Thistle

Today’s Card: Rest and listen to your own voice Now is the perfect time to be still for a bit and listen for your inner voice - the Halloween and Samhain festivities have passed, and the busy times of Thanksgiving and Yule and still a week or more away. Take time now before you don't have time. Maybe go for a walk and collect things from your region to construct a meditative wreath/mandala.

Before things get crazy with the holidays, take some time to listen to your inner self and allow some downtime. #cardoftheday #HerbcraftersTarot #tarotsky

Today’s Card: Balance cunning with humility with Wren Here we are with one of my favorite birds! Not only is the wren one of my spirit guides, but they also frequent my yard (indeed, I have dubbed our little home Wren's Rest). Being resourceful and cunning are good things, so long as you are honest about who's back you raised yourself up on. These traits can easily go dark side, so try to use them in a way to advance life for others as well as yourself.

Wren is here to help us to use cunning to good effect. #cardoftheday #DruidAnimalOracle #tarotsky

Hundreds of National Guard troops will leave Portland and Chicago The decision by the Defense Department comes as Guard deployments in Chicago and Portland have been stalled for weeks by the courts.

The decision by the Defense Department comes as Guard deployments in Chicago and Portland have been stalled for weeks by the courts. n.pr/47JZjUD

Sounds like your library is hopping a bit more than ours. I worked the desk yesterday and it was mainly lowkey - except for having to call an ambulance for a patron! 😬

Today’s Card: Evaluate your own boundaries, demands on others I don't know about you, kind reader, but I constantly have demands on my time. Part of the problem, of course, is having varied interests and things I like to support. Recently, I've decided I need to pull back a little and focus on my own health and spiritual wellness. It's not an easy thing to do - but we must all learn to balance setting healthy boundaries for ourselves and not becoming an all-out recluse.

Feeling drained by the world? Perhaps it's time to look at setting some better boundaries. #cardoftheday #WoodlandWardens #tarotsky

Today’s Card: Isn't this card just beautiful? Notice the use of flowers and wings on a rhino - not exactly what we tend to associate with the animal. But it supports the notion that we can overcome obstacles in more than one way. My domestic partner likes to say some people's "dominoes only fall one way," and this isn't a good thing. Be open to other ways to get where you want to be.

Something not going as planned? Are you pushing and beating your head against the wall to make it happen? Slow down and see if there's a better way. #cardoftheday #SpiritAnimalOracle #tarotsky

A longhair calico cat curls up in a cat bed, looking up at the photographer.

Willow likes the new cat beds, even when one is just thrown in a chair . 🤣

Today’s Card: Seek wisdom from tradition, not restriction Whenever we look at things we view as tradition, we must balance that with the discernment to know what part of it serves us and what part of it binds us. Sometimes binding is a good thing - being bound with other kind, helpful humans is helpful. Being bound to outdated modes or the service of one person's ego is not.

Tradition seems an easy thing to call on as we head toward the holidays, but there is more to it than how we celebrate. #cardoftheday #WildwoodTarot #tarotsky

Have fun! Hope she has a lovely birthday.

This is nuts. Who does he think he winning over like this? I doubted he reads much anyway, but he clearly doesn’t read history.

I love getting one at the holidays!

New Kansas rules set guidelines for data centers, big power users to protect smaller customers • Kansas Reflector New Kansas businesses with demanding electricity requirements will be subject to a large-load tariff after the KCC approved it Thursday

New Kansas rules set guidelines for data centers, big power users to protect smaller customers | via @crazeywriter.bsky.social #ksleg

It’s a rough time for many. Help if you can, but just be kind otherwise.

Today’s Card: Create safe space for magic, creativity Have you neglected your magic? Or your creative pursuits? Have you paid attention to the ancestors recently? It's easy to let ourselves get too busy to pay attention to these things, but they help create the magic in our lives. Take time for them today. Blessings, Thistle Four of Fire - Elder Make a little magic, stir up a special ceremony; holy helpers guide you and lend you power; honor the beings who guard the liminal spaces.

It's time to create whatever magic you create. #cardoftheday #HerbcraftersTarot #tarotsky

Today’s Card: Ancestors are here to support you This is a beautiful card that brings great joy and strength to some of us. But for others? Well, it can be painful. Recent ancestors can sometimes muddy the waters of what could be a beneficial journey for our spirits. I've said this before: I have struggled with this on my father’s side of the family as he, his mother, and a few siblings were not what I would qualify as good people.

Don't throw away all your ancestors because a handful disappointed or hurt you. As I often say, "They can't all be assholes." #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #tarotsky

Last night’s fun!

It was so fun!!

I really need to get this deck. Every card I see is perfect!

Repost: Untangling the Magic of the Hedge Apple Tree It's going to be a busy day for my household, but I wanted to reshare this post from 2019 that kicked off a lot of discussion. It would seem that Hedge/Osage Orange trees have many fans and thought some newer followers might enjoy it! - Thistle As a child growing up in the Ozarks, I loved Redbud trees. Not just their spring-budding beauty, but also the branching structure that was as fascinating as their rosy blooms.

Do you love hedge apple trees? They are magical and wonderful trees with so many uses. #hedge #osageorange

Take time today for a simple pleasure - or reframe your mind to see the good and lovely around you. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #tarotsky

Thank you, Mr. Beckett - this definitely helped me get in the spirit of things.

Today’s Card: Apple asks: More or less risks? Apples are associated with divination games at Samhain. But with this card, we are reminded that the apple has been connected symbolically in other ways: In the story of Adam and Eve (even if that’s not the correct fruit), the poison apple of fairy tales, and more. This card is pretty straightforward: It is time to consider your risks and rewards, whether you need to take more chances or perhaps be less reckless.

It is time to look at whether you are taking too many - or too few - risks. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #tarotsky

Today’s Card: Shine from your authentic self We often hide our true selves from the world. Whether because we fear being ostracized for being "too much" (or maybe too little), from fear of a society that doesn't accept certain things, trauma, shyness – the list of possibilities goes on and on. Current events don't help; even witches and Pagans (in the U.S. anyway) who have been out for decades are suddenly wondering if we will need to hide again.

Are you hiding yourself away? Examine if that's really necessary - or fruitful - and take a step out of the shadows. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #tarotsky

Today’s Card: Keep your eyes open for opportunity So often, what makes someone "lucky" is that they had they head up and were seeing potential opportunities. If we never look around, reach out to others, or just grovel about our lives, we will never be as lucky as those who look for it. So, open your eyes. Something might just be around the corner. Blessings, Thistle BLACK CAT – Fortune meets opportunity…

It's difficult to find connections and potential when we don't look for them. Keep your eyes open today. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #witchsky

Today’s Card: Don’t fear the dark, rest in it When things are dark, either literally or figuratively, trying to ignore or push through it is rarely helpful. Allow yourself to rest, to plan, to gestate ideas. The dark hours around midnight can be restful and fruitful in a different way than "waking" hours. Magic is afoot as well as a different mindset. Blessings, Thistle MIDNIGHT – The most magical hour of all…

Find your magic in the witching hour and darkness. Things somehow are more focused and also creative during these times. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #witchsky

Art by • Anna-Marie Ferguson

I hope it is!

Today’s Card: Tend to home, relationships Good Thursday! We are enjoying cooler mornings, and hopefully soon that will also mean cooler days (we are still low 80s here). This always makes me think of home and preparing it to be cozy. And while yes, this card can refer to the physical state of your home, it also refers to the energy of it and its occupants. If there's an issue eating at you within your close relationships, it's time to address it.

Today we have the Hearth card to guide us to tending to home and relationships. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #witchsky

Front cover of a book with a tall, ominous figure holding hands with a person. Title is Why I Love Horror.

List of authors included in the book, Why I Love Horror.

Excited to dig into my new book! Some great names in there. #whyilovehorror

Today’s Card: Embrace equality, lighter approach My Mom had some of those often used Mom expressions. “It takes all kinds to make the world go round.” “We all put our pants the same way – one leg at a time.” While my Mom was not perfect about acceptance and equality, these phrases stuck with me when considering people who were different from myself. Well, the Lady de Los Muertos is here with a similar – but stronger – message.

Don't think yourself above others - we are all human and capable of great good and great harm. #cardoftheday #HalloweenOracle #tarotsky