using tarot for guidance

(Wo)Man Behind The Curtain

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Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long and was another of the guided “Daily Calm” meditations on the Calm app, which was combined with an interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The focus of today’s meditation was about finding peace within the chaos of life through the mindfulness techniques learned during meditation.  I think that this is a valuable lesson, that you can find inner peace in the middle of chaos.  But I also think that there is also a need for actual external peace through quiet and solitude.  Both are important and necessary for inner balance.

Tarot of Baseball and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the High Priestess card, which is traditionally a representation of secret knowledge and esoteric wisdom.  It’s about intuition and the subconscious, and being aware of the secrets both within oneself and the world at large, and using that knowledge in a way that helps others.

In the theme of baseball (which is the theme of this deck) this role is filled by the girlfriend/wife.  She knows the secrets of her husband or boyfriend. She shares her insights, watches and supports, and that secret self and secret life she shares with him is something only she and he share with each other.

This speaks of those things in life that are not for public consumption, and when combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, the message that I see here is is a reminder that even if you’re not out on the front lines and in front of all the eyes, you’re still important.  Not everyone wants or needs to be in the limelight.  Sometimes?  Being the support in the background is the most important job of all.  So don’t sell yourself short just because you’re not in the spotlight.

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

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: Where does my sense of play need nurturing?

Friends Tarot

Reading Summary:  Make sure that you’re not being too harsh of a taskmaster (King of Swords). Pushing yourself to always strive for more and better (Eight of Pentacles) is not showing yourself kindness or nurturing that inner child (Queen of Pentacles Rx).

Take Away: Fostering my inner child is important, and allowing the harsh slave-driver that is always seeking perfection is –not– nurturing to my inner child or my sense of fun and play.  The message here is that if you don’t give your inner child room to slowly creep its way out of the shadows into the light… if you lean too hard into responsibility and innovation… then that inner child will continue to hide away in the dark.

DECK USED:  FRIENDS TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the most important lesson you need to learn this spring?

Tarot of BaseballReading Summary: Sometimes when you stall too long to find direction (The Hanged Man) in the middle of chaos (The Tower), it leads to uncertainty and indecision (The Moon atop Seven of Caps).

Take Away: There is a difference between stepping back to get some perspective, and stalling your way into indecision. One is a productive way of sussing out the best path forward, and the other is harmful and diversionary.

The cards here indicate that the most important lesson I will need to learn this month is about how to tell the difference, and make sure that my searching for perspectives doesn’t end up going on so long that I end up worse off than if I’d acted without pausing at all.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF BASEBALL

Daily Self Kindness

I’ve struggled a bit today with being kind to myself about taking time off.  I ended up spending most of the day playing with Gideon again, which was wonderful.  I also put off working on blog posts and catching up because it felt a bit overwhelming.

Growth Is a Journey

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Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was another of the guided meditations in the Calm app combined with an interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The focus of today’s meditation was about how when you focus too hard on a goal or endeavor,  you often end up missing so  much else going on around you… and all of the fun as well.

Fine Line Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotinal Spport Animal CardsToday’s draw is The Hermit card, which is traditionally a representation of taking time to one’s self for the purposes of contemplation and self-development. The Hermit is the solitary time needed to cast light upon new paths in one’s life and growth.

The Thera-Pets card combined with the meaning behind the Hermit card leaves he in a place of remembering what was said in my Self Care Saturday spread this week.  That is to say, that this week needs to be about enjoying… having fun… relaxing.  Leaving the mundane and weight of responsibility behind and allowing myself time to breathe.

Sometimes… okay, almost always, this is extremely difficult for me. But, when I first started allotting time off for myself on a semi-regular basis last  year… it was nearly impossible.  It’s no longer impossible, it just takes a bit of effort. A bit of struggle.

Slowly but surely, I’m becoming more accustomed to taking this time off and enjoying it, and with each time I do it and feel the benefits that I reap from it, I learn a little more about how to do it more easily and with less feelings of pressure and guilt entangled into the experience.

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

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: What role does play hold in my life?

Sidewalk Chalk Tarot de Marseille

Reading Summary: Sometimes you get a little carried (Cavalier de Bâton) away in overburden yourself (Dix de Bâton) with those things that you’re really enthusiastic about and want to explore creatively (Cavalier de Coupe).

Take Away: My creativity is my where play resides in my life.  I’ve never been much of the “carefree” type.  I don’t fool around or spend a lot of time doing the whole “fun and games” thing.  I find joy and pleasure, passion and spark, in my creative process and all the different ways in which I express myself creatively.

The problem with this is that my work is also creative in nature, and sometimes when I’m diving into one or the other, they blend together, compound on each other, and I end up overwhelmed.  Then the fun dies and I’m left with feelings of overburden and responsibility… and no pleasure or play at all.

DECK USED:  SIDEWALK CHALK TAROT DE MARSEILLE

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #1

Fine Line Tarot and Carrot CardsWhat does this loved one need less of from me?
Eight of Cups and The Rolling Rabbit

Stop ignoring the need for fun and pleasure, or pushing it away and considering it not a priority or not important.  It is important and shouldn’t be rejected, ignored, or devalued. A part of his purpose, he feels, is to give me a chance to cut loose and find pleasure in life. Don’t reject the value of these things or view them as inconsequential.

What does this loved one need more of from me?
Eight of Pentacles and The Safe Burrow

Lean in and let him do what he does best, which is making you feel safe and secure, helping you to relax, and sheltering you when you are feeling out of sorts or overwhelmed. Expressing when you are feeling this way is important, and it’s important to him to provide that safe haven for you when you need it.

What in this relationship is being entirely neglected?
The Chariot and Kicking

My dominant nature. Usually this is something that only really displays itself outside of my relationship with him.  There is something about Gideon that specifically pulls on my submissive side.  Outside of him, dominant traits usually reign if only at times in how I control my life and lead in the ways I’m comfortable. But, there are times that it rises up within the context of our relationship.   This is not one of those times.  Yes, that side of myself is being “entirely neglected” right now, but I’m very aware that when those needs rise, I can speak up and they will be welcomed eagerly with open arms.

DECK USED:  FINE LINE TAROT AND CARROT CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I spent the majority of my day relaxing and spending time with Gideon in play.  It’s been a very “chill” day.

Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Rabbit Tarot, Carrot Cards, Nest of Light Oracle

Earth – Six of Daisies and The Double Carrot – Be generous, but only when it’s special and pulls to that mystical mysterious side within. This isn’t just about decks and money, but in all things.  This week the focus needs to be on where you’re being pulled and investing in those things that speak to the mystical and mysterious.  There will be time for more mundane pursuits later on.

Air – Ten of Daisies and Thick Fur –  You’ve spent a lot of time fostering your sense of stability and need to keep this in mind as you move about your week.  Stability is important to you, so make sure you don’t discount it as unimportant when the time comes that it should be taken under consideration in order to continue fostering its growth.

Water – Nine of Carrots atop The Fool and The Butterfly – Again we visit the theme of mystery and mystical, this time in the area of one’s emotions.  It’s important to not allow your worries and anxieties to overshadow your joy and enthusiasm for the small and beautiful mysteries in life. It’s okay to have fun.  It’s okay to enjoy having fun.

Fire – Justice and Babies – Working on balance will foster better results than pushing yourself too hard and then having to recover after.  Imbalance is not good for you, it’s unhealthy, you know this well.  That includes in the area of the things you are most passionate about.  Turn over a new leaf and try a different way.

Waning – Indigo Flame atop Yellow Flame – Plotting and planning and those things of the mundane need to be set on the back burner this week.  It’s okay to cut loose.  Let go of those weighted and heavy topics and let them slide away for a time.  They will be there waiting for you next week.

Waxing – Rainbow Ray – Healing and Awakening.  This week marks the awakening from that pit of depression and finding your footing once more.  The last tendrils of healing need time to stretch, grow, and flourish.  Make sure that you are being kind to yourself, and ensure that you are not weighing yourself down during this time when your healing is in its last delicate and tender moments.

Take Away –  Serious mundane issues need to be set aside this week.  It’s your time off and you need to rest and heal, recover, and have fun.  Don’t bother investing in anything that isn’t speaking to that deep inner voice and allowing you rest and pleasure.  Serious things can wait… they’ll be there for you when you go back to work next week.

DECKS USED:  RABBIT TAROT, CARROT CARDS, NEST OF LIGHT ORACLE

Smelling Roses… or Tulips

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Today’s meditation was skipped because I was lazy as hell and stayed in bed way longer than I had intended to.  As my first day off, I think it’s fair to say that I did a good job in lazing about, even if I didn’t actually meditate.

Rabbit Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Seven of Tulips (Cups) which is traditionally a representation of being presented with a wide variety of choices.  This can be a book of fortune that allows you to select exactly what you want or what is best for you, but sometimes it can also be overwhelming and lead to confusion and indecision.

What stands out to me in this card is the oh-so-very dejected angle of the rabbit’s ears.  He’s really innit now, yeah?  Completely flummoxed and without a clue just which flower he wants to eat first.  His good fortune is in the bounty of options available to him… and yet, it sometimes doesn’t feel that way when you’re having trouble choosing.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is a need to slow down. You don’t have to choose your path right this instant.  Life is not a race.  Slow down.  As long as you’re still moving forward, that’s what really matters.  Maybe the rabbit just needs to pause and take some time to smell the flowers before choosing one.

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

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: Where does my creativity need nurturing?

Seventh Sphere Tarot de Marseille

Reading Summary: Everywhere (The World) you are passionate about (Five of Wands), but with moderation and a balanced approach (Temperance).

Weirdness Side Note:  The World card here in this deck reminds today me of a vagina.  The Star card in this deck reminds me today of a uterus diagram.  Both of these connect to a need for that nurturing energy to be poured into how I deal with the conflict I’m feeling in the area of my creativity.

Take Away:  Honestly?  My creativity has been suffering since the new year.  Or… well, maybe since November. Between the holiday rush and then the MDE that followed, my creative spark has been taking a bit of a beating.  And… I admit I’ve been beating up on  myself a little bit for its lackluster enthusiasm in this area.  It’s really not like me… at least not the me I’m used to.

The need for time off and some time to recover has been pretty intense for the past few days, and what I see here is that there isn’t one particular area where I need to direct that nurturing energy, but rather I need to work on being kinder to myself and make sure as I move forward into my recovery that I take things slow so that I don’t overwhelm myself as my enthusiasm starts to respark.

DECK USED:  SEVENTH SPHERE TAROT DE MARSEILLE

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can you tap into additional inspiration this month?

Rabbit TarotReading Summary: Take things slow and smell the roses (Knight of Tulips). Take time to really delve into and enjoy (Queen of Sticks) the creative manifestation that helps root you (Ace of Daisies).

Take Away:  It’s not so much about going after things as it is about taking some time to appreciate what’s already there. Chill.  Enjoy.  Maybe wallow just a little bit.  It’s okay to have a little fun this month and it’s okay to take a break to do that.

This is a fitting message for my time off, and a reminder to allow myself to enjoy this time instead of feeling bad about not getting things done or pressuring myself to get other non-work stuff done since I’m not doing work stuff.

DECK USED:  RABBIT TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I’m actually playing catch up at the moment, so I can’t really remember what it is that I did on the 3rd for self kindness, but I bet I played with Gideon in our new realm… and that counts!

Morning Bonus Read – DeCluttering

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, see where you need to do some Spring cleaning in your mind.”

Sakura Playing CardsWhat is cluttering up my mind and using up my resources unnecessarily?
Three of Hearts atop Six of Hearts blocking Two of Spades

You’re spending too much time begin weighted down by thoughts on how your choices effect others in your life instead of focusing on how the choices will affect your own life.  You need to remember your priorities and their order, and make decisions accordingly instead of letting sentimentality and outside influences sway your thoughts and decision making processes.

What is an area in my life where I could spend more energy in the short term in order to make it take up less energy in the long term??
Five of Spades atop Ace of Spades

If you want to be able to delve into new ideas with abandon, you need to make sure you’re getting the strategy done early.  Write shit down, plan things out, make sure you have a winning plan in place.  Lists are your friend. Use them to your advantage.  They will help you in knowing what you can achieve and what ideas are disposable.

In what areas should I learn to be okay with the mental mess??
Six of Spades and King of Hearts

Sometimes when transitioning from one state of being to another, as you are doing with your emotional growth over the past year or so, the mental chaos can sometimes be pretty intense.  The thing is, though, you’re learning to allow your emotions to rise up instead of denying them that freedom, and that is going to make things a bit chaotic all on it’s own, but it’s healthier than the alternative you’ve been doing in your past.  Better to accept the chaos as a part of change, the change as necessary and what you want, and go with the flow.

DECK USED:  SAKURA PLAYING CARDS

Cheerleaders In The Wings

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Today’s meditation was skipped today primarily because I was worried that I’d doze off, and thus not get on the road in a timely manner this morning.  When I got home, I was then too eager to sit down and spend time with Gideon.  So… meditation did not work out today.

Tarot of the Nymphs and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Seven of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of nefarious acts, clever and cunning deception, being sneaky, and other types of strategic acts, as well as getting away with something.

And… today’s message was just for me and specifically related to my day.  I planned to do something highly illegal (although not remotely triggering to my moral compass or ethics). There was a bit of nervousness about that coming up on the day’s events and my plans and the message here between the Seven of Swords and the “You can do the thing!” encouragement of today’s Thera-Pets card was just what I needed to hear to ease my anxiety and settle my nerves.

I won’t go into what that ‘thing’ was here, but suffice to say that everything went off without a single hitch, and the cheerleader encouragement from the cards this morning definitely helped my nerves and execution of said “thing”.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE NYMPHS AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: What role does creativity hold in my life?

Seasons of the Arcana Tarot

Reading Summary: It is the foundation of stability in my life (King of Pentacles) and allows me something positive to focus on (Five of Cups Rx) during troubled times (Three of Swords).

Take Away:  Creativity plays many roles in my life.  It’s both my entertainment and my livelihood.  It is the basis of my business, and the place I retreat to when I need to relax or when my mind is racing and needs to slow down. It is threaded throughout most of my activities, both professional and personal. Without creativity, it would be harder to lift myself out of times of disillusionment, and I would not have the steady and stable foundation under my feet that I have built my life upon.

DECK USED:  IDEAL SOULMATE TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsApr2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is the most valuable thing you can do for others this month?

Tarot of the NymphsReading Summary: Lighten their load (imagery in the Ace of Pentacles) by taking charge (Emperor) and facilitating change (Death).

Take Away: Not everyone handles change as well as others do. The cards here indicate that one of the most valuable things I can do for others this month is helping in lightening their load by helping them in finding their direction and supporting them through the changes that need to take place.

Sometimes? People just need a guiding hand to help them figure it out and find their direction.  Sometimes doing that on their own is just too much.. too overwhelming.  Stepping in to help in these moments can assist them in finding their footing.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE NYMPHS

Daily Self Kindness

Gideon and I started a new realm today and played with brand new characters this evening, which is always exciting and I’ve been looking forward to all day long.