using tarot for guidance

Finding Motivation thru Inspiration

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IMG_8067Today’s meditation was just over twelve minutes long, and was another of the guided meditations (from the Calm app, which is where I get the little graphics pertaining to those guided meditations btw) combined with an interval timer for my piriformis stretches.

The topic of today’s guided meditation was about dealing with our personal inner dialogues and the habit of cruelty and lack of understanding that we direct inward towards ourselves rather than treating ourselves with the same kindness and understanding that we give to others.

This is something that I personally struggle with, and I have been making a concerted effort this year to be kinder to myself and use positivity and optimism to help lift my inner dialogue out of the cruel and savage and into a gentler space.  That said, it is still a struggle after all this time, and I know that part of that is my struggle to let go of the past… and the voices of my past.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Queen of WandsToday’s draw is is the Queen of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s enthusiasm and drive, passions, willpower, determination, and inner spark.

I really like this deck… a lot.  The imagery is just so… f’ing gorgeous. Every card.  Even with the Jesus looking guy as the Magician card. (It very well may be a depiction of Jesus, as I haven’t read the guide book for this deck yet. Even if not? It sure as hell looks like the classic depictions of Jesus.)

Okay, so my fascination with the artwork aside, what really stood out to me today in this card was the flames at the queen’s feet, and the spread wings above her throne.

To me the flames feel like that fire within that figuratively “lights a fire under your ass” to get you moving. In the Queen, this translates to me as someone or something that lights that fire and encourages its burn.  The wings further this impression for me, as they speak about giving lift.  Encouragement.  Providing what is needed to inspire.  That energy, personality, or person being the “wind beneath” those wings, so to speak.

The message here is about inspiration.  it’s about finding inspiration and fostering it within that inner spark, feeding the fire and using it to keep moving forward.  Find strength and determination and willpower within the fanning of the flames, and use theses qualities to keep going despite the roadblocks and hurdles.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Draw a random card and use it to describe a quality about yourself that you love.

Hans Zatzka Dreamland Tarot - StrengthStrength – Deep within me beneath the layers of defense and determination. vulnerability and deflection… there is a core of strength.  This strength is what has allowed me to survive so much and continue on, to allow myself to be open and receptive to others even through the pain of what has happened in my past.  The  assaults, the cancer, the rape, the accidents, the abuse, and the betrayals.  All of it could have closed me down, closed me off, made me bitter, made me hard and hateful.  They could have broken me and made me a victim… or in many cases, could have (or almost did) kill me.

And yet I survive.  I am not a victim.  I am not broken.  I am not bitter or hateful. I choose to not allow these things from my past to destroy the person that I am, the person I want to be, and the person I wish to become.

Side note:  This deck’s cardstock is horrendous. It’s essentially unsealed textured printer paper with inkjet printing. I have plans to reproduce this deck for my own use at some point, with better cardstock (and no typos).

DECK USED:  HANS ZATZKA DREAMLAND TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – A New Month

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This month I want us to focus on our goals. I thought this would be a great tarot spread for the rest of this month :)”

Tarot of Light and ShadowYou at the beginning of this month.
Ace of Serpents atop Eight of Cups

At the beginning of this month you were preparing for the holiday rush and all of the bounty that I was hoping would drop into my lap with extra orders rolling in.  Because of the pandemic, I was uncertain (water in the Ace of Serpents) that I would manage to draw in the orders and income that needs to come in at this time of year to make sure that the rest of the year runs smoothly.  At the beginning of the month I had become to realize that abundance is smiling upon me and diving headlong into the alternate reality that the holiday rush holds me within for six weeks or so out of each year.

Three defining events of this month.

Ten of Wands – Overwhelm and potential burn out.  This is the result of that six month race of too many orders and too little time.  It is inevitable, but can be mitigated a bit to ease its effects by trying to fit in some self care.

Judgement Rx – Am I doing well enough?  Is it going to be enough? Am I going to be enough? Am I doing enough? This time of year is filled with these worries and doubts. There is no way to tell while in the middle of the fray, but these worries drive me forward to work harder and harder, push more and more.

Two of Serpents Rx – There is no balance.  None. It’s something that is struggled with even when things are quiet and smoothly running.  But now is not a time of quiet and smooth, but chaotic and overwhelming.  There is no balance, just as there is no balance every year for these six weeks.  All you can do is do your best to keep moving forward, and eventually restore that balance once the rush is over.

Three defining characteristics of this month.

Six of Swords – A constant focus on the fact that this won’t last forever.  A constant focus on moving forward and riding the wave. A consistently repeated reminder over and over again that this stress and strain and overwhelm is not forever… just for this moment, and that it will soon be over.

The Wheel – There is a lot of uncertainty that comes with the month of December, and a lot of ups and downs because of that uncertainty. In this case, though… things are looking good and the upswing is a beautiful thing.  Needed.  Sooner or later what comes up must always come down tho, so watch out for the downswing that will eventually show up.  Probably next month.

Ace of Wands – The holiday rush is very literally the “seed” of my passion and drive. The business is my drive, my intent, my focus, my goal, and the white hot spark of my ambition.  The holiday rush funds necessary aspects of this endeavor, giving my goals and drive the funds needed to continue forward into the next year.

You at the end of this month.
Ten of Cups

Contentment and relief at having made it to the end.  Pleasure and a breath of fresh air for my emotions now that I can bring them back to the surface once again.  A chance to enjoy the good stuff in life again, including all those things that make me happy and connect again with Gideon and my loved ones. And a bit of an opportunity for some rest (the cup tipped on its side).

DECK USED: TAROT OF LIGHT AND SHADOW (LIGHT CARDS ONLY)

Get Moving

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IMG_8057Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long and was a guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The topic of the guided part of the meditation was about the benefits of meditating, especially when life has become chaotic and hectic.  How using meditation during these times can help in establishing a quiet calm within the chaos that swirls around you.

This is the reason I am trying especially hard during this month to make sure that I do not skip my meditations.  I might have to skip a good number of my self care practices during this month… but not that one.  Not when the world is in chaos due do the holiday rush.  It’s during this time of year that I need my meditation the most.

Neo Tarot Shadow Edition - Eight of WandsToday’s draw is the Eight of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of fast paced, action oriented energy.  It can also represent alignment and fast moving changes.

I honestly don’t have anything that stood out to me in this card today, and the reason for this is that when the card hit the table, I immediately heard words in my mind.   This type of response to the card happens now and then, and is like a whisper in the ear that is coming from the area of my ear but behind the eardrum instead of from an external source.

What this card said today is “move your ass”.   This was very appropriate considering that I had far more to get done today than I had hours in the day, and even while rushing full speed from hour to hour, I didn’t manage to get everything done until after 4:30am.

DECK USED:  NEO TAROT SHADOW EDITION

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: Where should I direct my focus this week to be more understanding?

The Keymaster TarotReading Summary: Avoid focusing on your disappointments (Three of Clubs Rx) and instead lean into (Eight of Hearts) how you are feeling about (Jack of Hearts) the surprise attack of fortune (Jack of Diamonds Rx).    Note how the Jack of Hearts and the Jack of Diamonds are facing each other, playing off of each other.

Take Away: I was not expecting the holiday rush to be quite so hectic this year.  With the pandemic and all of the struggles associated with it (economic, etc), I figured it would be slow.  I made a few adjustments in how I was advertising due to that and, as a result, have been remarkably blessed with a massively busy holiday rush as a result.   I really need the money and I’m very grateful for every single sale… but it means I am pushing myself extremely hard at the moment. Part of that process is ignoring my own weaknesses and circumventing others, and treating myself with a great lack of understanding, as well as closing off and not being quite as tolerant of irritations as a result.

In order for me to foster understanding for both myself and others, I need to make sure that I’m practicing gratitude in my thoughts and inner dialogue.  Instead of allowing myself to deal on how my hands and forearm hurt, how I’m not getting enough sleep, how the stress and rush has my anxiety riding high in my chest (and causing acid reflux whenever I lie down), etc… I need to make sure I’m focusing on the positive aspects and the good that all of this is going to do for me and allow these things to be uplifting.

DECK USED:  KEYMASTER TAROT

Don’t Close Off

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IMG_8041Today’s meditation was just under ten minutes long and was a guided meditation about mindfulness and how it isn’t some metaphysical magic or weird fad, but rather is about learning how to be in the moment rather than constantly distracted by plans for the future or inner thoughts and dialog that steal away your attention.

With life moving so fast and so much going on in the world, it isn’t surprising that it would be challenging for people to focus on the here and now.  There always seems to be something to drag our attention in a million different directions.  Meditation is a way of fostering mindfulness and that single minded focus.  That focus developed through meditation can then be carried forward into everyday life and applied to one’s interests, goals, and endeavors to take you deeper into the things you enjoy.

Tarot of the Holy Spectrum - Page of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Page of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, home life, health, resources, and manifestations.

What stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is that the figure is barefoot, and there’s a deer in the background. The bare feet signify to me both a sense of vulnerability as well as a sense of grounding and a connection to the earth.   The deer in the background reinforces that sense of vulnerability I sense from the bare feet of the figure.  There is also a sense of regal quiet about the deer that blends into the omega energy that the page represents.

The message I see in this card today is about being receptive to what the earth has to offer and teach. Right now in my life I am so wrapped up in the holiday rush and my work that I barely have time for much of anything else. Eating is done while I work. Showering is rushed. Sleep is short. Every hour of my day is spent working to keep up on orders. In order to keep from being overwhelmed by the desire to do other things or become distracted, I close myself off from the world around me in many ways.

The reminder here is to not close myself off. I am strong enough and grounded enough to weather the storm while remaining open and receptive.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF THE HOLY SPECTRUM

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Topic: Do Spread #2
Question: Will I want to move if they build an apartment building behind my condo as I heard they are planning to do? (Prompted by the fact that the people that lived there moved out this weekend, and there’s a construction trailer in the yard next door.)

Inkromancy Tarot The edges of the aura in the Ten of Cups display a shade of color that matches the hot pink and magenta shades in the Nine of Coins.  This connects the two cards together that indicates that they are saying that I will continue to feel contented here in my place and grateful for what I have, even if the apartment building goes up behind my place.

That said, the Page of Cups with it’s arc of empty circles echoes the arc of coins behind the figure in the Nine of Coins.  This correlation says that it will take a bit of adjustment to settle into those feelings of comfort and gratitude. It will be a… learning experience.  Although, not in a negative way that many of life’s “learning experiences” can be.

DECK USED:  INKROMANCY TAROT

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?

Living Tarot, Wisdom of the Forest Oracle, Wild Whiskers Spirit Animal Oracle

Earth – Ten of Wands and Dignified Dragon – Make sure as you move forward into this week that you are staying on guard about putting too much on your plate. The holiday rush is taking up all of your energy and all of your attention.  Do not make promises you cannot keep or that will be detrimental to you to try and keep. Do not make commitments to anything more or extra.  Dance in the fire of what is already before you and on your plate… there is no room for more right now.

Air – Son of Pentacles and Mischievous Monkey –  You’re clever and often single minded.  Single minded isn’t a bad thing, but you need to activate that clever wit this week to help bring a little humor and a spark of fun to the process. Keeping your head down and taking each step forward one at a time is all well and good, but don’t forget that it’s especially during these times that a little bit of funny and fun are needed most.

Water – Seven of Swords and Lofty Lion – Emotionally, self control is going to be a bit difficult for you this week. Like the other night when you burst out in tears and became a sopping mess for a bit, your emotions are going to steal away with you again and again.  This is natural when someone is under the kind of stress and strain that you are currently under. You will make it through, so don’t shy away from these moments.  They are needed.

Fire – Eight of Pentacles and Elegant Eagle –  Lots of hard work coming in this week, which is to be expected from the holiday rush.  You’ll have the opportunity to make some good decisions for your business this week as well. These opportunities have the potential to positively influence your business in the future. Make sure that you think them through thoroughly before cementing your decisions into place and take into consideration what your gut has to say.

Waning – Focus – There’s not a whole lot of control over the next week and you are going to have to train your focus on where it needs to be instead of where you want it to be. The nature of the holiday rush is that you have to train your attention on the business and your work, no matter where else you might feel you want to place it instead. There’s only so much time to go around, and only so much you can invest… and right now you have to invest your focus in those places instead of where you want to train your focus, attention, and time.

Waxing – Smile – “It may not be possible to immediately meet all adversity with a smile, but we can begin to try.”  This quote from the small guide that came with this deck says what I’ve been trying to wax poetic about for over a half hour and talked myself into circles repeatedly.  Right now there is so much stress and so much strain that it’s hard to be positive.  The important part is in the trying.  It’s in finding the little things that you can smile about, the small things that can bring a chuckle.   Just as is mentioned in the Air position in this reading, you need to make sure that you’re allowing those things to lift you up, no matter how small, and using your clever wit and sense of humor to foster and support this effort.

Take Away – You may not be doing what you want to do, but you’re doing what you need to do, and that’s extremely important at this time of year.  Give yourself little boosts of positivity in small ways will help keep you a bit more uplifted.  Make wise choices and listen to your gut as you watch out for opportunities to further your goals this week, and be aware that emotional outbursts are going to happen.  They’re scary and embarrassing, but they’re a part of the process so don’t run from them.

DECKS USED:  LIVING TAROT, WISDOM OF THE FOREST ORACLE, WILD WHISKERS SPIRIT ANIMAL ORACLE

Conscious Gratitude

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IMG_8021Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and was another guided meditation with interval timer for my piriformis stretching.

The topic of today’s meditation was about one’s inner narrative.  That is to say, it was about how you talk to yourself in your head.  Not just what you say, but the tone in which you say it. Are you berating and cruel to yourself with that inner voice? Or are you kind and nurturing?

It brought up a story that these guided meditations have brought up before, last time concerning a different topic.  The story of the Two Wolves, which is about feeding the wolf within you that you want to grow strong.  Do you want the cruel and savage voice that tears you down and picks you apart to grow strong?  Or do you want the inner voice that fosters your well-being and supports you to grow strong?   The one you give the most air-time in your head is the one that grows strong…. so make sure you’re feeding the right wolf.

Tarot de Mona Lisa - Nine of PentaclesToday’s draw is the Nine of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of success, independence, and gratitude for the abundance in one’s life.

What really stands out to me the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the bird.  Not just do the colors really draw my eye, but so too does the coin the bird offers to the woman. What this symbolizes to me is that sometimes our fortune is given rather than toiled for.   Sometimes it is earned through trust and support and connection with others rather than through our own labor.

The message here is that no mater where our bounty comes from, it’s important to practice gratitude.  To pay attention and be grateful rather than taking the boon for granted, or its source for granted either. Mindfulness is important.  Saying thank you is important.  Taking time to just enjoy and remind yourself how fortunate you are is important. Don’t take what you have for granted or it may not stick around and continue to be so generous.

DECK USED:  TAROT DE MONA LISA

#DiscordTarotolicsDec2020 Challenge Prompt
Question: What is my greatest strength that is currently hidden from me?

Touchstone TarotReading Summary:  The ability to see into and understand (The High Priestess) the motivations of others (Seven of Swords), and the ability to bring positive influences and pleasure (The Star) into the contentment of home (Four of Wands) can bolster the endeavors your driven to accomplish (King of Wands).

Take Away: This is about the greatest strengths that are hidden within me and how they can support my ambitions and goals.

The ability to understand other’s motivations is something I want to have, but something that is, in many cases, still undeveloped.  It is something I delve into often, though.  Something I seek out the counsel of others about in order to get a chance to see other perspectives and better wrap my mind around why people do and say the things they do and what the motivations behind those words and actions might be.  I have not really thought about how I could use this skill to further my own personal goals and ambitions, but maybe this is something I need to look into in more detail.

The ability to bring trust and positivity into the contentment of home life is also something I would not have normally considered in relation to my goals and ambitions.   I see how it could affect and support them, though.  Especially as I run a home business.  A business that those that live with me contribute to.

DECK USED:  TOUCHSTONE TAROT