#thenovembertarot Day 7 Tarot Challenge Something I Should Do for Myself

Taken from My Instagram Page Today 

#thenovembertarot  from @lionharts Day 7 using the theme of “Something I should do for myself”. The Knight of Wands in the placement of “What area of my life is most in need of Self-Care?” And The Lovers “What can I do to nurture Self-Care in my life?” Using the Jumbo Smith/Waite Deck and charging them with energetic crystal intentions

The Knight of Wands tells me to charge forth with passion and a strong sense of purpose.  In the words of Curtis Mayfield, “move on up, toward your destination, you may find from time to time complication”  The Knight says be bold, be confident, No Self Doubt, and that is definitely Self-Care of the spirit.

The Lovers, show me another important aspect of Self-Care, Sacred Union, honoring and placing Love in high importance.  These 2 cards together are very, um, Potent.  And, also, besides the Sex Magic, The Lovers reflect back on The Knight of Wands and his bold sense of Self-Worth - they say, “Don’t just charge forth, show your True Self in what you do” Manifest yourself 100%, non-diluted, Me, Myself, and I.

Day 6 of #thenovembertarot Healing

The November Tarot Challenge Day 6!  The theme is healing.

The November Tarot Challenge Day 6!  The theme from @lionharts is healing!  It’s a Monday morning wake up call to self-care, roll out of bed, preen those feathers, and celebrate another opportunity to treat yourself right. #thenovembertarot #tarotreadersof Instagram #10ofspades #staywoke #rooster #songoftheself

#thenovembertarot November Tarot Challenge Day 5 Gratitude

Day 5 of The November Tarot Challenge.  Happy Sunday.

Today's challenge as guided by @lionharts - see the Insta feed for November Tarot reading inspiration.

For today's theme of Gratitude I use The Illuminated Tarot.  The card for today is The Star/7 of Diamonds.

Gratitude carries over to Enjoyment of Life and this card energizes that quality with the power of 7.

Everything about this card calls on us to appreciate life on a higher level.  The Star illuminates all the beauty around us and asks that we acknowledge its positivity.  The Star shows us that inner potential can be actualized if we energetically wish for it.  The 7 Diamonds stand for 7 Chakras, 7 Levels of The Tree of Life, 7 Original Planets, 7 Alchemical Metals, 7th Heaven - 7 is the Great Spiritualizer.

This is a powerful card to work with positive visualizations in meditation.  For my Sunday meditation on Gratitude I will focus on Grace, Enjoyment and Illumination.

#thenovembertarot Day 4 The November Challenge

Happy Beaver Moon!  Around 1 am here in Michigan we might get to see a beautiful full November Moon, sometimes called Beaver Moon, Frost Moon and other names that hint at the winter to come.

@lionharts tarot challenge for today is sooooo good and I love this spread sooooo much.  Here is the spread as described on the instagram post from @lionharts:

November Tarot challenge.
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In theme of the Full Moon, today, we look at what we should release.
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When you shuffle cards with just the keyword in mind, you might get positive cards. Read below how to deal with a positive or negative card per keyword.
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Just so it's clear, you only have to draw one card per keyword.
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Attachments
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Negative card: What unhealthy attachments should I let go of?
Positive card: How can I build on my attachments? How does this relate to release?
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Emotions
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Negative card: What emotions are hindering my best self?
Positive card: What focus gives emotional release?
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Behavior
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Negative card: What behavior does no longer serve me?
Positive card: What behavior would support my growth? How am I not doing this enough yet?

Pretty great, huh? I couldn't wait to draw my cards and reflect on the issues of attachments, emotions, and behavior.  The guidance of release as part of the process of harnessing the full moon's energy is a valuable tool.

I used the Aquarian Deck for this challenge, and drew The 9 of Rods, Death, and The Emperor.  All serious-as-a-heart-attack male archetypes.  Full moon potential is all about the completion of a cycle. 

Remember that new moon in libra back on 10/19/17?  Well the balance of polarities we struggled with on that new moon have completed their cycle and we now find ourselves in the grip of a full moon in Taurus.  The influences at work here are mainly Neptune and Venus which affect our emotional sensitivity, and romantic life.  This is a moody, melancholy moon - just roll with it and now its completing a cycle.  It will pass.

The 9 of Rods in the placement of attachment:  This cards shows hard work, following through with your passions despite obstacles, and determination to realize your full potential, even when it's tough going.  I definitely attach and identify with this character struggling, maybe taking on too much, maybe not seeing the bigger picture sometimes.  Ultimately, I see the positive potential in this card - tenacity is my spirit animal - but I also see the attachment to the perception of being overwhelmed.  Moving on with a larger whole world view is in order for me.

The Death Card in the placement of emotions:  Freakishly accurate, and pervasively prescient.  If you'll recall, this major arcana card took center stage this month as the overall theme.  As I might have mentioned, I love this card.  Look at my two dudes, here, the 9 of rods and death, just forging ahead and getting on with their bad selves.  Both are men of action.  Both are full steam ahead, no turning back, kind of guys.  I'm okay with this.  But the emotional weight of feeling like a change is gonna come all the time is a heavy load, and I probably need to lighten the fuck up.

The Emperor in the placement of behavior:  Yeah, I see that.  I can definitely be insistent in my ways, and rigid in my perceptions.  This is also a card I draw a lot!  I do appreciate that after the toil and grind theme of the 9 of rods, and the portent of change as told by Death, I'm glad to see my Emperor takes time to set a spell and gather his wits.  Sometimes you need to take a moment to really contemplate your next move, rather than act impulsively.  Also, collect yourself and see the cause and effect of action.

Oh my.  Loving this tarot spread so much.  Thanks @lionharts!

#thenovembertarot Day 3 of The November Tarot Challenge

From @golddusttarot

#thenovembertarot Day 3 Themes relating to The Empress. Self-Care Inspired by@lionharts Nov Tarot Challenge

The Queen of Pentacles is always taking care of others, feeding, nurturing, picking up after 😉 She keeps herself grounded and rules with practicality. This Queen suggests I don't neglect my physical needs of fresh air, nature, yoga, tea, and inward-gazing. If you don't take care of yourself you can't take care of others 💓

#tarotreadersofinstagram #selfcare #benurtured #thequeenofpentacles

#thenovembertarot for November 2, 2017 Spotlight on The Illuminated Tarot

Day 2 of #thenovembertarot  challenge.  Thanks again @lionharts for the inspiration!  Day 2, times 2.

My muse, mentor, and life-coach, @dawnofplanetmouse is joining me. The question for the 1 card draw is "what path will help me grow"

@dawnofplanetmouse drew the 4 of ♦ from @illuminatedtarot deck. 

This card is all about balance in the material plane. How can we use our natural ability? Are we giving something in return for the abundance we enjoy?

My #thenovembertarot is a 3-card draw.

What do I need to know, how do I apply this knowing, and what will this solve?

#1 Find a way to be peaceful, and carve out some time to meditate/practice sacred ritual, focus inward, trust yourself

#2 More of the same. Take active steps to relieve anxiety. Don't just lie there passively allowing worry to surround you. Get up and experience joy.

#3 Acknowledge loved ones and express gratitude for family and friends!  Seek out others who are energized by a higher purpose. Feel the 💓

November First Tarot Challenge #thenovembertarot

It's national novel-writing month.  Many people across our nation are writing the great American novel - here's a link https://nanowrimo.org/

I'm not writing a novel, but I am inspired by https://www.instagram.com/lionharts/ and their November tarot challenge, so here I go.  #thenovembertarot

@lionharts says, "My new challenge starts November 1st, the themes for this challenge are Acceptance, Gratitude and Harmony. If the prompts resonate with you and you have a deck laying around, regardless of your experience, feel free to join.  My challenges are for both beginners and more advanced Tarot readers."  You can read more about it on their instagram page.  Go for it!

Or at least that's what I thought until I drew my DAY ONE of November card! The Death Card.

Death, and how perfect is that as we head into fall and toward the dormancy of winter.  Mother Earth takes a moment of rest before the rebirth of spring.

Because of my indomitable positive outlook, I will forge ahead.  Okay, actually, I love Death, partly because I draw this card ALL THE TIME (and so clearly it contains a message for me) but also because it doesn't fuck around.

The first thing I see looking at the Aquarian Deck's Death card is a warrior and a kind of rebirth mentor.  He shows us what we need to see in order to grow.  He is a champion of the harvest.

I decided to compare a few very different versions of this epic and powerful Major Arcana card.

Tales of the Mystical Cats Tarot Deck, Ancient Italian Tarot Deck, and The Aquarian Deck, respectively.

Tales of the Mystical Cats Tarot shows The Big Sleep, a sweet reminder that death is a resting place, not a place of violence, and a new beginning.

I love Il Tredici of the Ancient Italian Tarot.  He gleefully shovels all the material concerns that fall away with death.  You can't take it with you, and you shouldn't want to, death here is the ultimate liberator.  Death works hard.  Practicing freedom from earthly concerns takes effort.

Such different imagery to help guide us toward a new productive path!

Here is another very ancient version of the Death Card, the Cary-Yale from the Italian 15th Century.  He's rocking a head scarf, maybe he's battle-scarred in the pursuit of souls.  He gathers up the peasants and the royals, with no regard for socio-economic bias.  Even in the middle ages Death does not discriminate.

Death is freedom, death rips us from everything we love, death is a reminder, death tolls to get our attention, death is happening now, death is a guide to our true nature, death is a chance to begin again.

And one last bit about why Death is such a transformational, beautiful, fucking thing...

"There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once.  But fortunately, life is nothing but a continuing dance of birth and death, a dance of change.  Every time I hear the rush of a mountain stream, or the waves crashing on the shore, or my own heartbeat, I hear the sound of impermanence ... These are death's pulse, death's heartbeat, prompting us to let go of all the things we cling to."

Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

Peace, Out