Leave It All Behind

Today I did a purge, cleanse, and grounding hike in the forest.  I took one of the steeper trails up into the rainforest to ensure that my stalker would have a hard time following, and brought J along with me for protection.  After a couple of hours of steep uphill climb (the purging through exertion and sweat), we stopped at the lake and I took a swim (the cleansing), before then leaving J at the lake and going off into the woods for a skyclad meditation lying upon the forest floor (grounding).

The meditation lasted about an hour before I dressed and returned to the lake, and from there J and I hiked back down to the trail head. On the whole it was immensely refreshing and wonderfully cleansing, and I haven’t felt so good in a long time.

Vox Arcana Tarot and Less Anxiety Affirmation CardsToday’s draw is the Queen of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of a receptive alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s finances, resources, health, home, manifestation, and the physical world.  This is the area of one’s earthly pleasures and how one balances life’s needs and responsibilities.

I see the Queen of Pentacles in this reading combined with the affirmation card for today as a celebration of the rainforest hike and meditation that took up a good part of my day today.  I have been needing time in nature for quite some time. Usually at this time of year I’m out in the woods at least a couple of times a week.  That hasn’t been the case this year due to… well, stalker issues.

The Queen of Pentacles and the accompanying affirmation card in today’s pull is about making sure that I truly allow myself to fall into nature’s embrace and leave the stresses and worries of day to day life behind during this time.

DECK USED:  VOX ARCANA TAROT AND LESS ANXIETY AFFIRMATION CARDS

#DiscordTarotolicsJun2021 Prompt
Topic
: About happiness…
CoffeexTarot’s Self Love For The Summer Prompt
Question
: What is my heart feeling? How can I encourage more joy and happiness in my heart?

Vox Arcana TarotWhat is my heart feeling?

Overburdened (Ten of Wands) and in need of rest (Four of Swords).  God yeah.  I know that I’m over the half way mark now in my time off this week, but it feels like I haven’t gotten even close to enough rest and restoration.

It always feels this way for some reason.  It’s like the first couple of days are “oh I feel great. What do I need rest and recovery for?” and then by the last few days I’m dragging ass and whining in my head about needing more days off.

How can I encourage more joy and happiness in my heart?

It’s all at your fingertips now (The Magician), you just need to add in some gratitude (Nine of Pentacles).

I’ve been getting a lot of reminders lately from the cards to reboot my gratitude practice.  This practice is a part of the meditation, but it’s also a part of something else. I don’t benefit as much from just mentally going over the things I’m grateful for as I do from actually putting time focus into truly and deeply acknowledge these things each day.

DECK USED:  VOX ARCANA TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I had a very wonderfully long hike in the woods today, and I took J with me for safety.  I also chose a hike that I knew would be hard for most people to follow, and that had a “bottle neck” spot (at the lake) where I could leave J to keep watch while I went on to get my meditation and all that done in safety.

Sometimes You Learn

Today’s meditation was skipped because it’s hot as fuck in my apartment right now.  Two days of over 80 degF weather and power washing going on outside (which means all windows have to stay closed during the day) means that my apartment is hovering at about 85 degF and, even with the AC on in the evenings, doesn’t really ever drop below 80 degF.  It’s just fucking miserable.

Vox Arcana Tarot and Flower Fortune CardsToday’s draw is The Chariot, which is traditionally a representation of control, determination, and taking up the reigns to steer things towards their goals. The card is about action and movement, it’s about getting things done and getting where you want to go.

I had actually forgotten how wonderful so much of the artwork in this deck is.  This card is one of my favorites in the deck, in fact.

The theme of this card combined with the saying on the Flower Fortunes card, which is “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn,” speaks to me about the fact that sometimes it doesn’t matter how much control you exert on a situation or endeavor… it’s just not meant to be.  Instead, what’s meant to be is the lesson that you learn in -not- succeeding.

The message in today’s cards is that you can’t control everything, no matter how hard you try or how tight a grip you have on the situation.  No one can control everything all the time.  No one can force something into being that isn’t meant to be.  So don’t look at these moments when things don’t go as planned as as failures, but rather as an opportunity to learn from the experience how to do better and be better… which is never a bad thing.

DECK USED:  VOX ARCANA TAROT AND FLOWER FORTUNE CARDS

CoffeexTarot’s Self Love For The Summer Prompt
Question
: Messages my spirit guides have about loving myself?

Whispers of the Ocean OracleWhite Mouthed Moray EelConvey Your Meaning – You need to be more kind and ore respectful when speaking to yourself. Ease up on  your self-criticism.

Remember when communicating with others that people are not mind readers, and keep in mind that clarity is important for this reason. If you don’t think you are getting your message across?  Ask questions to make sure you are being understood correctly.

NudibranchEvery Step Counts – You need to work on making it okay to take things slow.  Small steps towards your goals are still steps forward.  Don’t discount them (or yourself) as less than just because it means you’re moving a bit slower than you think you should be. It’s only your own personal perception that says you’re moving slowly.  Ease up on those expectations.

LobsterShedding the Old – As a number of readings have mentioned lately, it’s time to let go of the things that are no longer working for you.  Let go and make room for new, healthier practices to take their place.  Sometimes letting go of what’s familiar can make you feel vulnerable.  It’s normal to feel this way, but that doesn’t mean you should hold on tighter to that security.  Let it go and try leaning into your faith to keep you feeling secure during these vulnerable times.

DECK USED:  WHISPERS OF THE OCEAN ORACLE

#DiscordTarotolicsJun2021 Challenge Prompt
Philosophical Question
: Why do people feel the need to distract themselves from reality?

Vox Arcana TarotReading Summary: Sometimes reality is too harsh  (Queen of Swords Rx) and our falls from grace too painful (The Tower). Distraction during these times can create in life a sense of positivity and joy that would otherwise be lacking (The Sun).

Take Away: Escapism is important for our mental health, especially when things are hard and we need a way to lift our spirits and bring something positive and enjoyable into our lives when things aren’t really the brightest.

Yes, escapism can be an unhealthy problem if it goes too far, but in small doses it can help us become healthier and happier when we find something that really allows us to “disconnect” for a bit.  It gives us an opportunity to decompress and exhale.

DECK USED:  VOX ARCANA TAROT

TheSphinxRevolution’s Gothic Seance Divination Prompt
Today’s Muse
: Mary Shelley
(Note: I’m using the writers in this challenge as a muse instead of as a mediumship/seance practice. So the questions are about me instead of about them.)

Wilderness Collide OracleWho do you epitomize? What kind of a figure is it? How do they influence you?

Land of Oz atop The Gathering – This is about Z. It’s about how she has taught you how to face challenges, and shown you through example how to face your fears. She is not just your mentor, but also one of your closest friends and shows you every day how moving forward and leaning on others can help make you braver and stronger than you are when you stay silent and alone.

What lies inside you that wants to be unleashed? Your inner power or inner demon.

Second Star – Let your inner wild child free to dance among the liminal spaces and explore the dark hollows of the forest and trees. You need to get out into the forest.  Stop putting it off, stop procrastinating and avoiding it just because it can’t be done in just the way  you want it to be done.  Instead, dive in and explore, find a new method and let your curiosity free.

Incidentally… your new FitBit offers GPS.  Perhaps you should look into a way to set that up for L to track you so that you can all go on a picnic and you can go off into the woods on your own for a bit.  They can track you from afar and ensure you are okay.  Close for help… but not too close for comfort.   Regardless… you need this time in nature.  Your soul needs to commune and wallow in nature.

How do the otherworlds and the unseen influence you?

Alight – They encourage you to be your unique self, to speak your unique story, and use your unique ‘voice’ to communicate with others.  They guide your moral compass and provide you with that spark within that allows your true self to shine brightly for all to see.  This encouragement is a support for your soul, and reinforcement that you are on the right path.

Guidance that Mary Shelley might have given you on your spiritual journey?

The Roots – Take a moment to step back and observe from an unbiased vantage point more often.  Seek out the motivations that drive your actions, and pay close attention to the unspoken motivations that drive others. Don’t judge, just observe and absorb.  Seek to understand the ‘why’ behind it all.  This knowledge will be extremely valuable to you moving forward.

DECK USED:  WILDERNESS COLLIDE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

So, I tried a new allergy med yesterday, and I decided that I’m going to switch over today.  If over exposed to allergens, I still have a problem. But it makes me not as sensitive as the old one that’s been slowly losing its effectiveness with me.   I also did the dentist today.   This latter event is something I hate with a passion.  My synesthesia makes the sound of the ultrasonic scaler makes all the hair on my body stand up and my skin go cold and prickle.   It’s really unpleasant and I’m glad it’s done and over with.  I know it’s necessary, even if I don’t like it.