Stubbornly Signy

A grumpy old goat who lives in the desert.

[stubbornlysigny]

Whether we die in battle under the enemy's spear or whether we die under the lancet of the surgeon, death is sharp as a thorn.

Caitlín Matthews

[chi-xi-sigma-deactivated2017112]

[stubbornlysigny]

[theshadowmoonwitch]

So my (almost) 3 year old is having nightmares..

I know bedtime struggles are a completely normal developmental milestone but I want to help him in any way I can. He has been having issues with waking in the night, calling for me, nightmares, refusing to go to bed. I made him a dream charm a year ago but I want to do more.

He told me this morning that there was a ghost in his room last night. He claimed it was by his window. Now I don’t necessarily believe that I am dealing with an actual haunt. Let’s face it, it’s that time of the year and I am sure he has heard something. But I didn’t even think he knew what ghosts were, let alone to fear them.

Do you guys have any recommendations for how I can help him? Both magickal and mundane.

[stubbornlysigny]

Make Monster Spray with him! Get some essential oil (Anise for example, is already associated with nightmare protection), mix it with water and put it in a spray bottle. You can add herbs or glitter to make it “magical”, but obviously nothing that will smell too strong or make a mess. You can help him decorate his bottle with stickers, magickal symbols, or even a Ghostbuster logo. Anything that he loves and makes him feel courageous and strong. (My nephew picked Spider-Man for his). Make spraying under the bed, corners and closet part of his bedtime routine. Toss in a chant tailored towards banishing ghosts. You could use something traditional and out of a spellbook, or a simple rhyme he can easily repeat with you.

[stubbornlysigny]

I miss monsoon season.

I miss afternoon thunderstorms and midnight lightning shows. I miss the echo of thunder in the mountains and the scent of wet dust.

[stubbornlysigny]

“This beautiful natural goat horn dagger is an authentic antique Bulgarian weapon. In ancient times (14th - 19th Century) during the Turkish invasion on all Bulgarian lands it was used for revenge weapon. After the kill it was left as a sign that the dead man had sins and this was his punishment.” (source) The description may be a little bit of an embellishment on the antique seller’s part. The use of a goat horn dagger as a murder weapon and a vengeance motif was an important plot element of Koziat Rog (The Goat Horn), a popular short story and highly lauded Bulgarian movie. This dagger was probably made during the movie’s height in the 1970s.

I’m extremely delighted to have found this treasure. I can’t wait until it’s in my hands!

[stubbornlysigny]

I was going to do something productive today, but Ace had other plans in mind. I guess I’m not getting out of bed after all. I guess this is how I die.

[thefreereadingexchange]

College conundrum

 I’m receiving a lot of bullying and harassment on my campus and have been planning on taking a break or even transferring. Though, I feel conflicted because I think it will seriously impact my ability to become financially independent and leave my abusive household. What should I expect moving forward in terms of continuing my education?

Submitted By: @fadedflam-e

[stubbornlysigny]

@fadedflam-e

  Where You Are Now –  The Magician (reversed): You have an incredible well of talent that you're not utilizing. You gotten yourself caught up in the lies and manipulation of the people who are hurting you, and somewhere along the way, they managed to prevent you from drawing on the skills (which you already posses) that will help you reach your full potential. You already know what you need to do in order to move forward.

Goal to Work Towards – The Star: You've been through hell and back, and have emerged with a deeper understanding of yourself and the people around you. You know who you are, and you've seen them for who they are too. Let all the bullshit and bitterness burn out. Get them out of the way of your future happiness. It's time to rejuvenate. Begin by re-establishing faith and confidence in yourself. Let yourself feel hopeful, optimistic and inspired. Be open to growth and change. Nourish the creativity in your life. Most importantly, trust that your future will be brighter than your past.

What to Look Out For – Six of Swords (reversed): It feels like you're barely keeping it together. You feel like your drowning. Your trying to physically and mentally move away from all the things that are you pulling you down, but it seems like every time you try to move forward, the past catches up with you and yanks you right back under. Part of that is because you aren’t letting yourself move on. You need to get out of your own head. Traditionally, this is a card that suggests travel and a physical distance from the painful things in your life. Reversed, it's a caution that reminds you that unless you resolve your issues, you run the risk of bringing all that baggage with you. So while a break from school or even a complete change of scenery isn't a bad idea, you need to make sure that you work all those awful memories out before you can actually achieve a fresh start. (Easier said than done, amiright?)

Actions to Consider  –  Eight of Pentacles:  This is a huge card in regards to education. It’s as much about apprenticeship and advancing your learning as it is about hard work. Buckle down. Make improvements. Continue to focus on your education and bettering your life. Bust your ass and push towards being the best person that you can be. It won't be easy, but it will pay off. Keep in mind that motivation doesn't just happen. Start the work, and the rest will naturally follow. Set a timer. Study. Learn. Do something creative. Do something physical. Even if it's just ten minutes at a time in the beginning, get yourself going. The Kick in the Pants – Nine of Swords (reversed): You're stressing yourself out and feeding into your own anxieties. When you work yourself up, you're only hurting yourself. Knock it off! Don't let your fears become your actual reality. Take a step back, clear your head, and take a logical and objective look at things instead of freaking yourself out.

Overall Thoughts: You have multiple cards reminding you to use your talents. The Magician tells you that you have the tools, the Star is giving you the inspiration to use them, and the Eight of Pents is telling you to put those skills to work in order to master them. You’re in a better position than you think you are. You have two reversed Swords, and they both carry major mental negativity. That’s got double-edged thoughts written all over the reading. While their are external forces hurting you, you need to make sure you aren’t torturing yourself too. A Sword-heavy reading also warns of a lot of thought but a lack of action. You can’t stay stuck in your own head anymore. Inactivity is going to kick your ass if you let it. The lack of Wands is saying you’re dispassionate and unmotivated. The lack of Cups is reiterating that you’re thinking more than you’re thinking more than you’re feeling. You’re creatively blocked, and you’re going to need to break though that moving forward because creativity is a huge aspect of the the Star Standing as your goal, that’s telling me that expressing your creativity is an extremely important aspect of your life. __________________________ Whoa! I rambled way more than I planned to. Hope I didn’t overwhelm you!

[tarotprose]

That awkward moment when you start to do a reading for yourself but your Tarot deck decides to explode mid riffle shuffle and give you its own message.

Post Notes: Please do not remove the captions. Deck: Rider Waite Smith Centennial Safe Space Tags: Gif, Epilepsy Warning Navigation: Table Of Contents | FAQ | Contact me 

[stubbornlysigny]

The desert smells like rain...

The morning walks I take with my wife, and of course our adorable but neurotic dalmatian, are often healing ones. We always hope to see a roadrunner, but it’s just as exciting when a family of quails darts across the path with a half-dozen tiny babies in tow. Doves, black-throated swallows and great tailed grackles (with all their over-the-top personalities) are always on site. Yesterday morning we found a freshly hatched snake egg in the sand. (And our dog promptly tried to eat it, queue the “Beamer, NO’s!”). But the most amazing mornings are the ones that come after the rain (like this mornings). The thunderstorms are magnificent on their own, and having lived all over the country, I’ve gotten to experience all kinds of them. But in the high desert? It’s so much more amazing.

Creosote is partly responsible for that. These gangly scrub bushes release a marvelous scent when water hits their oil-sticky leaves. I have a habit of picking up the sprigs after I garden so I can bring it into the house, rinse them in the sink, and unlock that wonderful rainfall scent.

[stubbornlysigny]

Tarot Mentors: 1.7

Page of Wands - 9 of Cups - Queen of Wands Once again, my mentor is surrounded by two cards of the same suit. It’s notable that they are both court cards, and yesterday’s reading which was the first to contain a court card was a Wand as well. The King of Wands is the only member of this court I haven’t seen yet. The Page inspires new opportunities and new journeys, while the Queen commands courage and boldness with each step.

[stubbornlysigny]

Tarot Mentors: 1.6

Knight of Wands - 9 of Cups - 2 of Swords (reversed) Day 7 brings my mentoring card’s first court companion, and one that echo’s the previous lesson of better planning. The Knight of Wands is all about recklessly charging forth towards new adventures. Today’s reversal counters the Knight’s impulsive nature with a difficult choice. Usually when confronted with this card, I would recommend weighing out both options in order to chose the one with the least negative impact. That’s another string back towards a properly planned path. While it’s only been a week, I’m seeing a lot of ongoing themes throughout this study. Another point of fascination is that almost every mentor reading I’ve done so far has come with one upright and one reversal.

[stubbornlysigny]

Tarot Mentors: 1.5

7 of Swords (reversed) - 9 of Cups - 2 of Wands (reversed) Today’s lesson was a simple one: successful change requires better planning.

[celestialarrow777-blog]

[courtdraws]

9 loaves, the feline bakery! (click for hq)

[tarotmistress]

Choosing your First Deck

I see this question asked a lot in the tarot community, hell last year I made a post recommending new decks for budding readers.

Here’s the secret about what makes a great 1st deck:

ANY DECK YOU WANT IS A GREAT FIRST DECK*

The most important thing is to pick a deck that gets you excited.   Learning tarot is a slow process. 

Learning tarot is a long haul process so get a deck that gets you pumped up again and again to pick it up and learn.  Kudos to the people who get the basic meanings down in a week, they’re extremely rare birds.  If you’re already iffy about the artwork, colors, of general vibe of the deck… chances are it’s gonna end up in a drawer forgotten. If you’re excited to use the deck, you’ll be excited to learn, thus making it easier to learn because you WANT to practice.  It’s a cycle that feeds itself.

… oh… but see that asterisk back there?  That’s the but, there’s always a but.  The real question to ask, and you can’t ask this of any tarot reader, but you have to ask yourself: How hard am I willing to work to learn tarot?

This is where you need to think about your personal work ethic, how easy is it for you to do memorization.  Do you often cut corners or are you a Hermione Granger when it comes to learning?  Be honest with yourself.  The only person who hears this answer is you, don’t be shy or embarrassed about the answer.  Neither type of personality is wrong.   A new reader is setting their own lesson plan.  This is about picking a deck that will have a craftable lesson plan that works.  It’s about acknowledging what you’re going to need to do to make the deck work for you.

As an example:  Struggled your whole life with straight memorization ( ding ding ding that’s me! )  Maaaaybe a deck that has unillustrated pips isn’t the best choice, but ( again always a but ) if you’re willing to write keywords on the cards this could be a way around this problem as you wait for the means to burn into your skull.

As a final tip, there are countless resources that will tour a full deck to help would be buyers decide if the imagery is right for them. Buyers will know if it’s got illustrated pips or a lot of visual cues that they’re already familiar with… or if the illustrator uses symbolism that is outside a comfort zone.

So again, any deck you want is a great beginner deck, just some will require extra time and effort to learn.

[stubbornlysigny]

Tarot Mentors: 1.3

9 of Pentacles - 9 of Cups - 9 of Swords (reversed) Yesterday, my Mentor was flanked by Swords. Today, it’s nines across the board. That’s…more than a little off-putting. The Nines bring with them completion and the closing of a cycle - not quite ended, but just before reaching that final point. Numerically attached to the Hermit, they’re also cards of solitary introspection. The wealth of the Pentacles, the emotional stability of the Cups, and the cutting mindfulness of the Swords. This is unerringly accurate. I’m financially independent. A major chapter in my life is coming to a close and a new adventure is about to begin - namely returning to college in my 30s. And I’m scared as hell about it. The 9 of Swords is Anxiety itself, and in my post-military life, anxiety has been my biggest and most un-slayable dragon. So it’s super awesome for you to point out the obvious, Mentor Card. You’re the best.