Wednesday

[clevermanka]

Temperatures are reaching (reasonable) double digits today so I'm running all my errands. I hope the snow I can't shovel will allow me to exit my driveway. I'm pretty sure it will, although I'll likely have to clear at least a couple narrow paths to roll down my trash bins and my landlady's. Crossing fingers she doesn't have enough recycling to worry about because that will mean three paths and I'm not sure how I'll manage that and run errands. We'll see.

I'd planned to write marketing copy for Secular Sacred yesterday--those ten words and brief embellishments of them--but only managed five because I spent a lot of energy (and wrist strength) on removing the ice from my bedroom windows. Between the potential damage to the untreated wood sills (I know, but I don't own this place so am not putting in the effort and money to rectify that) and the specks of mold I saw growing under them (yikes) I figured I needed to deal with that toot sweet. Tomorrow I'll tackle what's likely the same on the window in my art studio, which will entail clearing off the entire worktable so I can kneel on it (it's very large and unmovable by me).

I despise winter and everything that comes with it, but I am also emotionally bereft when removed from an environment without a significant tree population. Also I can't really afford to live anywhere but the Midwest. Capitalism continues to be the bane of my existence (and so many others').

Monday I had the pleasant surprise of someone scheduling a tarot reading. It felt good to read for someone again, and the $30 didn't hurt! I'm feeling a bit discouraged by the lack of response to my offers of even free general, vibes-based readings to my Patreon members. I'm considering offering a free reading a week to the general public because now that my online tarot group has disbanded I have few opportunities to stay in practice. But I think a similar lack of response to a general audience might be further depressing? On the other hand I don't like operating from a place of acting (or not acting) out of a fear of the worst, so...

The business of practicing optimism is a difficult one.

Excelsior, though. Right? Right.

Comments

[writedragon]

Hang in there. It's cold where I am but not snowy, and the ice is melting (thankfully). I hope everything works out and you have the energy to do what you need to do.

As to your tarot situation, here's an idea: I'm in an online group where a particular member selects a card (in this case it's a rune card not tarot) every couple of days and explains its meaning to the group, which is helping that person not only to build a following but also educates the group members. I wonder if something like that would be a nice addition to the offerings you're already providing, either on social media (as a promotion/education thing) or for your Patreon members, which would in turn benefit you eventually (via exposure and good feelings towards you, their teacher).

[clevermanka]

Thank you for the suggestion! I feel like that's pretty much what my Patreon posts already are, though. Or at least the closest my style of interpretation can manage. 😅 The way I read cards, their meanings are highly contextual, dependent on the question and surrounding cards. The cards don't have specific meanings for me, apart from the suit + number thing and that can summed up by a simple equation like: Fours = stability, and Pentacles = the material world/our bodies, so Four of Pentacles is stability in the material world/the body. Not really sure how to make a whole post of that. As far as general card definitions and descriptions, there are already so many books and websites about that.

I did finish all my errands (yay!) and only managed one small spill in front of the library. Luckily I caught myself on a snowbank lol and sustained no injuries. My back and hips are pretty grumpy from walking so cautiously everywhere though so I'm taking it very easy the rest of today.

[umadoshi]

Winter is hard. I have a bit of envy of people who find it invigorating.

I've never had any kind of tarot reading, so I find myself kinda floundering when I think about it? But I've kept your Patreon email about it in my inbox, where it can stare at me as a reminder.

[clevermanka]

I've done a couple readings lately where the other person's just been like "lay some vibes on me" and the cards that showed up had interesting and helpful things to say about a situation they'd been struggling with (but hadn't mentioned to me). It doesn't have to be a formal thing at all--just a conversation with visual prompts!

[umadoshi]

It doesn't have to be a formal thing at all--just a conversation with visual prompts!

*ponders*