using tarot for guidance

🌕 Full Moon in Aquarius – August 2025

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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 courtesy of @onyerbroom

Full Red Moon Tarot Reading with The Real-Life Tarot Oracle

Release – The Cult – Stay grounded in reality and make sure you’re thinking for yourself. Nobody else can make the decisions for you at this time.

Illumine – Third Nipple – Those quirky things in your relationships that people look askance at are the things that make your relationships work.

Protect – Mom – Take care with her fragile feelings right now. She’s feeling extremely unsteady on her feet emotionally and needs a little reassurance to strengthen her foundation.

Reflect – Three Heads – Just how much shit is going on in your head? And how much of it is actually useful? Maybe it’s time to clear some space by looking at just what your brain is doing and shutting down some of the extra narratives going on.

Connect – Coin – C’mon now. You know you have to get the bookwork done. It won’t take long if you just sit down and really get into the flow of doing it.

Fuel – The Gamer – What gets you hyped up and excited? What has in the past, but you’ve been ignoring recently? Maybe it’s time to reconnect to it, and as a result receive a little extra boost in your day.

Purify – The Magician – It’s time to sort out what’s working for you, and what doesn’t needs to be tossed in the trash. Your performance is lagging because you’re too weighed down by too many things that aren’t working for you. Toss them out.

Empower – Chasing Dollars – Be the miser. If you’re worried that things are going to take a rough turn (which you are worrying about), now is the time to start scrimping and scraping on every every single scent.

Nourish – The Poster – Hey! You like what you like, and that’s perfectly okay . Nobody else has to like what you like as long as they’re not trying to force you not to like it

Full Moon advice from the Minoan Goddess Amalthea.

The Road Trip – Make plans before you move, and leave extra time and space for shit to go wrong or distractions to come along once you get started.

Other elements included in this reading:
Black Spruce Needles to Boost Self-Confidence and Positive Thinking
Dried Purple Heather Flowers for Independence and Luck
Northern Red Oak Leaf Impression for Inner Strength
Black Tourmaline for Grounding and Protection
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE REAL-LIFE TAROT (ORACLE)

You’re Lying to You

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Today’s meditation was a self-directed ten minute session, focused upon the theme of Other Lives from The Az 2 Oracle card (shown) by @Sunni_Chapman and a quote from the guidance that came with that card.

That guidance says, “If there’s something weighing on your spirit today… Just a simple ask for help should do it. There is a great secret power in “surrender” and that power is simply: TRUST.”

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Jonathan Dee Tarot's Page of Wands and The Az Oracle@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August  : My Shadow | #FMS_SHADOW25

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Page of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive omega energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s willpower, drive, passions, motivation, priorities, values, and principles. This often translates into those that are beginning on a passion project and learning what is needed to start such a journey.

You know what happens a lot when you’re preoccupied with something else? Miscommunication. That’s what.

Miscommunication is the bane of my existence. It was a problem before mutism came into the picture, and it is a problem still today.

Reading people’s reactions and expressions is extremely difficult for me. When I am distracted by other things? That means that I miss little cues that might tell me I was somehow misunderstood. Then I miss if that misunderstanding hurts another’s feelings.

Then? When I finally realize the miscommunication has happened and the other person’s feelings are hurt; my inner shadow comes out and tells me that it’s all my fault and that I’m hopeless at speaking with others; that I can’t say anything right… blah blah blah.

I start beating myself up… because that’s what I’m good at. And, keep in mind, none of this actually resolves the situation, either. My silent flagellation just make things worse, because then I am reluctant to communicate and fix things. Why? Because what if I fumble things again and just make them worse?

Today’s message is a reminder that the voice in your head that’s busy beating up you isn’t helpful. We need to lean into learning to step past it and do what’s needed.

DECK USED:  JONATHAN DEE TAROT AND THE AZ 2 ORACLE

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2025 Challenge
Philosophical Prompts for August 6th and 13th

Tarot Reading with the Minimalist Tarot and Soul Coaching OracleAre you more of a dreamer or a believer?

Peace and Eight of Wands – Dreamer, absolutely. Peace is one of those things that I believe isn’t really possible. We can dream about it, strive for it, even run towards it… but although we might be able to find it in temporary bits within ourselves, it’s yet to be seen externally on a world-wide scale. I don’t think it can actually happen… but I like to dream that it could.

Can we truly understand good without evil?

Focus and Ace of Cups – I’m not sure that I agree, but these cards indicate that yes, we are able to understand good without evil when good is perceived through the emotions instead of through the mind. By focusing inward, we are given that understanding without the need to compare it with an opposing force.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE MINIMALIST TAROT AND SOUL COACHING ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I took a nap in the back of the car while J drove today.

It’s a Good Thing?

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Anima Tarot de Marseille - Five of Coins, Five of Pentacles@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 5th : Something That Comforts Me | #FMS_COMFORT25

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Five of Coins. In the Tarot de Marseille system, this card is traditionally considered the dissolution or breaking up of stability, which often can bring with it a sense of uncertainty and the unknown.

Sometimes, false perceptions of scarcity are a good thing. At least for me.

The truth is that I need limiting influences in my life, especially financially. I dislike them immensely, but I acknowledge my need for them. After all, dopamine is a heavy high, if short-lived, and without these limiting influences (like a perception of scarcity) I’m sure I would have a much more difficult time counterbalancing the addictive side of my nature that is eager to chase every bit of dopamine inspired pleasure I can get.

I have experienced true scarcity, and I know what it is and how it feels. My false perceptions of scarcity are fear induced resistance to ever going back to the real experience again.

This fear induced perception is a comfort to me.

Yes, it causes stress and anxiety, but it also keeps me vigilant against my addictive inclinations and self-destructive tendencies.

Today’s message is about finding the positive in our moments of scarcity, both those based in reality, as well as those that are a figment of our imagination. I often wonder if others use scarcity in a similar way. Do you?

DECK USED:  ANIMA TAROT DE MARSEILLE

@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
Page of Wands – Curiosity Bonus Prompts for August

Oracle Reading with The Botanical Cocktail Recipe CardsWhat new adventure is calling my name?

Strawberry Mojito – Nothing drastic is calling your name, but it’s time to put in just a little more effort than you have been of late. That doesn’t mean working harder, but rather seeking a fresh way to spice those things up that you’re already doing.

How can I approach today with playful curiosity?

Pomegranate Moscow Mule – Kick your ass into gear! There’s no time like the present to get moving on today’s tasks. Just getting started will instill play into the experience, all the while dissipating your feelings of resistance at the same time.

Where am I ready to express myself without holding back?

Raspberry & Mint Wine – Those closest to you are waiting to hear what you think, and eager to listen. Instead of keeping everything to yourself, share with those you care about, and that care for you. Speak up on those things that need shared, and they’ll appreciate you doing so.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Purple Heather Sprigs for Independence and Luck
Foraged Silver Maple Key for Bouncing Back to Thrive
Dried Lavender Bundle for Warmth and Comfort
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On One’s Aspirations
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE BOTANICAL COCKTAIL RECIPE CARDS

Daily Self Kindness

I dawdled a bit and relaxed before kicking my butt into gear and getting things done today. I just needed a little bit of lazy time first.

Personal Values and Moral Compasses

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Today’s meditation was a self-directed ten minute session, focused upon the theme of Other Lives from The Az 2 Oracle card (shown) by @Sunni_Chapman and a quote from the guidance that came with that card.

That guidance says, “…what moves you is different than things you try to move; what moves you is something that is so completely resonant, you scarcely need to try! It just pulls you quietly toward it.”

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Medieval Cat Tarot - Six of Wands and The Az 2 Oracle@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 4th : In My Hand | #FMS_INMYHAND25
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of public accolades, societal expectations, people pleasing, and peer pressure.

Do you want to be happy with and proud of yourself, or do you prioritize others opinions of you above your own?

Now, I’m not saying that the accolades of others don’t or shouldn’t feel good. Of course they do. But, for a more authentic life and healthier perspective, their opinion should come second to your own.

Allowing others to dictate how we feel about ourselves as peer pressure becomes a problem, and this is how people end up halfway through their lives just to suddenly realize nothing that they’ve done or built actually makes them happy.

That satisfaction in life and independence to stand up to peer pressure for our own values is ours to claim. It is already within our grasp, just waiting for us to realize that the opinions and accolades that are the most valuable of all are the ones that come from us… not others.

Today’s message seeks to empower us to connect with our own values, interests, and opinions… and to prioritize them over the influences of others. Choose your own path, follow your own personal moral compass and values. No one can truly know you better than you know yourself, which means your happiness lies within your own hands; not in the hands of others.

DECK USED:  MEDIEVAL CAT TAROT AND THE AZ 2 ORACLE

@Lionharts #TheAugustTarot Leo Season Challenge
Ace of Wands – Ignition Prompts for August 2nd thru 4th

Intuitive Whispers Oracle ReadingWhat bold beginning am I ready to ignite?

Move Through Your Fear – “The way to move past fear is not to ignore it or pretend it isn’t there, but instead to identify it, feel it, and notice what thoughts and feelings arise. Move through it rather than around it.”

Confrontations with people is not really something that you’re uncomfortable with. Confronting your fears, on the other hand, is another matter. You are very adept at avoiding and ignoring, and in many cases this works well, as your fears are be discovered unfounded as time passes.

Sometimes though, especially lately as you seek to allow yourself to be more vulnerable, you’ve found that your fears will cause you to freeze in place.

The “bold beginning” that this card is encouraging you to ignite in your life right now is to stop allowing these fears to freeze you up, and instead confront them and process them so that you can move past them instead of being held up by them.

Where is my creative fire asking to be unleashed?

Crown Activation – “When your crown activates, it’s drawing a lighter, more playful energy to move through you. What heaviness can you let go of to let this new playfulness in?… Right now it’s time to play.”

Play and playfulness are important aspects in igniting your creative energy. Play inspires you and puts others at ease, all at the same time, allowing inspiring moments to flow more smoothly both within you and along your path.

How am I being invited to act on inspiration now?

Throat Release atop Trust the Call – “Often we are taught to hold things in and solve them by ourselves, but this is rarely the best way for the body to process its feelings. Let it out. You deserve to be heard…“

Make sure that you are listening to your intuition and speaking up when you need to rather than holding back when it comes to something that if not said could end up festering within you.

Sometimes communication with others is all about timing. Make sure that you’re listening to your intuition and not ignoring those moments of opportunity to garner the ear and understanding of others when they are presented to you.

Other elements included in this reading:
Fuchsia Flowers for Stability in the Face of External Disruption
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Rose Quartz for Gentle Kindness to Self and Others
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: INTUITIVE WHISPERS ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I’ve been playing my “Dreamy Kisses” playlist today, which I usually only listen to when soaking in the tub, in order to save the more mellow sounds and help ease my anxiety a bit.

Moments of Self-Generosity

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Today’s meditation was a ten minute long self-directed session that focused on the Finnish concept of Oleilu, which is defined as “a calm, unhurried state of simply being, not about doing, achieving, or planning, but the quiet act of existing in the moment”. ( Graphic by @aesthetic_logophile )

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Life Line Tarot's Six of Pentacles@FatMumSlim August #FMSPAD Challenge
Prompt for August 3rd : Shapes in the Clouds | #FMS_CLOUDSHAPES25
Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of charity, generosity, sharing the wealth, asking for or accepting help, and balancing the scales between the “haves” and the “have nots” in life.

Are you able to sit for a few moments of nothing? Are you able to take a deep breath, let it out slow, shut down your mind, and just be for a time?

If not, you’re not alone. Giving ourselves the space to do these moments of quiet stillness is difficult when life is busy and we have so much to do and so many issues to sort through. It’s easier to be generous to others than to ourselves in a world that tells us that we are never doing (or being) enough. So we push when we need to rest. Over time this push for more becomes habit, and we can’t turn it off even when we need to.

If we truly want to practice generosity, though, we need to learn how to give it to ourselves. We need to learn how to take a moment of stillness and tell our brains to shut up and butt out.

Today’s messages is an encouragement to start this process of generosity with yourself. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and listen to a beautiful song all the way through from beginning to end. Lie down and look up at the clouds and seek out shapes in them with your imagination. Sit and watch the journey of an ant going about its day. Examine and admire the intricate veins of a leaf.

Use these moments as a way to give yourself a break and shut down the litany of demands your brain is constantly running in the background. It doesn’t have to be a long pause, even just a minute or three will do. The generosity you give to yourself in these moments is in each time we try.

DECK USED:  LIFE LINE TAROT

#DiscordTarotholicsAug2025 Challenge
Prompt for August 3rd : Do Spread 1 – Physical Aspects

The Elder Animals Oracle Reading

Seeds Sown – What seeds for my physical health & growth planted in the Spring have flourished and grown strong?

Elder Coyote – The efforts that you began in the spring to add more flexibility to your body through the extra morning stretches you’ve added to your physiotherapy routine have started to pay off. Although it’s slow going, this practice is beginning to allow you to identify the places that need more work, and sort them out from those that were able to recover more quickly.

The Chaff – What seeds have not flourished and need to be let go to encourage healthy growth in other areas?

Elder Swan – You’re never going to be 100% happy with yourself and how you look in the mirror. The scars and damage can be acknowledged as a type of strength, but are never going to appeal to the aesthetic of your eye. Your weight is always going to be a problem as well. It’s time to accept that these things don’t really matter. Those who love you love you just the way that you are, flaws and all. Work on loving yourself as they do.

The Harvest – How can I best prepare now to reap the benefits of a positive and healthy harvest in the Fall?

Elder Wolf – Protect your energy. Summer is supposed to be a time of rest and recharge for you, where you recuperate from the busy time of the year and, as Fall approaches, you begin preparing for the busy season to come. Make sure that you are protecting your energy by resting when you need to rest, as well as by beginning to make those items you can make ahead of time for the busy season to come so that you will not be so stressed when the rush is upon you.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rhododendron Leaf for Fostering Confidence
Cedar Smoke Cleansing Bundle for Protection
Tumbled Agate for a Mindset of Purity and Innocence
Desert Rose for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE ANIMAL ELDERS ORACLE

Daily Self Kindness

I cried.

❤️ 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.

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Japanese Myths Tarot and Sambucus Lenormand

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

Earth – Four of Swords – Stillness is your friend. As many readings over the past week have mentioned, don’t jump the gun concerning the things you’re worried about. Your answers lie within patience, and in adaptation when adaptation is needed and not a moment sooner.

Air – Death – You have an opportunity to prepare instead of being taken completely by surprise. Changes are common and it’s okay to think them through and strategize, as long as you aren’t jumping the gun on taking action, and that you remember that plans will never be perfect and always need tinkering with in the moment.

Water – Six of Pentacles – Be kind to yourself. Self-generosity is needed to keep you from falling into the habits of old defense mechanisms. Give yourself what you need instead of withholding it these things as a form of punishment or self-destructiveness.

Fire – Justice – You get what you give, and that includes in self-care. If you don’t put in the effort in this area and take it seriously, you won’t reap the needed rewards.

Waning – Boy and Man – Don’t worry so much about being a “responsible adult” at the moment. You need a little time allowing your softness to flow freely and letting your inner child have some fun.

Waxing – Dog and Scythe – Stick to your guns with the silent treatment you’ve been giving your potential stalker. They -are- getting the message, even if a resurgence of their behaviors is eminent.  Keep your boundaries strong and don’t allow yourself to cross over into responding, no matter what bait is brought to bear.

Reading Note: I chose to leave the alternates for cards 28 and 29 in the deck due to them having such different connotations. Thus how I ended up with both 28 cards in the Waning position of this reading.

Take Away – The time to act is not now, no matter how much your anxieties try to push you into doing so. Plan, watch, listen, pay attention, strategize and plan some more.  Just don’t -do- anything yet.  Instead? Spend this time giving yourself the self-care you need, including those generosities that allow you to stay open and vulnerable instead of retreating to protect yourself.

DECKS USED: JAPANESE MYTH TAROT AND SAMBUCUS LENORMAND