using tarot for guidance

Equilibrium Adjustments

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Today’s meditation was just over eighteen minutes, and was another of the installments of the mantra meditations.  It was much the same as the others, but a bit longer.  At the end of it, it spoke on the different “stages” or “levels” you fall into when you meditate and I found this really interesting.  I think that the majority of my meditations are too short to experience much variety in this, but I have noticed that with these longer meditations I’m doing currently that they do seem to feel a bit different.

Architect's Tarot and Thera-Pet Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Death card which is traditionally a representation of organic changes that happen gradually over time.  This is not the “tear it down brick by brick in one destructive moment of chaos” that the Tower represents, but rather it’s about the gradual shifts that happen naturally in the world.

I really like the Eischer-esque feel of this card with the open walkway and the figure of a person sitting inverted upon it. It gives everything a slightly surreal quality that is a reflection of how odd things can feel when you realize a change has been coming and is now upon you.

Combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is a reminder that feeling out of place and uncomfortable is a part of change and not a sign that you’re screwing up.  Change can often be uncomfortable and awkward, it can often feel like a struggle to deal with and adjust to… these aren’t signs of your failure but rather they are “growing pains” as you adapt to a new reality different from the one that you’re used to.  These feelings are natural and fade as you become used to the changes and the newness of them wears off.

DECK USED:  ARCHITECT’S TAROT AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CARDS

LionHart’s Whispering Woods Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question: What energy am I invited to work with throughout March?

A Siren's Melody Tarot

 Reading Summary: Remember not to overwhelm yourself (Ten of Wands) with work and that perfectionist attitude of yours (Eight of Pentacles) when there are other better and healthier choices available to you (Seven of Cups).

Take Away:   Bad habits have a way of sneaking up and biting me in the ass when I try to shed them, and this is one that’s sure to take a bite more than once as I work through finding a better balance between work and self care. I am being invited to make sure I keep my eyes open for this to rise up over the next month, and be diligent (and wise) enough to catch it when it does and make healthier choices instead.

DECK USED:  A SIREN’S MELODY TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsMar2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What good thing is ready to come into bloom in my life with the arrival of spring?

Architect's TarotReading Summary: If I’m clever with my time and efforts (Seven of Swords), I can tip the scales in my favor so that what I want to continue to grow will do so (Justice).  It might not be the speedy growth I crave, but slow growth is better than no growth at all (Seven of Pentacles).

Take Away: The message here is that when you make good choices, good things will grow from those choices…. So make good choices. Clever, intelligent, cunning, strategic good choices.

This reading echoes back to the warning that was buried within my month’s end reading done earlier this morning.  That reading spoke of temptation to act out of character in order to get what I want, and thus triggering repercussions as a result.  Here we see that the prize for staying on track is making choices that are clever and beneficial, while remaining in line with my personal values, is slow but positive growth.

DECK USED:  ARCHITECT’S TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took a break from work to chill in IMs with Gideon and watch him open his (belated) birthday gifts.

Transitioning from February to March

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Existential Tarot and The Lantern Oracle

Individuality – Action 5 atop Emotion 5, Accountability – “We are not our mistakes, but what we do with them.” Those words ring loud and strong from the guide for the Lantern Oracle when looking at these cards, which speak of perceived mistakes and regret. These perceived mistakes trigger scarcity issues, and thus the scarcity issues create regret and the cycle continues. Accountability is the answer to these issues. By owning your mistakes, you learn from them, grow from them, and move forward. At this time, there lies an opportunity for this type of growth.

Dependence – The Dionysian and Trusting Tricksters – The energy of creativity can often be wild and chaotic.  Don’t let it romance you away into distraction.  You don’t have to leave your creative energy behind as you step into your responsibilities, you just have to keep your eyes open and your feet firmly on the ground.

Creativity – Reason 1 and Radical Self-Acceptance – “Decisions are the first step toward breaking barriers that impede our success.” Echoing back to the first position in this reading, what needs concentrating to create in your life at this time is the depth of the roots within self-acceptance and self-respect. Don’t allow yourself to focus on regrets and perceived mistakes. Instead, focus on that forward motion and making progress.

Limitation – Will 4 and Melting Mask – What has the ability to hold me back in at this time is becoming too complacent. Don’t get too comfortable and allow stagnancy to slip in and make itself at home.  If you allow complacency and stagnancy to slip in and get comfortable, you will slide back into the fog that hides who you truly are and all those positive qualities that you are trying to foster and grow.

Change – Action 7 and Radical Curiosity – What is currently fostering your way forward and paving the way to where you want to go is your efforts to allow yourself to grow at your own pace.  The enjoyment you take in delving into the things that interest you and learning new things can only further this journey.  Just remember that growth takes time… you may be able to learn quickly and pick up new talents at the drop of the hat, but that doesn’t mean you can grow at the same pace.

Sympathy – Zarathustra and Key to Intimacy – In my past it took time to discover what love is… and what it is not.  It took time to understand that different people show their love in different ways, and sometimes, those ways are not “in tune” with how others are able to receive love.  This is a lesson that goes beyond love, but with how people relate and how they work together.  Some people are in tune from the start, others simply are not.  Some can become in-tune over time… others, just never will find that sync with each other.  Just because you cannot sync up and be in tune with someone doesn’t make them a bad person… just not one of “your” persons.

Luck – Emotion 10 and Sharing – Take time to examine how you see the act of sharing.  How you perceive giving and receiving, and how this practice can create harmony with others no matter which side of the exchange that you are on.  When true sharing happens, it is no longer “give and receive” and there is no “yours” and “mine…. there is simply “ours”.

Power – Action 1 and Misalignment – In the area of your finances and business, you may be tempted to act in opposition to your moral compass in the coming weeks. Be sure that you are watching out for this urge and willing to fully examine why you are tempted by the uncharacteristic leanings.  You have a chance to turn this around and stay true to yourself… so don’t miss the bus when it comes rolling by.

Responsibility – Knight of Emotion and Repair – Everyone fucks up now and then in pursuit of the things we feel we really want. Should you fuck up, remember the advice in the first position of this reading… own your fuck ups and allow them to teach you a better path. Only through owning what you’ve done and look to accept and deal with the repercussions can you grow and become stronger in response to the experience.

Message from Spirit World –  A renewed path is laid out before you, one filled with the pursuit of the things you truly want over a long period of time.  Be sure in pursuit of these desires you don’t allow curiosity and inspiration to trip you up and send you into a cycle of reparation, though.

Message from Mind’s World – You may not be feeling all that inspired yet and your creativity isn’t at it’s best.  You have ideas, though… and that’s the first step. Be sure to keep those ideas close to the vest for now because it may not be wise to share them with others, write them down to remember for later when you can judge their true value for yourself instead of having to depend on others to tell you if they’re good or not.

Message from Known World – Time alone is all well and good, but stewing in it for too long isn’t healthy so make sure you take short and healthy moments of alone time before then connecting back up with your circle of loved ones. Your loved ones know the true you, they understand you and how your love works… and you understand them and how their love works.  This harmony should be acknowledged more and valued.

Take Away – You’re wandering into  a few challenges to your moral compass and need to make sure you’re staying grounded in who you are and what you value instead of going after what you want without full contemplation of the connotations and motivations behind why you are even considering going astray.  Be yourself and be honest to yourself.  Be inquisitive. Lean into moving forward on your journey towards the light and a healthy mental state rather than flitting off after one distraction or another.  Own your fuck ups.  This isn’t usually a problem for you, but no matter who it is, sometimes pride is a hard thing to choke down.

DECKS USED: EXISTENTIAL TAROT AND THE LANTERN ORACLE

Allowing for Kindness

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Today’s meditation was skipped.  The reason for this was because I laid down to do it and ended up distracted by a cuddly Luna.  I felt so good and refreshed with Miss Luna’s cuddles that I didn’t really feel the need to meditate (and I was getting a bit cold) so I decided to skip.  Not an excuse, but there’s how it went.

Kei Tarot Love and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Ten of Cups, which is a representation of emotional contentment shared with others in your circle.  Where the Nine of Cups deals with attaining that comfort and satisfaction, in the Ten of Cups we then “share the wealth” of those emotions with others.

You know, it’s funny.  Sometimes I love this deck.  Then other times I can’t seem to connect with the artwork at all. I haven’t figured out exactly why that is.

What I see in this imagery today is a field of snow, a rainbow, and a hint of green grass in the distance.  What I see here is a warming.  A thawing of the cold to something softer and warmer.

When combined with the Thera-Pets card for today, what I see here is an encouragement to be nicer to yourself, to warm to yourself and silence that inner voice that wants to hold you back and bring you down.

I personally do not call myself garbage… but I do often treat myself like garbage. I know it’s wrong, and I know that it is within my personal control to change this behavior.  I also understand (as hinted at by the Ten of Cups) that I can more successfully address this issue if I enlist the help of others in my circle that love and care about me.

DECK USED:  KEI TAROT LOVE AND THERA-PETS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CARDS

LionHart’s Mercury Retrograde Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic: I now give closure to this month and I thank you (ancestors and guides) for your guidance.
Question: What is their response?

Existential Tarot

 Reading Summary: Keep going (New Dawn). Don’t look back (imagery in Reason 7). Take your time reconnecting with yourself and the world (Throwness). 

Take Away: February has been all about my trek through the dark landscape of my depression from the slide down into the pit and visit to the very bottom, to the climb back toward the ledge.  Although I have not reached solid ground again yet, I can feel myself improving every day.  The advice here is to keep going and allow myself to recover at my own pace instead of looking back and possibly allowing that glance back to drag me down, or pushing too hard and being impatient.  They are saying that I’m headed in the right direction and everything will happen in its own time.

DECK USED:  EXISTENTIAL TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Topic:  Do Spread 2
Question: What attitude and outlook should I embrace as I move into the week ahead?

Kei Tarot LoveWhat attitude should I embrace as I move into the week ahead?
Two of Wands and Page of Pentacles

Make plans and learn what you need to know in order to move forward.  As the Self Care Saturday reading that I did this weekend has already indicated, this week is about reconnaissance and planning. Make the calls that need to be made, take copious amounts of notes, and then strategize your way forward into what needs to be done.

What outlook should I embrace as I move into the week ahead?
King of Swords and Three of Cups

Take charge, but allow for others to some influence. They have the ability to keep you uplifted, even as you begin to carry responsibility again.  Your time off was restorative and  you’re ready to slide back into that mindset of “large and in charge”.  Just don’t let it swallow you whole and, in doing so, stunt your climb back out of depressions pit and into the light.  Let your loved ones help in lifting you up.

DECK USED:  KEI TAROT LOVE

Daily Self Kindness

I took an ibuprofen, which ostensibly could have been for my foot, but was actually for my left thumb, which is feeling very sore and achy for some reason.

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?

Mesquite Tarot, Elucidation Deck, Lantern Oracle

Earth – Seven of Pentacles and The Closed Book – Rome wasn’t built in a day and a lot of planning and learning went into the process long before the first brick was laid. You know what you want out of your money, your hard work, and your health.  All three have a long term element and you need to make sure you don’t get out of touch with the elements that make up the progress.  Take a look this week and make sure you know what’s going on in these areas, dig in and learn what you need to know, find what’s hidden that you don’t know yet.

Air – Eight of Wands and The Sword – Do your due diligence and do it now.  Do not be aggressive this week in the pursuit of the knowledge you need, but the time to sit back and wait is now at an end and it’s time to be proactive and get gather up that knowledge so that you can use it to your advantage moving forward.

Water – The Fool, The Bridge atop The Knight – You may be feeling all kinds of vulnerable and not at all steady of foot this week, but that’s okay.  It’s natural to feel that way when starting anew after a time trapped in the dark.  Just make sure you have your armor in place should stray arrows come your way while trying to work out your path forward. Don’t take those unintended jabs personally. It’s not about you.

Fire – Six of Wands atop The Tower, The Dove In Mourning – You’re going to ACE this restructuring. Don’t worry about the chaos so much, because it’s just the chaos of change.  Adaptation is your strong suit and you’re going to come through the changes going on with flying colors.

Waning – Radical Self-Love – You have spent the past week relaxing and giving yourself time away from the business.  This was time you needed to heal and find your center.  Now as you move into the week ahead, it’s time to find your footing and get back into the swing of things once more.

Waxing – Circles – As much of this reading has already indicated, there’s some chaos going on in relation to the business and you’re going to need to focus this week to make sure you gather all the information you need to make educated decisions on how to move forward.

Take Away – It’s time to get back in the swing of things.  There’s a lot of changes going on right now that you need to catch up on this week.  Make the calls that need to be made, and work out a plan, but make sure that you gather as much information as you can so that you’re well informed and prepared to adapt appropriately.  During this process there may be a few “emotional hiccups” due to feeling a bit vulnerable (possibly due to either depression or the drop?).  Keep in mind that these hiccups are you taking things personally that are not about you at all.  Let them go instead of letting them in.

DECKS USED:  MESQUITE TAROT, ELUCIDATION DECK, LANTERN ORACLE

It’s Okay To Shuffle In the Dark

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Today’s meditation was just over seventeen minutes long and was the next installment of the mantra meditation course from the Oak app. Again, the meditation did not do the vocal part of things, but started the mantra in the head and kept it there. With each of the meditations in the course, the guide speaks less and there is more time to linger in the actual meditation side of things, which is really nice. I have a bit of mental straying today, but it was more like dreaming, then catching myself dreaming and coming back to center.

Silhouettes Tarot and Thera-Pets Emotional Support Animal CardsToday’s draw is the Knight of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of an active projective beta energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, home life, health, and manifestations. While the Pentacles suit is one of slow movement, the Knight is an indication of forward motion and determination. These two qualities combine to indicate themes that have to do with slow progress, productivity, and working hard towards one’s goals.

One thing that stands out strongly to me in the imagery of this card today is the fact that the knight is looking backward.  They look to the pentacle in their hand… but also in the direction of the past even as the horse continues to move forward into the future.

This combined with the Tera-Pets card for today speaks to me about a need to be sure you are focusing upon what is important to you.  Sometimes when we are moving forward it feels more like we’re fumbling forward in the dark, and that’s okay.  The Knight of Pentacles joined with the message on the second card tells us that even when we are walking forward blind with our hands out to feel the way?  We’re still moving forward… and that’s what’s important.

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

LionHart’s Mercury Retrograde Tarot Challenge Prompt
Topic:  A supportive message from the cards for this Full Moon

Nano Starseeds Tarot

 Reading Summary: It’s up to you to fight the good fight (Seven of Wands) as long as you feel that you’re in the right (Knight of Cups), but don’t forget that others are in that fight (Five of Swords) are a part of your past (Six of Cups) and thus a part of your future.

Take Away:  The past cannot be erased. What you do cannot be erased. You carry your actions forward with you into the future and forever after.  Make sure that when you are fighting for what you believe is right, that you keep in mind the methods you use and keep in mind that those you are fighting against and what you do to win will be indelibly inked into a part of who you are forever forward.

DECK USED:  NANO STARSEEDS TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsFeb2021 Challenge Prompt
Question:  What do I need to focus on for self-care for this full moon?

Silhouettes TarotReading Summary: Call your mother (Queen of Swords). Now (The Chariot). And listen to what she has to say (The Hanged Man).

Take Away: Apparently, I need to make a phone call in the morning (because trust me, she won’t appreciate me calling and waking her ass up in the middle of the night).

I was going to call her this evening.  Then I got a bottle of piss thrown on me by a homeless man and… yeah.  Well. Plans change.

These cards don’t just indicate that I need to call my mother, though.  They make it clear that in doing so I need to pay attention not just to -what- she’s saying, but where what she says is coming from.  The hanged man tells me to listen closely, and look deeper.  There’s more to the conversation than what lies on the surface.

DECK USED:  SILHOUETTES TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I took three showers today, brushed my teeth four times. And plan on taking another shower before bed.

Morning Bonus Read – State of Being

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“Join me this week in my very simple state of being draw.”

Edo Tokugawa Karuta Playing CardsHow am I doing emotionally this week?

Ace of Spades atop Eight of Hearts – Too much in my head and it’s not going well for that reason.  The time off has been good for me, but I need to stop spending so much time thinking on the new processes and methods that have been changing around me over the past couple weeks and just let things flow and settle and worry about them later.

What am I going through mentally this week?

Jack of Spades – This is the problem that is causing my emotions so much turmoil. The problem is that I am used to being able to learn what I need to know when I want to know it.  Waiting is (figuratively) killing me because I can’t get the information I need and I can’t start the adjustment process that will need to take place.  For this reason I’m agitated and spending a good deal of time “all in my head” instead of allowing myself to relax and be at ease.

What should I focus on physically this week?

Six of Clubs – Get out into nature and find my balance.  I have the ability to ground and center, to find my balance, and to find peace… but I need to actually get my ass out into nature and do it.  An hour was not enough… do more.  Don’t let the crutch hold you back because you know damned well there’s plenty of places you can go to enjoy that connection where showing up with a crutch and a gimp foot won’t be a problem.

DECK USED: EDO TOKUGAWA KARUTA PLAYING CARDS