balm to their soul now and then.

Message from the Spirit World – If you ignore the lessons from your past you will be doomed to repeat them.

Message from the Mind’s World – Spending too much time with your fingers in other peoples business will steal away your joy. Pick and choose instead of being involved in everything.

Message from the Physical World – Instead of focusing on ministry success, which will only continue a cycle of overwhelm, spend your time focusing on the whispering spark of your inspiration.

DECKS USED: MIMIT TAROT

Finding the Positive Message for July 28 – 30

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Songs for the Journey Home Tarot, Dive To You Tarot, Seasonal Fox Tarot Day Edition, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 28

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. The affirmation for today is “You don’t have to be perfect to be lovable” which is really a slamming hammer on the nail head of one of my biggest issues, to be honest. Because… perfection is important.  Extremely important.  Or at least that’s what I was taught growing up, and it stuck hard for a very long time afterward, and still manages to stick around, even though these days I’m working at letting it go.

The Fool – Sometimes care free is better than responsible. You can’t be a stick in the mud all of the time, and life is a lot more fun if you let yourself fuck up now and then along the way.  Trip over a branch on the path now and then, get carried away with your own enthusiasm.  These things help awaken the child within, and you need that child within to help balance out that extremely heavy handed inner taskmaster that takes up so much of your time and attention.

DECK USED: SONGS FOR THE JOURNEY HOME TAROT

July 29

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. The affirmation on today’s card is “There’s no rule that says you have to have everything figured out right now. Every step forward is progress.  This affirmation encouraged me to go to the guide for the tarot card that I pulled today rather than trying to just interpret from the imagery.  I’m glad that I did, too! Although it was written in Thai, I was able to use a translator to translate it and, as a result, was able to see the Eight of Swords in a new light today.

Eight of Swords – In the guide for this deck, this card is all about the danger and nefarious actions of the man outside, and how she sees him with eager anticipation rather than as the danger that he is.  Her rose colored glasses keep her from seeing things clearly, and this she is missing out on acknowledging the danger she is in.  The message in today’s card is to remember that clarity is important. You can’t ignore shit and expect that you won’t end up getting burned in doing so.

DECK USED: DIVE TO YOU TAROT

July 30

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. The affirmation on today’s card is “You are not a burden. We are lucky to have you.”  I feel like I pulled this the other day when all that drama happened recently on one of the servers I’m on.  I felt like I was fucking up and couldn’t figure out how to stop the downward spiral.  Today’s affirmation brought up the memory of that spiral and how for a time, I kind of lost  touch with the fact that there are far more people out there that appreciate me and depend on me than there are critics that hold issue with how I do things.

The Lovers – Have some fun with the ones you love, as it helps those bonds grow stronger and keeps not just the relationship healthy, but -you- healthier as well.

DECK USED: SEASONAL FOX TAROT DAY EDITION

Finding the Positive Message for July 25 – 27

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Mimit Tarot, Everybody's Tarot, Healing Waters Tarot, and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal Cards

July 25

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. That affirmation was “It’s okay to be uncomfortable. It’s okay to be scared. You will succeed in spite of these feelings.*  What I love?  Is that the bunny in the image has a mural of a full moon on it.  That uncertainty of darkness and shadow fits so well with the affirmation on the card.

The Hanged Man – This card is all about perspective, and the fact that the tail of the mouse is willingly holding on instead of tied to the branch? Indicates that not only is it about new perspectives, but about willingly seeking them out and being open to those perspectives when they are available.  These cards together are a reminder not to close yourself off to opportunity because you are scared or uncomfortable. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see past those feelings that try to cloud your view.

DECK USED: MIMIT TAROT

July 26

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. The affirmation on today’s card is “You are doing enough. It’s going to be okay.”   This is one of those messages that I need pretty regularly, as I feel like I am -never- doing enough. It’s a reminder that this perspective is flawed, and comes from an ugly place of self-depreciation.  By reminding me of this, it helps me to try and see things from a healthier angle when I’m tempted to keep pushing myself harder and harder.

Four of Cups – Being pissy about your self care and not dong your meditation isn’t going to get you very far.  In fact, it will create setbacks that you really don’t need. Make sure you do your physio and meditation, even if you’re not inspired to do so.

DECK USED: EVERYBODY’S TAROT

July 27

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was focused on the affirmation in today’s Thera-Pets card. The affirmation for today is “The truth is that you are far more capable than you feel.” I’m not feeling particularly in-capable at the moment, but sometimes these messages come in order to help bolster and sustain rather than to correct.  Today’s message is one of those. It’s to keep me remembering that I’m far more capable than I often feel that I am, whether that is in making changes in my life, or just sustaining my business for a time instead of focusing on growth.

The Hierophant – Make sure you are tapping into available resources right now. You don’t know everything and still have so much potential, but to continue to improve and expand your own knowledge you need to seek out those that have been doing things for a lot longer than you have. Their tips and tricks can help improve your own knowledge and skills.

DECK USED: HEALING WATERS TAROT