Sick

My tarot challenge was derailed due to getting sick.  So sick I pulled muscles, it has been 2 weeks and I am still recovering.  My hope is to complete the challenge this weekend.

But now I am going to share some kitchen witch info-grams.  I prefer to use natural "cures" to simple ailments like a cold or stomach bug.

https://www.culinarynutrition.com/20-healing-herbs-for-tea/

I prefer my herb-y remedies in tea form.  Although my fav thing is a good Rabbit Tabacco tincture.

Tarot for Growth (Week 2)

I have decided to break my Tarot for Growth into weekly packets.  Please see the previous post for more introduction information.

Deck: Spiritsong by Paulina Cassidy

Challenge host: Bujo Witchcraft

Week 1 Post

Day 8:
How can I honor that discovery?

Ten of Shells - Pelican- Blessings / Well-Being. I can honor this discovery by living in the moment.  Understanding what I have and appreciating it.

Day 9:
What relationship evolved the most this year?

Six of Feathers - Dragonfly -Transition / Insight. 

Day 10:

How can I honor that relationship?

Two of Crystals - Kangaroo- Balance / Adaptability.  

Day 11:

Something that I was right to let go of this year.

The Emperor - Cougor- Focus / Stability.  Too much of anything can be bad.  Hyperfocusing means that you are missing other things.  

Day 12:

Something good that I manifested this year

 Four of Crystals - Beaver- Control / Security.

Day 13:

What regret hangs most heavily on me from this year?

Day 14:

How can I release that regret as I move into the new year?

 

 

Tarot for Growth December (week 1)

So I will be attempting Bujo Witchcraft's December Tarot challenge (Tarot for Growth).  I really like the theme; it seems very appropriate for the end of the year.  I will be keeping a log in my BUJO but I also wanted to put my thoughts down someplace not so space confined.

I have decided to use my Spiritsong by Paulina Cassidy deck for this adventure.  I am not comfortable using this deck to read for others and I think this will be the perfect way to start our relationship.

This post will be updated throughout the week so check back in to see how I am doing.

Day 1:
What should I focus on as this year comes to a close?

Ten of Acorns - Donkey- Responsibility / Dedication.  The Donkey to me always brings up the image of packs loaded up on the back of a creature moving down the trail.  They may be stubborn, bemoan, and moody but they get thier task done.

Day 2:
What challenges did I overcome that I deserve to be proud of?

Five of Acorns - Leopard- Challenge / Growth.  I see this leopard and I see a creature unwilling to back down or change thier spots.  Learning to stand up and speak your mind and put yourself out there is a challenge to anyone.  I feel like I have been that a lot this past year.  I am not always "proud' of my spots but I am me.  (Also Leopards were my favorite creatures when I worked at the zoo)

Day 3:
How did I treat my body this year?

Eight of Crystals - Buffalo - Dedication / Progress. The buffalo is one of the most majestic beasts on this planet. They weather it all! They endure and adapt to what has challenged their existence, be that humans or the very environment. I love getting the buffalo because I have been through so many body changes this past year.

Day 4:
How can I improve my relationship with my body in the coming year?

Three of Feathers - Moth - Release / Recovery.  I  see a fluttering moth searching for the light.  Very apt for what I will be doing with my health and body for the next few months.  

Day 5:
How did I treat my spirit this year?

Three of Shells - Dolphin- Playfulness / Bliss.  Spinning whirling in a fun circle, free of the cares of the world.  This year has seen me embracing my spirit more, returning to tarot and exploring more beliefs.

Day 6:
How can I improve my relationship with my spirit in the coming year?

Three of Feathers - Moth - Release / Recovery. I see a fluttering moth searching for the light. Very apt for what I will be doing with my health and body for the next few months. 

 Day 7:
What did I discover about myself this year?

Nine of Shells - Penguin- Gratitdue / Fullfillment.  That I am happy with my "shells" but looking for a little more, not much but just looking out.

 

 

9 card monthly spread

So I did a larger monthly spread.  9 cards is a bit much for an IG post.  So I will do my break down here.

My spread this month was designed for Lenormand but I did not realize that until after the reading.

Conscious - Ideas, dreams and aspiration

• Ace of Spears 
• Mental activity. Inspired ideas, Original thinking brings a breakthrough. Great potential, promising relationships, Birth of an inspired project.
• The Tower (r) 
• A stale and oppressive lifestyle. Mounting pressure. Feat of the unknown hinders beneficial change.
• Seven of Swords
• The beginning of a new enterprise. Ambition and enthusiasm. New direction. Hope and perseverance. Favorable 

My gut reaction to this line was that I am chasing dreams and ideas.  Not necessarily to my benefit.  Always searching for that silver lining.

Reality - Our current state, our day to day life

• Six of Shields (r) 
• Accumulating debts. Underhanded dealings. Theft and greed
• Five of Spears (r)
• Allowing one's self to be deterred by the failure of a first attempt. Being vulnerable to the trickery of an impostor.
• Page of Shields (r)
• A lack of· imagination. A meticulous worker, but one who lacks compassion and humor.

I will be honest this line made me want to cry.  I wish I could say the cards were off the mark but it is how I have been feeling.  I have been a little lost and finding it hard to get back to where I want to be.

Unconscious - Undercurrent shaping the situation, where we come from and what baggage we drag with us

• Queen of Cups (r) 
• A dreamer and show off. An unreliable and dishonest person. Immortality.
• Five of Cups (r) 
• Reunion with an old friend or lover. A gift or inheritance. Projecting desirable qualities on another.
• Five of Swords (r)
• Sabotage. Malicious gossip. A need to watch out for the welfare of friends.

Baggage, so much baggage.  Well hello, there all my insecurities and paranoia.

So much happening

So my blog has fallen off my list a little bit.  I post periodically but not as often.  I have been using Instagram more and more.  I am now also running/admin for a local FB Tarot Community.  I have also started a tarot minded Bullet Journal.  That is what has brought me back here today.

My journal has a weekly reading and a weekly card study.  I am ever a student and I like the idea of a weekly study.  This week happens to be the Queen of Cups from the Shadowscape deck by Stephanie Pui-Man Law.  I purchased this deck because I love the artwork.  But the first few times handling the deck I did not feel a connection.  So it became a lovely art deck to show off.  Since I am not limiting my study just to my reading decks, I decided to try a card from this deck.  It was a very different feeling this time.  The Queen of Cups is a stunning card that inspires me.  I am also in love with the card description on the website but the abbreviated version in the booklet is lovely as well.

Her very being is a creative nexus, she is poetry in motion, imagination incarnate. She can dance upon the swells of the ever-shifting, ever-changing seas, in unison with the dance of life that engages all the world and its creatures around her. Guided by instincts, she is attuned to that otherworld and finds joy in that communion of kindred spirits. For another who did not comprehend her synchronicity, a misstep from her position would mean a plunge into unfathomed depths, but not so for the Queen of Cups. She dances on, embraced by the endless azure ocean and heavens, and where the sea meets the sky there is no seam. (Law)

Traditionally meanings are: Compassionate, caring, emotionally stable, intuitive (Esselmont)

I see those meanings in this card but her description gives the aesthetic so much more impact.  I am also seeing her in the Queen of Cups for my Arthurian deck.  Which is amazing since I was struggling with that card.

Lesson:  Read everything!  You never know when something will just click.

Pui-Mun Law, Stephanie. “Queen of Cups.” Shadowscapes Tarot, 2010, www.shadowscapes.com/Tarot/cards.php?suit=2&card=12.

Esselmont, Brigit. “Queen of Cups Tarot Card Meanings.” Biddy Tarot,      www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-cups/queen-of-cups/.

Lifestyle changes

I have talked a little bit on my social media about how I am having to change.  About 2 months ago I was diagnosed as Insulin Resistant.  For me, this came with a huge change to my eating habits.  I have always been a sweet eater, a walking sweet tooth.  Food was always a huge comfort thing with me, and it was a struggle for me to let go.

I had one last "normal" weekend date with Jason.  He has been utterly amazing.  We went out and had Steak and Shake with happy milkshakes to soothe my fear of what was to come.  He also stopped on the way to get cookies from Sifted (our favorite cookie shop).  I whined a lot that weekend.  I was scared of failing, I was scared of being sick, and I was scared of not knowing.

So the following Monday I started my new diet and medication.  I went on a "no" sugar, no gluten, no starch diet.  I say "no" sugar because of my intolerance to artificial sweeteners.  Many of the artificial sweeteners were migraine triggers for me, so I asked if I could have a tablespoon of sugar for my morning coffee/tea and my Dr said that should be fine.  I also found that to be just enough to keep the sugar withdrawal headache at bay.  I do plan to pull away from that sugar in the future as I find an alternative sweetener that does not hurt me.  My diet is 40-50 carbs a day (I usually stay between 20-35 to be safe).

So when I started in June, I was 210-ish and my hips measurement was over 50'.  At my July check-up, I weighed in at 188 and almost cried at the Dr. Office.  My hip measurement decrease to somewhere around 45".  Thus far I have dropped almost a full 2 pant sizes, my size 16 pants were tight and this weekend I bought size 12!  Yes, I know women sizes are just random but still to go from a nearly 18 to size 12 is big to me.

Jason has been my rock, my lifeline, and the best thing ever.  He has tried to do these big changes as well, although he allows himself around 80 carbs a day.  He too has lost weight and I think a pant size or 2.  But the big thing is he was there besides on the hard nights when I would cry through my cravings.  Feeling like I was starving and just wanted buttery toast to soothe my stomach.

Let me clarify, due to the excess insulin in my system my "your full" signals were not received.  So I would eat a huge meal and still be hungry. I knew I should not be hungry.  I knew I was full.  But my body just kept wanting more food.  I had a bad couple of weeks while my insulin "flushed" out of my system.  I cried a lot. 

Today I am surprised how easy it has been to give up sweets.  What I am still struggling with is not having buttery toast, really was my favorite comfort food. 

Deck modification

I have tentatively started modifying my tarot decks.  Jason does not agree with this practice, so decks he has expressed interest in are off-limits.

I am a coward when it comes to actually physically cutting my cards.  It feels too aggressive and just cannot see myself doing that at all.  But I have seen some wonderful results on the internet for this practice.

Mostly what I have been doing is "edging" my decks.  This is the practice of adding color the edges of each card.  I find this to be a very meditative act.  It is surprisingly powerful to pick up each card and feel it's energy as I alter them slightly with my energy (color).  Thus far I have completed 2 decks, my Runic Tarot (not reading) and my Legends: King Arthur deck.  I do have plans for my Spirit Song but I am not sure when it will happen (we are still bonding).

The Runic Tarot was my test deck to see if I would enjoy the process and the result.  I love the result.  It just makes the cards look so posh.  The whole process was fairly quick and easy.  I used my journaling markers since I had the color I wanted.  I strongly suggest testing the process on a non-reading deck before doing anything to your actual reading and/or favorite deck.

My next adventure was to actually color my favorite deck.  Which also happens to be my reading and goto deck.  I wanted to use 2 colors for this deck since I wanted to match the edges to the top.  I knew that I wanted a purple and metallic gold or bronze.  I was very hesitant about this project.  So I had to take weeks before I felt ready.  Now it is done and I LOVE the whole effect.  Two-thirds of the cards are edged in a lovely purple but a random one-third is edged with bronze.  It is fabulous.  For this session, I used sharpies because I use this deck constantly and the hope is that the permanency of sharpies will survive the constant shuffling better.


My other Tarot project recently has been sewing pouches.  I have been inspired by the wrap pouches of MoonLit_Faye on IG.  I have not figured out how she makes her reversible pouches but I enjoy my version of the wrap packages.  I have plans to make a pouch and mat combo in the near future for my Arthur deck.