Card: Two of Wands: I can give myself options, and ideas, make plans for the future and show up for myself in whatever way I can.
Day 17: Where can I be more generous with myself today?
Card: Ten of cups RX: I can be kinder on myself regarding the mistakes I’ve made with relationships and the friendship issues I’ve had in the past. I can be kinder to myself on the cringe moments that I think about- everyone has them. Not just me.
Day 11: How can I best channel my most courageous, most fearless self?
Card: Mouse: Pay closer attention to what’s going on. The mouse asks you to look into what is happening around you, what contracts you’re signing, and what’s happening with those who you surround yourself with. So boosting my courage can come from paying attention to the opportunities and the things that I surround myself with.
Day 12: What commitments can I make to support my journey towards self-love?
Card: Chimpanzee: I can use my intuition and understanding of the world to find the best ways to support myself. I can commit myself to bridge the gap between my intuition and my ‘logic’ brain.
Day 13: What am I being called to dedicate more time to this season?
Card: Manatee: Being a badass sea cow and swimming along with the flow! Letting things happen and not fighting them but going with the waves. I don’t always have to make everything into a battle.
Day 14: What can I do to stay motivated in achieving my goals or plans?
Card: Peacock: Stand out from the crowd! Take the accolades that are offered (if they are) and don’t be afraid to strut your stuff. Also, I’ve seen peacocks in real life, I have to be loud and annoying and possibly hang out on a roof top when possible.
Day 15: What personal strengths can I tap into to help me overcome any current challenges?
Card: Cat (domestic): Claws! Adorable side-eyes, and sharp teeth. 🙂 I can use my independence to find the right way.
I got this deck from a friend for my birthday. It’s called Messages from your Animal Spirit Guides Oracle Cards, and I really like the feel of them as well as the directness of the message behind them.
I DID IT AGAIN, I’M SORRY THIS MONTH IS A LITTLE INSANE.
I would like to promise you that the next month of May will be better. That is a lie.It will probably be worse.
Anyway, here’s wonderwall.
Day 7: How can I harness my energy to fuel my creativity and pursue my passions?
Card: 6 of Vessels (6 of cups): Look back on memories, turn back the clock and remember the good times of the past. Look at how I’ve harnessed my energy in the past and use it in a similar way- I always used to dive deep into creativity and express myself through writing when I was a kid, so maybe this is something I should look back into.
Day 8: What can focusing on my passions do for me?
Card: Ace of Wands: It can give me new ideas, new thoughts, and new ways of expressing myself. I think it can also give me a chance to cleanse myself- sweep away the cobwebs. It can give me a way of opening up the world around me- unlocking my community. For me, I think this is telling me that by focusing my energy on the new things happening around me, I can have a fresh start.
Day 9: What steps am I guided to take to further awaken my inner fire?
Card: 10 of coins Rx (10 of pentacles reversed): Avoid spending money? Maybe? Or spend money but be careful and watch out for overspending? Taking in what I have right now, and enjoying the journey I’m on. Making the most out of what I have in my power at the moment. Ok, I can do that!
Day 10: How can I cultivate a sense of adventure in my life?
Card: The Crow and Dogwood: Intelligence: Solving the problems that exist in my life and believing in myself. Try and find unique and interesting ways of solving problems and look for the shiny, interesting things happening in life- find them and latch onto them.
The decks used today are The Transient Light Tarot, and Woodland Wardens Oracle cards. They’re both awesome, affordable, and available at a tarot website or shop near you! 🙂
This comes from a creativity prompt on the discord server I’ve mentioned before (a great resource! All are welcome!). The Hanged Man is represented in a variety of different ways, depending on what or how the deck creator wants it to look like. Each version gives different insights into the meaning of the card and the ways you could choose to read them.
Have a look at some of my Hanged Man cards.
My more traditional Rider Waite Smith connected decks look like this:
RWS Versions: Tarot for all ages (purple one, called Surrender): Birds carry this person away over the sea, where they seem to have no troubles, worries or fears. I read this (and many of my others) quite positively- it’s a call to let yourself be free (maybe connect to inner peace, like the white birds carrying the person away from their ‘sea of troubles’), and let whatever happen.
This Might Hurt: Here we have a lot of nature/woodsy imagery: two trees combine to hold up the hanged man, a bird rests on his leg akimbo, flowers and a sun hitting the horizon shine behind his head. This card seems almost more meditative, stop and let everything go, connect to nature, connect within yourself- I read this as a bit pushier- encouraging the reader to stop and reflect within themselves- the precision of the limbs, the plaid lumberjack vibe and this person in the forest makes me feel like he’s working at letting things go.
The Hidden Light Tarot: A monk suspended in prayer, there is tight control here.
It feels as though the monk has put himself in this position for a purpose. He is putting himself through this physical test to help himself. I would read this card as inspirational- what can you do to find this sense of control and peace? To what lengths can you push yourself to let go? You have to do the work here.
One of my decks that strays from the RWS images is the Transient Light Tarot: The anchor hangs upside down- an impossible feat- if your anchor isn’t working, then surely you must feel lighter- releasing what is holding you down, or at the very least, turning it upside down to get a new perspective on it. It’s resting in your hands as well, making me read it as if it is entirely within your grasp to see things from the other side- to see things in a different way, or even to let the weight of life lift off your shoulders. I read this as more of you know what you need to do, and it’s easier than you think. You can let it go- it’s all in your hands.
What does the Hanged Man look like in your deck? How do you read it?
Day 4: How can I best embrace and embody my carefree spirit in the present moment?
Card: The Wheel of Fortune Rx (reversed): What carefree spirit? LOL I need to reflect back on my past actions- maybe I can use them for inspiration. Remember times when I was more carefree and fun-loving. Embrace that moment.
Day 5: Where can I infuse more playfulness and curiosity in my approach to life?
Card: 3 of cups- this is my second three of cups within an hour lol- I guess I have to meet up with folks and party a bit more. Let my hair down. Worry less.
Day 6: What can I engage in to bring more joy into my life right now? Draw up to 3 cards.
Cards: 3 of Swords, Guardian (Queen) of Wands Rx, and 5 of cups: I’ve been hurt and suffered loss (who hasn’t), and those painful moments have caused me to limit what I can feel for others, how close I let them get, and how much I share with them. I believe that very few people can be trusted, and I need to look towards breaking out of that mentality and learning to forgive others and myself. I need to reestablish my sense of self, my sense of purpose and not remove boundaries but instead assess how those boundaries help and hinder me.
The deck used today is a bootlegged copy of the Spacious Tarot (a gift from someone who didn’t know it was a knock-off). I like the imagery in the Spacious Tarot, and I think if you’re on the hunt for human-free images, this is a good one!
Day 1: What inner fire am I guided to ignite, nurture, and/or honour this month?
Card: 3 of cups: I should honour my connections to others, help myself grow and develop the relationships I already have, any new ones I’d like to create or build afresh. Maybe also indulging myself- treat yo self kinda vibes!
Day 2: Where do I need to take a bold step forward in my life?
Card: 3 of Pentacles Reversed: Hmmm teamwork- I don’t really work in a team though, so I’m not too sure about this card- Maybe I need to be bold and join a team, or work together with someone on a project of some sorts? It could be that the activities I’m doing at the moment are too boring, and don’t inspire passion, so perhaps I need to develop those? The branches of this tree on the card make me feel like it wants me to step out of my individualized life and make some new connections maybe.
Day 3: Draw a card and use its message to create a daily mantra for the month ahead.
Card: Judgment: lol: I trust myself. I am wise. I know what is best for me.
The deck used today was The Essential Tarot- I wouldn’t really recommend it, to be honest. The images aren’t always helpful- it veers more towards a pip deck (a deck with the minor cards as just the number of the symbol, so the 3 of pentacles you can just see 3 pentacles, etc), and I don’t find it super intuitive to read. It doesn’t feel like there was a tonne of thought put into its creation and some of the images (especially of the court cards and major arcana) don’t really guide you at all, or give you any help. It was available at a discount book outlet so I grabbed it, but I wouldn’t recommend you do the same. The card stock is good but a bit sticky, and it smells strongly of chemicals. It’s growing on me, but I don’t think I’ll use it much.
Ok, I know I haven’t finished March yet, but it’s already the 8th of April and I haven’t even begun yet!
It’s been a crazy few weeks, with a new contract starting at work, a few days taken up by extra work and plans, and a slight health issue- fingers crossed it’s not as big of a deal as it seems to be. All of this has meant I’ve been working on keeping myself going and not going batshit crazy, so although tarot has been tugging at me every evening and every morning, I haven’t been able to do fuck all.
Here’s the challenge I’m going to attempt for April. It’s another Lionharts’ challenge. I like that there’s usually an element of self-reflection in the questions asked, and I also like the visuals. That said, whenever I get a chance, I might try to chuck in some more challenges or just a card of the day here and there! 🙂
Follow Lionharts’ on Instagram to see more, and follow me on Instagram for occasional dog bum-based spread photos.
Day 25: In what area can I use the beauty of nature to find joy or rekindle my passions? Where do I begin?
Card: 4 of wands Rx: Private and inward work on goals and private personal celebrations- I can use nature as a way of continuing to understand myself better, and I can start by rewarding myself for the small accomplishments and private achievements I’ve accomplished so far. 🙂
Day 26: In what way or area(s) have I found myself this month?
Card: 8 of pentacles Rx: I’ve found myself through self-improvement, through wishing to perfect and dwell on the imperfections in my life from the past. It’s been a strange month, of that I can assure you and the anxiety that has bubbled up at weird times has not been helpful, but I have been working on finding a way through it. I hope that it helps.
Listen. Listen. Listen. I used to be a blogger, alright? Back when I was in university, and in high school- when I was in my early 20s and the internet was still a fresh young beast. I was a blogger extraordinaire! I’d write multiple posts a day, and they would be so chaotic, ridiculous, awesome, unfiltered and so… cringe. But, I’d write! I would be writing! These days, I’m lucky if I wash my hair correctly every other day. Keeping up with multiple blogs? Impossible. So you’ll have to forgive my lapses. They will be often. They will be long. But hopefully, they will not be forever 🙂
So let’s get crackin’ then shall we?
Day 20: What can I learn from the wind,, the sky or the air element right now?
Card: The Magician Rx: I learn to take control of the things around me, push forward with power- something I’m lacking at the moment. I can tap into my intuition, see where my power can reach to, and see where it fails.
Day 21: How can I harness the warmth around me to fuel my inner fire?
Card: Guardian of Swords (Queen of Swords) Rx: It’s ok to be emotional- to get upset- to burn brighter and stronger at the things that are unfair in the world. I need to take care not to let the fire consume me, and overwhelm me.
Day 22: How can I use nature as a source of creative inspiration?
Card: 5 of Wands: I can use nature to unravel the anger and resentment coiled away inside of me. The inner battle that rages between making money, making others happy, and making myself happy can be fought and soothed through nature.
Day 23: What should I let flow in? What should I let flow away?
Cards: Flow in: 9 of pentacles Rx, Flow out: Greed (the Devil):
Embrace what I’m worth, I am enough, and I need to recognize it. Let go of overindulgence, hanging onto things I don’t need, and desiring more and more.
Day 24: Where should I give myself freedom?
Card: 3 of swords Rx: Give me the freedom to forgive maybe? To let go of any pain I’m carrying and give myself some kindness- the kind of kindness I give to others but not myself.
The deck used is the Tarot for all ages- a cute one though sometimes tricky to read as the court cards are a bit different and some of the major Arcana are renamed, but it’s a good deck!
Here we go folks- possibly big things in the pipeline for me, which is why I’ve been so busy- sorry about that! Here we go!
Day 18: How can I tap into the natural rhythm of the Earth to find balance?
Deck used: Melanie Eclaire’s Flower Spirit Cards
I don’t feel like I need a card for this one- I just need to take a walk- I did it today. A really lovely person in the tarot discord I like mentioned just like… noticing where the moss is and where it grows- and yeah. Do that. It’s weirdly connecting? I dunno, my head is a mess of stuff, so maybe don’t listen to me.
Card: Hellebore (Flower Oracle cards felt right): I should believe that there is a higher power and a perfect pattern within the universe and relinquish myself to it. Looking further into Hellebore, in Victorian times, apparently it meant delirium (legit, it’s poisonous so fair), and these days it means peace, serenity and tranquility in addition to anxiety, stress and scandal- so just like all the good things and all the bad things at once? Cool. Cool cool cool
Day 19: How or where am I guided to use the power of water for healing?
Card: Evening Primrose: Love. I should use water to help heal my heart. Apparently, it often symbolizes youth, renewal and optimism as it is often the first to bloom in spring. Water can maybe rejuvenate my love for myself. Aww I like that a lot 🙂
Deck used: Melanie Eclaire’s Flower Spirit Cards.
This deck was one of the first oracle decks I’ve ever received and I hated using it because the cards are in a box that’s too small, they’re really bendy, the names of the plants aren’t written on them, and the book that explains everything is glued to the box that it comes in. I thought they might be nice to try for a change though 🙂
Day 16: What qualities do I need to embody to navigate through current challenges:
Card: Infinite Paths (mirror card, The Sun). This is a card that speaks of happiness and asks that you radiate positivity and abundance will make its way to you- overall a very happy, positive card to get 🙂
Day 17: How can I embrace my wild side to live my best authentic life?
Card: Seven of Lotuses (mirror card, 7 of cups/chalices). DECISIONS. This card and the 10 of swords seem to be following me. I guess it’s telling me I need to make the choice of living my authentic life? There are many changes currently happening, and I need to be of two worlds- live on the land and in the water like the frogs and the lotus flowers do.
Deck used: I absolutely love the artwork on this deck, and I would love to have the Prisma Visions tarot. This is the Cosma Visions Oracle (functions as a tarot companion, an alternate tarot deck, and an oracle deck of its own) by James R Eads. If you haven’t, check out his website. He has some of the most beautiful decks and artwork for sale. He also routinely does sales, so sign up for the mailing list to get notified for it!
I’m having a sleepy day today- how about you? Let me know what cards you pull or what you think of this deck in the comments.
Day 15: What can I do today to connect with my inner childlike wonder and curiosity?
Card: Ten of Swords
I should sit with the pain of the past and the present before I try to move past it. I’ve been working on the whole ‘feel your feelings’ thing- I know it sounds silly but I’m one of those people who kind of logics their feelings into submission, but it doesn’t actually help me get past the feelings. I just psychoanalyze them and still feel shitty. Maybe this is a call to stop doing that, and sit with the pain.
Deck used: I’m pretty sure this is a bootlegged version of the Spacious Tarot. It was given to me by a friend who thought it would be a nifty gift, and it is- I like it a lot, but it’s got a real aliexpress-ness about it. The biggest issue with these kinds of decks is that the creator makes no money from them. If it’s an indie creator who you want to see profit from their work, you should do what you can to purchase from them authentically. That being said, your classic RWS, old-fashioned tarot decks are (I’m pretty sure but don’t quote me) within the public realm now- or they should be. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with finding affordable tarot options 🙂 Some decks will run you 150 bucks plus shipping, and if you want to use tarot as a self reflection tool, you shouldn’t be limited to only super pricey decks.
Today has been a day full of studying and writing about Play Therapy! Something very interesting, and statistically significant in terms of the results it provides. I’m hoping to get into it in the future, though how I’ll make that happen, I’m unsure. There don’t seem to be many registered play therapists in my area who would be able to supervise me, which is problematic, to say the least. But I’m getting ahead of myself, like I usually do!
Day 14: What can help me find myself, or what can help me find what I am looking for?
Card: 8 of swords. I need to work on the way I think about myself and my life- try to break out of my current line of thinking. Stay hopeful, and understand that I can untie the things that have me bound. I need to stop putting limits on what I think I’m capable of. DANG OK.
🙂
As you may have been able to tell, I’ve been using This Might Hurt a lot lately. It lives next to my computer at the moment, which is where I’m spending most of my time. Love this deck.
Tell me something in the comments. Anything. I don’t mind 🙂
I’ve spent the whole day writing an essay that I feel is way too broad and doesn’t make any sense so I’m juuuuust about typed out but here we go!
Day 13: Where can I use a sense of playfulness and curiosity in my approach to life?
Card: 10 of Swords.
I need to be more vulnerable- I need to take on curiosity into painful endings, betrayal, loss and pain generally. I need to take the pain of the past with a lighter heart and a sense that I’ve moved passed it- I’m in a different place, I’ve grown, I’ve developed. I can explore them and look into why they came about and what I can learn about them- or I can let them move along and leave me be.
It was my birthday on Friday, and now that I feel as if I’ve done enough research for my next paper that’s due, I thought it might be fun to try a birthday spread. I’m going to be using this one from Biddy Tarot (an awesome online resource). There are a lot of birthday spreads out there- I figured this one would be a nice little challenge.
And here’s my spread:
Top row: Eight of Cups, Knight of Wands, The Tower Rx, Nine of Swords Rx, The Hanged Man RX
Middle row: The Wheel of Fortune Rx, The Chariot Rx, The Star, Two of Cups
Bottom row: Three of Cups, Six of Wands, Seven of Cups
The previous year in summary: Walking away from things that didn’t seem to fit me, trying to find my own path in life. I feel like if we take this from the last birthday, it fits really well, as I’ve been trying to make my scholastic dreams happen quite a bit this year, I quit smoking, I changed my eating habits, and I’ve left a lot of things behind.
What have I learned from the past year: I’ve learned how to take charge, go for it, and just apply and see what happens! Make big changes, make big leaps. Sometimes I’ve been too headstrong and I’ve screwed stuff up, too. I’ve definitely made decisions I wasn’t happy with, and rushed into things too quickly- I should have tempered my zeal with some cup vibes.
What I aspire to in the next twelve months: Big money, no whammies. 100%. (real transformation and staying the fuck away from any big problems and concerns) I’M SO HAPPY THIS CARD WAS REVERSED LET ME TELL YOU. The last time this mfer popped up in a yearly reading, I had gallbladder surgery.
What empowers me in reaching my aspirations: Breaking out of negative thoughts and anxiety, or maybe using those to my advantage whenever I can. Overcoming dark thoughts is something I need to continue to work on, even though I’ve come so far (ain’t that the truth).
What may stand in the way of reaching my aspirations: Time. Delays, Waiting. I might feel blocked, or stuck, but whatever it is will wait for me to figure my own shit out and get back to it. I hope these aren’t too delayed- I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
My relationships and emotions in the coming year: Well, I don’t like the look of this. I’m going to take this card as a sign that I need to take control and prioritize my relationships and friendships whenever I can. I think I’ve already started on this path, so hopefully, it’ll continue.
My career, work and finances: I need to have discipline within myself- reign in the spending, be more mindful of my finances. The money might not come like it used to, it might be slowed down. I need to think about what is most important and how I can use work and finances to achieve this- for me, this is school stuff, so I need to prioritize spending instead of buying yet another seven tarot decks.
My health and well-being: Hope! Faith! Yes! I am hopeful that many of my longstanding health issues will be resolved this year, and I hopefully will be able to have more stability in my health and in my sense of self. I’ve been waiting almost 2 years to have a problem with my eye fixed, so this is an incredibly welcome relief.
My spiritual energy and inner fulfilment: Ooo interesting. Love, relationships, my cups will be filled maybe by myself or maybe (probably) by others- this is interesting with the card for 6- the wheel of fortune reversed… Hmm. Have to percolate on this one.
What I most need to focus on for the year ahead: PARTYING! Letting myself go, being free, getting together with the people who bring me love and joy. Oh, I like this card. I like this card very much.
What will be my most important lesson in the coming year: Learning how to lead others and to accept their accolades when I am successful- I think this is directly related to a job I’m looking forward to this summer. I’ll be in charge of a lot of folks, and this is new for me, but hopefully, this card speaks of success in this endeavour.
Overall, where am I headed in the next twelve months: I’m headed into the realm of choices (gd I’ve been getting a lot of this card lately????!!!) and hopefully I won’t end up like Plath’s fig tree, stuck in perpetual fear of choosing one of the options until they all rot away and expire.
Alright, folks- let me know what little rituals you have for your birthday in the comments!
Madame Starbeam's Tarot Journey 