#wanderingsoultarot

[wanderingsoulgarden]

Pick a Card: From darkness to light & healing.

Hello beautiful souls,

Thank you so much for being here. I'm so happy and honoured that you're here. This reading is especially for those who are finding themselves experiencing the heavier energies in life. If this is you, I want you to know that I see you, and I feel you. May whatever find you here help you find lighter energies for yourself. We have three piles to choose from again. Take all the time you need to choose. It's totally okay to find yourself attracted to more than one pile. If you can't seem to choose, feel free to come back to it later, maybe you're just not feeling it, and that's perfectly fine too. 1: (Left) Has Unakite on top. 2: (Middle) Has Snowflake Obsidian on top. 3: (Right) Has Lepidolite on top.

Reading breakdown 1: Energy check: Why does life feel a little heavy at this time? 2: What can you do to bring in more light? 3. What opportunities are there for healing at this time? Especially with the last one... I felt that even though life can feel a little heavy or meh at this time, it does bring in room for healing. So what may your attention be called toward? Decks used: The Light Seers Tarot (1). Creative Consciousness Healing (2). The Healing Waters. (3)

Pile 1:

(+/- 2100 words)

Hello dear pile number 1. Thank you so much for being here. If it’s quite alright with you, I’d like to give you a warm hug, because the first thing I felt when I was drawing the cards was a certain sadness.

The cards we pulled for you were Death & Rebirth, The star, Breathe and the Sacred Well. And I have to admit, I rarely read the Death card as a literal death, but for some reason I do feel like acknowledging this fist for those who are grieving the death of a loved one. If you are not, then keep reading anyway, because there are more interpretations coming next.

For those who are grieving the death of a loved one – whether that be a very recent happening, or something that has been a long time ago.. I just want to tell you I’m sorry for your loss, my love. I send you the warmest, deepest hug possible – if you could use one. Like I said, I rarely read / interpret the Death card in the literal sense, but I do feel that there are some of you reading this who are going through some intense loss and the stages of grief. And that’s freaking hard and painful.  Some days are worse than others, while others are neutral, and then there are moments or even days that might be considered good. Grief does not work on a linear timeline. It can overwhelm you out of nowhere. It can chill your bones, and make that void so raw and visible through the smallest of things... a song on the radio, catching the hint of a scent that was oh so familiar, a photograph, a memory.... There’s this emptiness that cannot be filled, a freaking hole of where that person, pet, or whatever you had to say goodbye to, used to be. While your internal world may not be visible for the outside world, I just want to affirm for you that, yes, it’s real, it’s raw, and it matters. What you’re going through matters. It’s okay to not be okay right now. You do not need solutions, you do not need good advice, you do not need to get over yourself, you do not even need to feel hopeful for the future (like the Star suggests.) It’s okay to take your time with this. Even when the loss has been decades ago, we still have no control over when we are caught by Grief. 

The outside world might want  you to put on your mask and continue living your life, working hard, giving your time, energy and effort away to keep others afloat – and while I want to acknowledge that that indeed seems part of our human experience as well – that shit is fucking hard, and unfair, I may add. And while this goes for everyone, I feel it’s especially the case for those who are parents. Of course you want to be strong for your children and loved ones, and of course ‘life goes on’, and the bills need to be paid. And we can experience these feelings of guilt whenever we need time for ourselves, or whenever it feels like we’re drowning, because we can feel so much responsibility for all that is around us.  Distracting yourself from feeling the worst of it might be a strategy that is helpful, for a while... – nobody wants to drown, not in their sorrows, not in their pain. But this is my gentle wish for you, take it or leave it.... I hope you can make room for yourself, and the things you are going through. Make room to feel, to cry, to let everything out, and to let yourself be held – whether that be physically by loved ones, or by music, art, writing, or anything that helps you.  My gentle wish for you is that you receive what you give away so freely. That you allow others to be there for you and to nourish and nurture you in ways that surprise you. That someone cooks for you, or comes by with your favourite flowers, or to keep you company. No words need to be spoken, just let yourself be held by their presence. You deserve to lean on those who you love, and I’m sure people want to be there for you.  If you are someone who feels more comfortable dealing with your emotions / grief alone – that’s perfectly okay as well. Then the Breath card suggests that focussing on your breath can be a very helpful tool. It can help us ground, it can help us from spiralling, it can bring us back to the present moment, and it can also help us connect to our emotional body. Meditations, pranayama techniques, yoga, breathwork can all be tools that could help your inner process, your wellbeing, and going through life every day.

The Sacred Well is a resting place, and it suggests that this is a good time to tend to our own needs, first. To fill your own cups first. We cannot pour from an empty cup, and once you start doing that, it’s gonna take a whole lot longer to fill it up again. So my gentle wish for you is for you to take all the time you can / need to fill up your cups – emotionally, mentally, energetically, physically, spiritually. How you do that, is totally up to you. You know what’s best for you. You know what you need right now. And if you do not, because all feels empty and you cannot reach your place of inner knowing, then just be in that moment, too. You can trust that it’ll come back.  It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to not know, right now, or for a little / long while even.

The thing with loss and with grief is that it might not get ‘better’ with time, but it will get different. And that is the rebirth side of the Death card and the hopefulness of the Star coming through. It might not get better, but it will get different -  you can trust time on that (and me, too). Take time to fill your own cup, first, love, before pouring all your beautiful love back into others. Even if it’s just the first five minutes of your day, entirely for yourself. For those who resonate with this part of the reading, I do not want to give too much (unsolicited) advice here. I just want to wish you all the luck, love, strength and healing for the coming times. I hope that there are people in your life that can just sit with you, without giving you well-meant advice or tips or tricks that gently suggest that it’ll get better. If there are none, then let me do the honours. There’s always space for you here, and all of you is welcome here, sadness and grief included. I’m sending you so, so much love. <3 --   

Now, for those who do not resonate with having lost a loved one – I’m really happy you didn’t, by the way – you might be going through your own transitional stages of loss. Whether you had to say goodbye to a job, a relationship, a place, an outdated plan for the future, an old belief, or a past version of yourself – you are in a stage of transitioning from the old into the new. A cycle in your life is coming to its inevitable end. And that in itself can be troubling, confusing, or even downright scary sometimes. Take a deep, deep, breath my dear.  It’s okay to acknowledge all that you feel about it – whether it’s sadness or relief. These feelings matter. You matter.

We want you to know that whatever you had to say goodbye to, had run its course. This change is going according to your own soul’s plan. And that doesn’t mean that it cannot be hard, or simply fucked up... it can very much feel that way, and that’s okay. But when I see the Death card paired with the Star, I definitely sense that there is a  happy ending for you. The symbolic death of something is seldom a bad thing, I have to say. It’s simply making room for something better and more aligned to come into your life. That’s why the Death card is often a simply a symbol for renewal and rebirth, and (to me) one of the most positive cards in the Tarot.

Now, these in-between stages can feel confusing. Because, if not this, then what? If not now, then when? It’s okay to not know what you’re doing, or where you’re going with your life right now. There’s much wisdom to be found in this in-between stage, where you can both re-align, experiment and integrate. The new beliefs and newfound awareness that was growing within you (and that caused this shift in the first place) now have a time to settle down, and to be integrated before it can be embodied.  

With both Death and the Star here, there is an opportunity for you to uncover any limiting beliefs, or self-doubt that you are holding on to. To find the courage to voice any unexpressed emotions, or things you haven’t had the courage to say before, and to release every bit of outgrown energy that is still anchoring you to the past. It’s really time to say goodbye, now, dear one. That is the first step. To release and let go. So my gentle advice for you here is to do that through a method of your choice. You can work through it in therapy, through ritual, through journaling, through breathwork, anything you like.  As I upload this it’s almost the full moon, which is an excellent time for release!  It can also take as long as it needs, there’s no time-frame to abide by. 

With the Breath card coming out for the second question, it’s obvious that reconnecting with your breath is what can help bring in more light in your situation. Like I mentioned before, our breath has immense potential to ground, to (re)connect with our emotional body, and also to help us find release. There are plenty of pranayama techniques, and other breathwork techniques that can help us release stress, tension and even stored emotions and trauma,  which can help us feel much lighter. (Disclaimer: do your research, some types of breathwork are not suited for people with certain medical conditions!)  Our breath is our life-force, so if we restrict ourselves in any way, our energy cannot flow the way it deserves to flow. How is your breath right now, dear one? Is it shallow, and high in your chest? Do you sometimes forget to breathe or hold your breath unconsciously? Are you feeling relaxed right now, and is your breath low in your belly, having all the space? Take some time to become aware of your breath. You do not have to do that the entire time, of course, but to build a conscious connection to your breath is to always be able to come back to the present moment, and that’s especially helpful in situations where you might feel anxious, sad, heavy or lost. All we need to do is to return to our breath.... and focus on a breath in and out, and in, and out.  Transitional periods like these require you to make room for what is coming, and that’s not just done by releasing the old. It’s also filling your cups with whatever it needs right now. Sometimes that can be taking more rest than you’re used to, catching up with friends for a well needed laugh, or taking a nice relaxing bath and pamper yourself with some deliciously rich body-lotion.  But other times it’s taking that course you’ve always felt called to taking, to learn a new skill or taking up a new hobby. Because all those things allow you to make room for what is coming. Because there’s not just an ending here, there is a beautiful new beginning, and that new beginning deserves equally as much attention.  This in-between time is the time to set yourself up for greatness. To re-align your vision, to dream a little bigger, to dream whatever you want to come next into being. To read those books that’ll help you gather the knowledge and information, to do the research beforehand, to take that course that helps guide you towards your new path. There is something beautiful unfolding for you. The Star does not only send in energies of healing, oh no, she sends in so much more. She sends you the energy of new inspiration and renewed hope. She sends in the energy of the stars aligning for you and wishes being fulfilled.  With the Sacred Well here, it’s your gentle reminder that you do not need to hurry. There’s no rush, there’s no timeline, there’s no go-by date. Trust that everything will unfold FOR you, rather than against you. 

Pile 2

(+/1700 words). Note: 6 of Pentacles came reversed! Sorry it's not in the picture...

Hello beautiful people who chose pile 2. Thank you so much for being here. I  want to say over and over how amazing you are, how loved you are, and how worthy you are. Take a deep breath, because this reading might be a heavy one. I love you, I love you, I love you – unconditionally, I promise.

With the Six of Pentacles coming up in the revered position, we can well say that something is way off-balance here. I’m feeling a little bit mean here, but I feel strongly I need to make you aware of the things that could be making you feel off-balance. Are you giving too much of your time and energy away to things that do not help you at the moment? Whether that be ruminating over old stories or doom-scrolling.  Are you trying to numb out your emotions or sense of overwhelm through food or other substances? Or are you spending too much of your budget on things that you actually do not really need, but that seem to temporarily fill an unmet need within? Are you trying to do everything by yourself, while you actually could really benefit from accepting some help? Honey, I love you, but what you’re doing is not helping you at all at the moment. It’s actually making you feel worse, and you do not deserve that. Both the best and the worst thing is, is that you know this yourself, too.  Whatever it is that’s making your life heavy, the roots for it can be found in the past. Especially old experiences that have created certain patterning and belief systems.  With the suit of Pentacles coming up, it could well be about a scarcity mindset and your self-worth.

You are worthy of all the abundance and bounty life has to offer, dear one. That includes the time, attention, love and help of others. You do not have to do everything by yourself. You do not need to have all the answers and solutions for every problem and solve them for yourself and the rest of the world. You do not need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and feel responsible for e-ve-ry-thing. Some shit is simply not yours to carry, even when people make you carry it. You are allowed to say no to things. You are allowed to put boundaries into place that protect your peace and well-being. You’re allowed to walk away and say fuck it, too. Drop that which is not yours to carry, let them fix this shit themselves. You also do not need to prevent things from turning sour just because you’re seeing 20 steps ahead. It’s not your responsibility to keep others from learning their lessons, no matter how well you mean it, or how much you want to protect and save them from hurt. I know it comes from a place of love. But my dearest, I need you to put yourself first at this moment in time... You need to put yourself first. I get a strong feeling that you’re over-giving and over-extending yourself in every single way, and  are not receiving enough. You’re not allowing other people to be there for you, because you feel guilty and bad that you cannot do it all yourself. Humanity is not meant for hyper-individuality. We are all wired for connection, for love, for affection, for kindness. We are all deserving of it, too. You are not excluded from that. You’re not the only exception to the rule, even though your experiences might have taught you that you are.

Your inner child could use some extra love right now. They feel tired and alone, and feel lost without your loving guidance. They have been carrying the weight of the world on the shoulders and that should have never been theirs to carry. The high expectations of parents, teachers, society or peers. Anger, sadness, pain that they could not regulate by themselves. Feelings of rejection and unworthiness. I know you’re feeling it too. Both of you deserve better. Both of you deserve all the love, kindness and compassion in the world that you (might) have missed. I want you tell you over and over how beautiful you are, and how worthy you are, and how much you are loved. Because you are, all of these things and so much more. And I feel that you might not have heard that enough. I want you to know that you deserve more, from the world at large, from our society, from your parents, from your loved ones, and right now, most of all from yourself. You are way too hard on yourself, my love. I know, I know, it's shitty as fuck... We cannot change the past, but we can change what we do with the stories we carry. I keep hearing the world forgiveness in my head, over and over and over. If there is something that you need to accept, or forgive yourself for, then work on that, because you deserve acceptance and forgiveness from yourself. Forgiveness is not about accepting bad behaviour, or releasing another person for what they’ve done (or haven’t done while they should have),  it’s about releasing yourself from the burden of re-living that pain every single day. You deserve that forgiveness. If  you’ve been carrying the blame, guilt, shame, or regret for things that were never yours to take on... I want you to say – it was NOT my fault, and I lovingly release all the guilt, blame, shame  and regret that I’ve carried all this time. I forgive myself for all the times I made choices that weren’t in my best interest while I was trying to survive. I’m worthy of my own forgiveness, and I forgive myself now.

 If those specific words no not resonate with you, I want you to come up with your own words – because there are loving, gentle, kind and compassionate things that you should be telling yourself right now.  You no longer need to carry around all this guilt, all this pain, all this shame. Your inner child deserves to feel light, supported, peaceful and playful, and so do you. 

 I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. The practice of Ho’oponopono could be beneficial for you, at this time. Say these words to your inner child. Say these words to the past versions of yourself that needed to hear them. Take time to sit with your inner child, my love, hold them in your arms and allow them to feel everything they are feeling – while carrying them, yourself, with unconditional love and presence. I wish I could do that for you, but right now the words you need will come from your own mouth. The presence you need, will come from your higher self.

Another way I can see an unbalance coming up here is not reaching out while it’s time to reach out. There are absolutely times to be careful with your time and energy, to go within and spend it on yourself, first. Taking your time to fill your own cup because we’ve been running on empty, and to replenish your inner wells, filling them to the brim and allowing them to spill over naturally is an incredibly healthy thing to do. We need that. But I gently want to direct your awareness to another possibility. Are you maybe not reaching out, or going ‘back out there’ to protect yourself from getting hurt? Are you not spending time with others because you’re too afraid to be let down and unsupported? Have you cut yourself off from others because you’ve been shown time and time again that you’re better off on your own?  Are you, maybe, even, a little bit mad (or a lot) about being unsupported for so long that you’re now withdrawing your support out of anger or other motives? I’m not trying to be mean here, nor am I calling you out. What I’m trying to do is to make you aware of what is, or might be, going on beneath the surface. Can you go within and find out what it is that makes you so hesitant to reach out again?

You do not need to dig deep, okay? I don’t want you to pull yourself off-balance by digging up the dirt and the pain that needs to be buried for a while longer. Any answer that comes up first, is the right one. You do not need to unearth the whole story behind why you’re sad, or angry, or scared.  That can come when the time is ready, with someone who holds space for you, while you unpack what needs to be unpacked at that exact moment, one box at a time.

The reason why I want to direct you towards honesty, is because that’s going to be your first spark that allows for light to come back into your life, and for healing to take place.  That’s the moment, the spark, for your own inner alchemy. Because the hardships you have faced will make room for healing, and the grit you’ve shown will make room for grace.

The Six of Pentacles in the upright presents us with two-way abundance, both in giving and receiving. And all of that energy is possible for you, if you choose to allow it coming in. If you’ve been over-extending yourself, allow yourself to receive. If you’ve been holding yourself back from reaching out, then give yourself the gift of giving freely to others. Donating your time or your energy to a cause that moves your soul can help shift your feelings around abundance and prosperity. When we give, we open the floodgates of new resources to come our way. And you do not need to withhold yourself from the abundance and prosperity you deserve, love. With the Pearl card here, there is a promise that there will be a reward at the end of your journey, and the ways it will come in might surprise you – big time. Not only will there be a reward at the end, but the whole journey will be rewarding because life is going to bless you in multiple ways. Watch yourself unfold... because honey, the truth is that you are the pearl. And you deserve to be seen for the brilliant light and love that you are.

I love you, Pile 2. Do not give up on yourselves, okay? 

Pile 3

(+/- 1900 words)

Hello beautiful people who chose pile 3. Welcome, and thank you for being here. Why don’t you take a seat over there on that bench? Or there is a hammock here that you can lie down in, and let yourself be carried by it for a while. Because man, you just do not sit still, do you?

The Eight of Wands is one of the fastest cards in the deck. My goodness, life comes at you with the speed of light and it just seems you’re in go-go-go mode all the time. Is this you? Do you ever take a moment to  breathe and just be? Are you going from pillar to post? Are you always on the run? *cue Lenny Kravitz – Always on the run*.

The Eight of Wands can go in two directions (okay, multiple directions, but let’s stick with two for a moment.) This can be amazing energy for you to be in, even though it seems to be a bit heavy or much at the same time. Because you can find yourself having a momentum that keeps you going at all times. This is the right time to jump on that high speed train that’ll bring you to your desires. You can FEEL it. Every sign every omen, everything is pointing the right way. This is YOUR time. GO. GO, and don’t look back!  What is incredibly important at this time is for you to have clarity and vision, and to not re-direct your course. You know where you’re going, you can trust your vision, you can trust your gut, do not second-guess yourself. Harness this beautiful window of swift opportunity. There might be a million and one things going on, you might feel it’s a little out of control at certain points, but that is okay. TRUST. There is good news incoming, there are amazing opportunities coming your way, and if something needed a resolution, you can be assured of a positive one. The reason why this energy can feel heavy is because it feels like there's just not enough time to breathe, or to rest, or to sit still. You're on the whole time. While there is definitely a feeling of excitement here, it can be tiring as well.  

Even when you’re running you still need to remember to breathe, and set a pace that works for you, otherwise you're burning yourself out in no time. The same goes for integration. You’re life is going in an amazing direction and you can be very proud of yourself for all that you’ve done so far. Whether you're running a cross-country, a marathon, a sprint, or an freaking obstacle course... you’re doing amazing, and you’re on the right path. There’s a gentle reminder with the Pink Bees card here that all that you’ve learned on your path so far needs to be integrated in your being before it becomes just another thing you’ve done, witnessed or crossed of your list. Done. Next! Oh, and next! NEXT! Nah babe, this deserves your love and attention. You felt called to this wisdom for a reason, so honour it properly by integrating it, by embodying it. The finish line is just another milestone. There’s going to be a life and a journey after that as well.

As we heal and grow in life - which you are absolutely doing -  it’s common to have these big bursts of insight and new wisdom and understanding suddenly coming into our consciousness. We need to take time for rest and to integrate those into our bodies, into our beings, so that they can help support us on the rest of our journey. That integration is just as important as the start and the finish line, and it’s what will help create new patterns, new neuro-pathways in the brain and new strategies that are supportive of the amazing life we want to live.

Even though the momentum is now, you can still take five minutes of your day to centre yourself. Before bed, you can simply visualise all that you’ve learned so far to become one with your body. Give it a colour if you want, make it creative, make it a memorable part of your day. Doing this can help you align even more with your visions, with your truth, with your dreams, with your being, and with the path you’re going on. Trust that you’re on the right path anyway. You’ve jumped on that train, there’s no going back, because you're meant to go this way. You’ve double checked a thousand times already if it was the right train, and we’re here to affirm that it is. And if it isn’t, honey, you can still get off at the next stop and jump on another, there’s absolutely no shame in that. But your gut will know what to do, because in this momentum you’ll be able to make split-second decisions. You might not even have noticed you made them at first, and that’s okay. I want to keep telling you that you’re on the right path, and you’re doing amazing.  

<3

Now the other side I was talking about with the Eight of Wands is the side that lacks vision and direction. And here we come more into the shadow-y side of the card, but still, it’s important to mention. If you did not resonate with the first part of the reading, it could well be that you’re going to resonate with what’s still coming.

Honey, is there some sticky energy influencing your life at the moment? Do you want to move, but you feel you’re stuck, somehow? Have you forgotten your keys inside the car, and accidentally locked yourself out? Did you forget your wallet at home, and do you now need to drag yourself back in search for the darn thing? But where the hell did you put it, and why is it the in the fridge?  Something about this energy  is feeling rather unfocused and undirected. (Or it could just be my ADHD.... or yours...)

You can feel this energy too, and it’s frustrating to say the least. You want to go, you want to jump on that train and go go go, but you do not know how to get there. Or, you know a million and one ways to get there and can’t seem to pick one. You could benefit from going inwards and going back to the drawing board to redefine your visions. Now tell me what you want, what you really really want. (sigh... I told you this energy was unfocused haha).

No, but seriously, what do you want for yourself? What is the direction you want to go in? Do you have a goal? Do you have a vision? Do you have an idea?  You do not have to figure out the entire picture right now, honey. But what you do need to have clear, is your first step. And I want you to allow yourself  at least one thing. Allow yourself to start badly. That’s it, I said it. (WTH, Mandy, "that’s it?!") Yes, that’s it.

You do not have to start your first step perfectly, you can do it stumbling, crawling, you can hop your way into your journey, or do it skipping. I don’t care, and neither does your soul. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Because if you’re being real with yourself, that perfectionism is one of the things that keeps you stuck. You want to have it all figured out, and it must be figured out perfectly, to the minute and on the dot. That’s not how life works, and you’re doing yourself a great disservice here by pretending it does. Allow yourself to take the first step, badly. Start your journey with a beginner’s mindset. Allow yourself to fail, to stumble, fall, to get up, and try again and again and again. And like I said before, if you need to switch trains to get to your end destination that’s perfectly fine. There’s absolutely no failure in that. Sometimes there’s no straight road. And it doesn’t matter if you do not have it all figured out right now. If you can trust yourself enough to start, the Universe will take you from there. Trust the Universe, it’s always working for you, rather than against you. And this sticky business that seems to be going on, the part that is keeping you ‘stuck’, that’s also the Universe helping you align with the best paths for you. I do not want to say there’s a reason for everything, because this sentence annoys me deeply... But I do know that you’re divinely re-directed here towards where you belong. And for you, too, there’s greatness waiting, milestones waiting to be reached, and finish lines waiting to be crossed. And they will continue to wait for you, because they are yours to be met anyway, at your own divine timing. Stop forcing yourself into perfection and allow yourself to just be. There is nothing wrong with you in the first place! I know this time can feel absolutely freaking frustrating, and sometimes it can make one want to cry out of the sheer fucking frustration. Let yourself cry, then. Allow your tears to wash away the frustration, to clear your mind, and sharpen your vision.  Surrender to what’s happening into your life, and take it from there. Because being overly controlling is not going to help you get out of this stickiness.

Now, last thing! If you’re one of those beautiful people that have a tendency to hesitate at first, and then to run so fucking fast you’re burning out within seconds... Then I want you to know that going ALL IN or ALL OUT, is not an option for you right now, love. You are encouraged to find a balanced, consistent pace / movement that feels right to your body, mind, heart and soul. And if that is just one foot in front of the other, or going at the pace of a snail, than that’s PERFECTLY FINE! It’s not about the speed in which you reach your milestones. Like I said, the milestones, the finish line, the lessons learned along the way, they are all waiting for you. They are inevitable. You’ll reach them when you reach them, you’ll cross that bridge when you get there. We want you to find the ways that ensure your health and well-being. If that means you have to take a nap in this garden, then by all means, do so, and do so as often as you need. Find shelter from the rain under that big tree over there, and don't forget to pick a ripe, juicy, sweet apple for your journey ahead. Stop and smell the roses as often as you can, because life isn’t a race, it’s a journey, and that journey is meant to be enjoyed and savoured – every moment of it.

Stop. Pushing. Yourself. Stop fighting the stickiness. If you want to get out of quicksand, you need to move slowly, loose the extra bagage, get your feet unstuck first and lean backwards, that gives you more opportunity to float rather than sink, which increases getting you free. (I have no idea where that came from, please check the internet first before you take my advice). What I'm trying to say here is surrender for a bit, love. You do not need to micromanage your life at all times.

I love you!

If you've made it this far, I want to thank you once again for reading this. I'm sending you so much love, all of you. Xx Mandy Summers

[wanderingsoulgarden]

First reading!

Hello beautiful souls, This is our first pick a card reading here. Yaaay!

Which pile or piles are calling you? Pile 1 (left) has Strawberry Quartz on top. Pile 2 (middle) has Serpentine on top (if I remember correctly....) Pile 3 (right) has Lapis Lazuli on top.

Take all the time you need to choose a pile, or piles. You can find the reading further along in the post. Decks: Threads of Fate - Shadow Edition. Lumina Tarot.

💜 Results:

Pile 1: Seven of Wands and Ascension Hello beautiful people who chose Pile One! Thank you so much for being here.

Oh hello, we have a winner! Good energy is coming your way, pile one, and I’m so happy for you! There may have been some challenging energies in your life. Was your passion or perseverance tested? Have people been criticising you? Do people have opinions about what you’re doing, feeling, acting, or what you’re not doing for yourself? Or is your inner critic running wild? Dude, f*ck them. Haters are gonna hate, players gonna play. (Live your life man, good luck.) Those are the words I associate with the Seven of Wands. My dearest, please keep doing your thing. Please keep doing what feels good, to you. You are the only one responsible for the direction of your life, and other people having opinions is fine, but they can also choose to keep them to themselves. You don’t need that kind of negativity in our life. And you don’t need to take their words to heart, even when they might be coming from a good place. You know what you’re doing. You are on the precipice of a new phase in your life, and the changes that you’re making right now are for the best, dear one. So if you feel called to protect your peace in the process, please keep doing so. You know what’s best for you. It’s alright to listen to the opinions of people, and to keep other perspectives in mind, but in the end... You deserve to lead the life you want for yourself. You’ve always been worthy of that. Don’t let other people or society keep telling you otherwise. Trust your own inner source of light. Trust yourself and your vision. The Ascension card shows me an up levelling.  It’s the oh so gentle nod from the Universe that says “Yes honey, we see you. We see how hard you’ve worked. Your rewards are coming. Trust.” You are on the right path, love. You do not need to do or become more. You do not need to change your plans (and if you do, you know it in your gut.) You do not need to change yourself in order to be worthy of the things you desire. It’s alright to be in this moment. You are safe here, too. Things are moving forward anyway, and you will continue to progress and reach higher states of consciousness as well as earthly success. It’s inevitable. You’ve been working really hard. We see you. We’re proud of you.  

Just a gentle reminder to leave you with. If you have been chasing growth, going from one thing to the next, or if you have been ‘spiritually bypassing’ your emotions or the signs and signals of your body, then it might be a good idea to slow down. You do not need to chase your growth. Your growth is inevitable, and will not abide to human made timelines. Let things unfold as they are. Grounding can help, resting, and listening to your body can and will help too. If you’re open to advice: Take some time to scan your body from the tippy tips of your toes all the way up to your head. What sensations do you feel? What emotions come up? Where may you focus your attention and breathe love towards? Ascension is not just levelling up in the mind or the spiritual realms and body. Your physical body is just as important and needs to be taken along for the ride in order to facilitate all that new energy. It’s okay to spend time in your body, and it’s okay to slow down. Do not lose faith, not in yourself, not in what you’re doing, nor in your vision. The way you show up for yourself, allows others to show up for themselves, too. You’re lighting the way for others to follow your example, and that’s freaking awesome. You should be proud of yourself, dear one. You’re loved.💜

Pile 2:  Nine of Wands – The Explorer.

Hello beautiful people who chose pile 2. Thank you so much for being here. I’m so glad you’re here!! I want you to take a nice, deep, cleansing breath in and out, dear one. And another. Because it feels like you’ve been having quite the journey. Good news though! The finish line is in sight, yaaaaay!

 Hold on just a little longer. I’m getting so curious to see what you’re working towards. (Tell me in the comments, if you feel like sharing.) It feels like something big, but instead of it being a freaking labour (at this stage),  you’re going about it in a way that feels playful and explorative. That’s an amazing approach to go with. Your growth feels very expansive and warm and it feels like you’re going in a direction that makes you feel happy and excited. I feel a lot of excitement in my body while I’m channelling this. And you, dear one, you have every reason to feel excited! Look at what you’re creating and growing for yourself. I’m so proud of you. (Gosh I’m tearing up.)  It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. You deserve to be excited about your life. I had a visual of your heart and eyes being on the same line, and it’s funny that that’s on the explorer card as well. It feels like you’ve got your eyes on the prize. You know what you want in your heart and you’re going for it. It also means that the thing you’re changing / creating / birthing life into is very much aligned with your being and your soul’s plan. I LOVE that for you. Nine of Wands can sometimes feel heavy – like a heavy backpack on your shoulders. You know where you’re going, honey, don’t lose hope now. Eyes on the prize, remember? Everything is going to work out in your favour if you just hold on a little longer. Even if you may experience setbacks, or have experienced setbacks on your road – know that this road will lead you home. Home to yourself, and home to that which you’re creating for yourself.

I just can’t seem to sit still at the moment, and my heart feels like it’s racing. Don’t rush, don’t rush to that finish line. Do not rush from one thing to the next, either. You know it’s there, so trust that you’ll get there. Trust your pace. You’re not competing with anyone here. There is no competition, there’s just the journey – the wandering, the exploring. Take your sweet time to enjoy that process because that’s going to bring you so many little gems of wisdom and so many memories to think back on. Don’t forget that life is just as much about fun as it is about personal growth or aligned challenges.  You deserve to have fun. This process can be fun if you allow it to, even if it has not been easy. If you feel you have been running from one thing to the next then it might be good to take a step back and to pause. Because growth can feel like a never-ending process, and let’s be honest, it kinda is.  But it’s just as important to integrate the lessons you’ve learned so far, as it is to prune away that which no longer serves you, as it is to  enjoy the fruits of your labour. Every step in your journey is important. Pause. Take a deep breath again.

This is can also be a gentle reminder to break free of routine. The Nine of Wands can sometimes feel heavy because the routines, boundaries, or structures we’ve created for ourselves do not fully serve us anymore. Thank them for their service of bringing you all the way here, near the finish line. You have a choice here to either hold on to them for a little while longer and live with the frustration, or you have the choice to take the advice of the Explorer. Both are choices that could work for your journey. But since we have the explorer card here...  we want you to know that it’s okay to loosen up a little. Explore from this place,  the place where you are at now, instead of from where you’ve started.  

If you’ve been thinking about this goal of yours as being massive, or hard, or heavy, or whatsoever... this is a gentle reminder to think of all the good it has brought you so far. Look at your growth. Look at how far you’ve come. Look at the roots you’ve grown, and the beautiful flowers that are now budding. Look at the wisdom and experience you’ve accumulated. What you’re doing is incredible. And if right now all you can think about is “Jeez, this sucks. Why the f*ck am I not there yet?” then acknowledge that too. That is information, too. It tells you about your passion, your love, and just how important this is for you. That is a beautiful thing. When I say “go explore,” it does not have to mean “do something grand and completely different.” It can also mean; go about your day in a different way, or choose a different beverage in the morning, or add something new to your daily routine that brings you joy. If you’re open to advice, my advice would be this: Go about your day with joy and curiosity. Nurture your curious inner child and look at your life and your journey with awe. Your inner child is massively impressed by you, you’ve got no idea. They are thinking... “Woooooowwww, I never knew I could do that!” (and this is making me teary again.)  It’s okay to give them the centre stage throughout your day – they’ll help you look at the world with new eyes, and that will help you nurture the explorer within you. I’m so proud of you. You’re doing amazing 💜

Pile 3:  The Hermit. Nature. Dare to dream.

Hello beautiful people of pile 3. Thank you so much for being here.

I see several paths in my mind’s eye so there are different scenarios for this group. Let me start with the first one. In this scenario, it feels like you’ve entered a calmer season of your life. A season where you’re not actively pursuing something but tending to the seeds. These seeds come in the form of ideas or dreams, a gentle spark that has piqued your interest, or something that has caught your eye. Or maybe you’re courting with the idea of going into a different direction in life. Whatever it is,  these seeds are not yet planted, you’re still playing with them. I feel you might be someone with a rich inner life, someone who has this deep well of knowledge and wisdom available to them, even if it feels you cannot always reach it when you want to. You may be someone who daydreams a lot, and let me tell you, that is a great thing! Because the scenario I see here is someone dreaming their desires into existence.

Side note here: I’ve recently been falling into the works of Neville Goddart and the Law of Assumption. What I understand of it so far is that it speaks about living in the world of your imagination and dreaming your world into being. If you have it all in your imagination, you can assume you have it in your 3D life / reality / experience, hold on to that assumption that you already live in the wish fulfilled and watch the 3D catch up. Anyway, that might be something that you’re really good at, or something you can find interesting.

 What I want to say here for the people who resonate with this is that you should not be afraid to dream a little bigger. And if you’re already feeling you’re dreaming pretty big, then go you! Well done! Don’t be afraid to believe in yourself, either. Because those ideas and dreams you’re playing around with, will show up, if you show up for them.  If you’re not sure on what the next steps are in your journey, know that it’s okay to step back and watch it unfold naturally. You do not have to have the answers to everything and anything. Life is a mystery and that’s what makes it fun. Go outside, spend time in nature, tend to that beautiful daydream of yours, and watch it unfold. You have all the answers already within.

Another scenario could be that you are also someone who daydreams a lot, and has a million and one ideas and cannot seem to ground them into the reality (yet). You might be someone who is highly associative, someone with a mind that tends to run pretty damn fast, and who has a million interests. And the reason why I’m feeling this is because the Hermit is someone with a deep and rich inner life and wisdom. It is someone who already has all the answers and wisdom within. You equally have this rich inner life and this massive amount of wisdom.  And what I can see too here, is that you’re not failing. It’s not wrong of you to start projects and not finish them. Life comes in seasons, and so does your curiosity and interests. If anything, what I can see you doing is following all the nudges of your intuition and listening to what you feel most drawn to at that moment. And that is something a lot of people have trouble with, so they could learn from you! Trouble grounding your dreams into reality can also be reframed as being selective, realistic and careful.  In both scenarios described so far, I want you to know that it’s okay to nurture your seeds in the spirit / unseen world first before planting them. To get clear on your vision and to take action when you feel ready.

The gentle reminder here is – there is not always such a thing as perfect timing. It might sometimes feel that way, but most of the times it’s just time to begin and nurture things with a beginner’s mindset. There’s no such thing as failing. To quote one of my favourite songs by Aaliyah: “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again, try again, try again.” It’s okay to ‘fail’. It’s okay to be a beginner at something. It’s okay to try again, and again, and again, until you find ways that work for you. You’re allowed to change your mind as often as you like. You are allowed to change your path in life as often as you like. As long as you can feel you’re following your heart’s desires and the nudges of your soul, you’re on the right path.  The nature of life is that we’re always changing and always evolving. To think you need to be one thing and one thing only might not work in your favour.

That leaves me to the following; the Hermit can often be seen as a call to go within, to do some soul-searching. If you’re someone who is afraid to take action on your brilliant ideas because you’re held back by limiting beliefs, blockages, or have been told that you can’t do it anyway, then this might be your time to go inwards and to nurture a healthy self-concept. You deserve to think good things about yourself.  So often it’s the way we speak to ourselves, and the beliefs of others that we have internalised that holds us back from our own greatness. You deserve more from yourself, dear one. And when I say that, I do not mean kicking your arse into action and saying something like: “Omg, why do you never finish what you start. You’re so weak. You have no perseverance. You are never willing to put in the hard work.” Oh hell f*cking no.  What I am saying is that you deserve ease, peace and gentleness from yourself. Because if your mind works anything like mine... that dialogue might have sounded familiar. I feel your internal critic could benefit from a healthy dose of gentle parenting. And I also know that you deserve to believe in your own wisdom and your own timing. Always.

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And if you do not know which step to take... then take the advice of the Hermit and go within, meditate on it, do some soul-searching, journal, go into nature and let Mother Earth inspire you, spend some time near water and watch your thoughts flow away on the waves until it’s calm and clear again. You do not have to be in action mode all the time.

Okay, on the last path I see the world being too loud – with distractions, with opinions, with hardships, with pressure, with noise. If that’s something you’re feeling right now, and you’re feeling overwhelmed by the world around you... Step back honey. Go inwards and tune out the noise. It’s okay to nurture yourself first. To nurture your peace, first. Putting yourself first is the best way to go forward. This might also have something to do with the nervous system, as I’m feeling a buzzing feeling with in my body and mind. It can be wise to withdraw from your regular activities for a while, and to pull back a little on socialising where you can. To create space for yourself so that you can finally hear yourself speaking again. My mind is very busy, so it might not be that you cannot hear your own thoughts, maybe those are overwhelming, too. If that feels true to you, you may feel called to quiet your mind through meditation or yoga, or any other practices that allow you to drop into your body more.  Since we have the Nature card coming up as well,  being in nature could be very beneficial to you. And if going outside is feeling too overwhelming right now because of all the noise, bring nature inside. Buy yourself a plant or some flowers. Cook a meal with fresh vegetables. Studies show that even looking at photographs of natural scenes can help calm the mind.

If you have taken the Hermit ‘literally’ and have taken root inside, having that made your only safe space... then this is your gentle reminder to take a step outside and breathe in the fresh air. Whether you start from your balcony, or your garden, or if you have none, by opening all the windows and letting the fresh air cleanse your space. Do so. Even though the card came upright, the reversed message of the Hermit tells us that  while pulling back from the world to create solitude and stillness can be a helpful thing, too much withdrawal is harmful. You do not have to isolate yourself. You are a very important part of all the family, friends and the world around you. And your beautiful presence is missed, and your presence is needed in this world to make it an even more beautiful and better place.  We love having you here, so let me welcome you back right now. 

You are loved 💜

[wanderingsoulgarden]

Welcome

Hello beautiful soul, Welcome to the Wandering Soul Garden. I'm so glad you wandered in. This garden is a safe space for you to just... be. It's a place to wander for a while. To pause. To breathe. To receive whatever message meets you today. So, feel free to take a seat, or simply look around. You don't have to arrive as your best self - just arrive here as you are today, and stay however long you like.

On this little corner of the internet, I just want to create a place where people can arrive as themselves, myself included. To just be and to belong. I feel like this world, and a lot of spaces in it, can feel like another place where you have to 'defend' yourself - in one way or another. I want to cultivate a place where you do not have to prove that you belong, or that you're healed enough, spiritual enough, productive enough, 'high vibe' enough, or *insert stuff here* enough.

You are enough. Period. You belong. Period. I know that it can feel as if there's always lessons to learn, always another wound to heal, always another technique to master, always more growth to strive for. Healing and growing is a natural part of life, and that's beautiful. But I notice, within myself and others, that the idea of growth can often disguise itself as self-critisism. Growth without acceptance can become a never-ending chase. And honey, we do not chase around here... we attract. *insert big wink* The Wandering Soul Garden isn't a place where you come to become a better or perfect version of yourself. It's a place where you can come home to yourself, to (re)discover who you are, and to remember all that you are at the core of your being. There's no end-goal here, there's just the tending to the roots, the stems, the leaves and providing the right conditions so that you can bloom as your beautiful authentic self. At your own time, at your own pace.

To quote the wise Tolkien: "Not all those who wander are lost." To me, wandering invites a deep curiosity, exploration, following your intuition and learning through experience. It invites discovery and sometimes an uncovering and peeling away of layers to realise what was there all along.

May this garden be a place for reflection, intuition, self-discovery, and a gentle reminder that every season of your journey has meaning and purpose. If something grows from the readings or messages you'll find here, then that's wonderful. If all you needed was to feel understood for five minutes, that's enough, too. And if you think it's all utter bullshit, that's okay too - then I kindly suggest you find another garden / corner on the internet that does resonate with you. The rule here is - take what resonates, and leave the rest.

About the readings:

I think the most important thing to understand about the way I read Tarot and Oracle cards is that I do not read to predict the future. I read the energy that is in the now which has the potential of developing in the future - if that's what we choose to act on or cultivate. Because we always have free will, and we always have a choice. If there's something you don't like about the energy that I've read, then you can choose a different pile, a different outcome, or you can decide that this reading was not for you today. The messages are here to empower you to go on your own unique journey - so use your own discernment, intuition and sovereignty to decide what you do with it. If you see something else within the cards that I haven't written down yet, trust your gut and go with it.

Another good thing to know is that just like in any garden, there will be seasons of growth and seasons of stillness. Just know that I'll gently tend to the roots of this space, and that the readings will come out in their own divine timing.

I'm signing off for now, dear soul, and will leave you here to wander by yourself. Take all the time you want or need, and know that I'm so grateful that you're here! We'll see each other soon, that's a promise.

💜

Much love, Mandy

[wanderingsoulgarden]

Hello beautiful,

 As I introduced the garden, I realised I totally forgot to introduce myself.   Come in, dearest. Kick off your shoes. Let’s have tea while I tell you how I got here.

Hi! Mandy is the name my parents gave me.  Summers is the name I have given myself. If you’re wondering where that might come from.... I'm going to give you one little hint: "In every generation, there is a chosen one...." If you're of the generation who knows what I'm talking about, I think you now know all there is to know about me. And if you're of the generation who thinks "What the hell are you talking about?" I've got something for your to-watch list! The story of how Buffy the Vampire Slayer directly or indirectly inspired my spiritual practice might be a story for another time, though.

As a little girl, I always had a fascination for mythology, history, ancient civilisations, the natural world, and most of all... how people work. I simply wanted to know e-ve-ry-thing, fluttering from one thing to the next. I grew up in the 90’s with several TV shows that have either shaped my values or aligned with them, I can’t decide on that... but have definitely shaped part of my identity. You can think about shows like; Xena the Warrior Princess, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Captain Planet, The X-men, Dragonball Z and Pokemon.

Can you see the clues lining up here? Around the age or 11 or so, we got this magical thing that was *the Internet*! Aside from roaming around on our farm, or in my own little fantasy worlds, I now had access to ALL this NEW information and knowledge. With pictures! YAY!!!  Here I was, scouring the early years of the internet for pictures of vampires, witches, elves and fairies... and suddenly found myself on a page about Wicca. Now, that was very much unheard of in our little town... so OF COURSE I  was interested! And, of course, one thing led to another, and soon I found myself invested in all things witchy and spiritual– tarot, crystals, astrology, *and all that jazz*. This goes on for years because things keep falling more and more into place, and they continue to do so to this day.

Reading the tarot and oracle cards has been a part of my spiritual practice since the age of I think 16/17, when I bought my first oracle deck. Funny thing about that deck is that it’s the only deck I have in my native language, Dutch. For some reason unknown to me, I channel my messages entirely in English and have done so from the moment I started. That oracle deck, and my mum’s old tarot deck, were the only decks I used in my practice for a long time. Nowadays my collection is a bit bigger and still expanding, because aside it being part of my own spiritual practice, I found out, it's also one of my special interests.

As it turns out, I’m quite neurospicy. (Noooooo. *gasp* Really?! Where were the signs?!) From a very young age I’ve always felt different somehow. Not entirely fitting in anywhere. And I’ve always tried really, really hard to feel like I belong somewhere. It’s hard to find that sense of belonging if you do not feel at home in this world, or at home within your body or your mind, and I felt neither. Too sensitive. Too curious. Too emotional. Too weird. The world was too loud and intense. Too much this, too much that, and not enough fitting in the way society and patriarchy wants us to. It can be a hell of a struggle. If you’re someone who resonated with that feeling, I just want to say: I see you, love. I really do.  I keep coming back to that word belonging. And you’ll probably see me do so more often, because this feels like my mission in life, and not just for myself. It turned me towards Social Work, psychology and teaching first, and towards healing modalities and spirituality later in life. Now I can call myself all kinds of things; social worker, Reiki master, breathwork coach, singing bowl therapist, tarot reader and TEFL teacher are some of the titles I’ve accumulated over the years, and I’ll probably add a few more others to that list because learning new things is too much fun.

Learning new things, personal development, spirituality, and the whole human experience is really my thing. Making this world a better place than I found it, is my mission.

I noticed that I love doing this by creating and facilitating spaces where people can soften, unmask and be fully themselves. Where they have permission to just... be. Because there really is space for all of us here on this beautiful planet. And if you’re reading this, I want you to know that all of you is welcome here – I mean that seriously. Creating spaces where you can just come as you are, right here, right now (those are two different songs, Mandy...), is important to me because that’s where the magic happens.

From places of safety and belonging, we can start looking at ourselves, piece by piece, when we’re ready for them. We can facilitate reflection, self-discovery, personal growth and healing. We can undo ourselves of layers that do not serve us anymore, and rebuild structures that will support us for our highest good.  And we can do so at our own time, our own pace and in our own unique ways, with more ease and softness. Because let’s be real here, it’s so freaking easy to be hard on ourselves, isn’t it?  

The way I see it, is that we’re all beautifully unique souls, living in these equally beautiful and unique human bodies. We’re wandering through life, trying to find the best ways to express ourselves as authentically and true as possible – all while learning how to live life in a way that truly feels like ours, like home. And I hope that this Wandering Soul Garden will help a little with that.

If you're still here, reading all of this… I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for being here. Not just here on this page. But here on this planet. The world is a better place with you in it.

I look forward to seeing where this journey will take me, although I have to admit it also feels a little daunting putting myself out here. But since you are welcome here entirely as you are, then so am I, and I’m so glad you’re coming along on this journey with me. I also really look forward sharing my tarot and oracle readings for you beautiful souls, for this amazing collective, and I hope that whatever you’ll find here will meet you with love, with light, and with ease. 💜 Much love, Mandy Summers.