The100DayProject: Day Seven (and Eight) - Daily Draws for Tuesday and Wednesday

Despite having a rough start this week (the "pollen count" weather pages are all lying to me and trying to claim that the pollen count is low. HA!) - I managed to lay out one of my favorite daily spreads (the lovely Morning Mug Energy Spread by so-aimless) two days in a row.

Tuesday:

I am in love with this deck...

1. Black Coffee-What will energize me? (Strength)

This deck's take on Strength is all about breaking through obstacles to creativity with a combination of active energy (yang/animus) and and the knowledge and certainty that comes from listening to your heart (yin/anima).  This is all about engaging directly with inspiration and my creative drive, not just thinking about it but acting on it will be the most energizing action for me today.

2. Earl Grey-What will inspire me? (Judgement)

The Judgement card is all about reckonings, inspiration, dramatic changes, and new opportunities.  Here, it's all about getting sparked by new ideas and possibilities. (Note: I stumbled across a wonderful online mixed media course that I'm going to sign up for this summer and I'm really excited about it.)

3. Chamomile Tea-What will calm me down? (Six of Swords)

Focus.  Looking at things analytically.  Trying not to multitask too much.  (I love how all six swords zero in on the book he's reading.

4. Last Dregs-What will I put to rest? (Five of Wands)

Struggle and resistance.  (Note: In retrospect, this seems to be linked to both my tendency to think about artistic projects and opportunities and then bypass them (the above-mentioned class I'm going to take) and also my ongoing struggle with sleep.  I managed a full 8 hours last night, which was sorely needed.)

5. The Handle-What will hold everything together? (The Eight of Swords and the King of Cups)

Both of these cards "volunteered as tribute" (as it were).  In this deck, the eight of swords can indicate not only the somewhat false or surface sense of being trapped and blind to the situations around you, but also a multitude of choices being brought together and synthesized into a more complete whole.  

Combined with the King of Cups (air of water, or the considered, rational expression of emotional and spiritual reality), it's saying that the best way to keep things together and flowing today is to look at situations with both rational logic and heart-centered intuition.  Not just what seems like the best option on paper, but which one(s) generate an instinctive sense of "yes. This."

And now a "sneak peek" at today's spread: 

The Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decort

I'm kind of liking the approach of coming back in the evening or the following morning to write up an analysis of the spread, so I'm going to try that the rest of the week.  Stay tuned!

The100DayProject: Day Six (I Do What I Want, Thor!)

I like to make my own rules.  While I have no desire to break local or federal laws that might land me in jail, when it comes to arbitrary "rules" I have a weird back-and-forth relationship with them that involves both a deep desire to do things by the book, and a complete inability to actually follow them.

This might be related to my tendency to plan and imagine things in the ideal, versus the realistic.  Maybe.

Case the first: #the100dayproject.  If you're playing along at home, you're probably on day 20.  I inadvertently missed some days took a vacation, so instead a. trying to play catch-up or b. just skipping ahead, I'm picking up right where I left off.

So there.

Case the second: when it comes to reading tarot or oracle cards, I don't like using "outcome" positions.  I believe in too much of a multiplicity of possibilities (difficult but fun to say) to want to hear what the likely result of a pursuit or period of time is going to be.  I also believe in self-fulfilling prophecy, and live with an anxiety disorder, so it's better all 'round for me to leave them be.

Anytime I see "outcome" in a spread that I want to try, I'll usually change the position to "things to remember" or "key focus" or something else from that oeuvre.  Beth over at littleredtarot (a fantastic site that my Dreaming Way Tarot cards seem particularly in sync with) has a post about this very same thing that helped me come to terms with my approach.  I may have an unavoidable instinct to break the rules, but I have a deep-seated desire to have those little rebellions validated.)

Case the third: Miracle Mornings.  This is getting a lot of buzz around the internet (for good reason), but true to form I struggled with the format as it was presented.  Make time for deliberate actions and practice in the morning? Yes, please.  Follow exactly his interpretation of what that should entail? Eh... not so much.

What I did do: I talked to my supervisor at work, and got my scheduled shifted to a later start.  Instead of having to be at work and on the phones by 8:15 am, now I report by 9:30.  It does mean I'm here until 6pm, which if you'd asked me a few months ago I would've said I hated, but I realized that I was looking at what ideal, younger, night-owl me would've liked, not what would work for me now.  The key is this - I used to get my best work done later at night.  I'd stay up late, skimp on sleep, and still manage to push through the working day.

I can't do that anymore.  I became a morning lark at some point, and I need my desk and a sunny window (along with a big mug of tea and coffee) to really get shit done.  I was resenting the hell out of only getting around to the things that were important to me once I was physically tired, emotionally worn down, and mentally drained.  Now, I can do my stuff in the mornings, go to work, then come home and unwind, and really look forward to getting up the next day.

The view from my desk of a morning. :)

I've got some ideas of how I'm going to adapt some of the other elements of the Miracle Morning for my own purposes, but I'll get to those later, because this is already super long and rambly, and we've 94 days to go.  ;)