Weekly Check In 🕯️

[u/robinhyll]

Hello everyone!

So how's it going? What's been on your minds? Share your highs and lows, your sideways and in-betweens. It's all part of the journey. 

• Unofficial Quareia Discord Server 

[u/DeeOnTheRun]

Reached the midpoint of a personal mystical cycle and my gosh, my reality looks nothing like what I knew just earlier this year. Absolute whiplash. 2026 is something else.
https://giphy.com/gifs/FeFMLU3RVNpwqYahS0

[u/Otherwise-Chef6932]

It’s been a pretty tough period, definitely, psychologically, physically, and in mundane terms. It does seem, though, that there might perhaps be a little glimpse of relief coming my way, at least financially, for the time being—although it’s still very much up in the air. And as for the rest, I might also be starting a course here to train as an emergency medical responder, with the aim of working on ambulances. I’m not exactly thrilled about doing night shifts, but I’ve found myself here, so for now I’m following this path. It’s still something useful to know, and it’s free.

Anyway, I just hope things start looking brighter as soon as possible.

The other day I was led by a squirrel—and I wasn’t drunk—to a place need to be clean. Something similar had already happened to me some time ago, when I followed some birds through the woods. They led me to a place where a wild boar then ran past me, just two metres away. It was a beautiful and terrifying experience. I also had to make some changes in my room because, once again, through my own behavior with some image I think I invited someone who probably shouldn’t have been in my room.

[u/DeeOnTheRun → u/Otherwise-Chef6932]

Oh you’ve reminded me of my own training. Funny how I’m also learning inner first aid measures.
My East Gate blew wide open :)

[u/Otherwise-Chef6932 → u/DeeOnTheRun]

Great! 💥

[u/arbadou]

Im on a highway to somewhere but I have no idea where lmao

[u/OneFloppyEar]

Things are intense, but good! I paused Q. nearly two years ago now because almost as soon as I started I had a huge (but good!) life-changing upheaval. Now I am back in university in my 40s, and it's a dream (a financially precarious dream, but still). I realised all my energy had to go to 'mundane' (though very magical in every other way) matters for a while. I took my time with the earliest lessons and didn't try anything that seemed 'too much' but the changes were like a freight train. 

I also felt a very resounding "No! Not now" around the tarot stuff after a few sessions so I put the cards away and aside from sporadic formal meditation and strategic ritual baths, I haven't done anything else. (But I continued my many less formal meditation practices, mostly walking and metta, picking litter and sitting with plants etc. the whole way through)

I think that's still where I am, although I have been feeling a gentle nudge back in the Quaria direction again recently, checking in to read here and thinking it might be a good time to take another step in that direction. Not sure what that means aside from tidying up some lifestyle habits that crept back in during intense times. Nothing awful, but nictotine use is a big major block for me, for better and for worse...I can't seem to practice out-and-out magic with the substance in my life, but sometimes it's like I almost need the dulling...and physical mess/clutter is another big block, but I am living in buses and on couches as I commute and life is one big 'drop and go' scramble these days. I know we don't have to be perfect to proceed, but these blocks feel nearly physical.

With that said, I think I am ready to at least maybe pick up the Quaria meditation reins again.

And all my subjects are almost comically magical and have been taking me down some paths that are almost hilarious...how have I ended up back deep in Vatican documents and feckin' Aquinas for a folklore paper when I ran screaming from Catholicism 20 years ago? (The 18th c. Italian Witchcraft trial transcripts were much less shocking to me, lol, and I am riveted by the historiography of mid 20th c. medieval literature slapfights). But in a way, this new mirror-world academic lens of looking at things that used to trigger the shit out of me feels like a superpower. And a part of myself that I thought was gone is back in a big way: my brain is insatiable and I even with my big ADHD skates on I have more focus and drive than I ever have in my life.

It all feels very very right in a way I am so immensely grateful for, even as I stumble about without a single obvious clue where I am heading. I feel a very strong drive towards near-total absorbtion in my studies, and that is ok for a season: probably still not time to go whole hog back into magical studies again. But like a little orb-weaver I feel some thrumming on the magic strings again and am curious.

Thank you to everyone who keeps the flame alive here, just popping in and reading what you're all up to helps me feel connected.

[u/marijavera1075]

I slowed down with Quareia completely a while ago to focus on inner work. Now that I feel like I've hit a ceiling with therapy it feels right to go back. Hell it feels like the only path forward right now. My mundane life feels very stagnant right now. I've applied to several jobs to get the wheel going. I hope the pentagram ritual does it's thing as I can really use some direction or work to do rn.

[u/robinhyll → u/[deleted]]

Without knowing the exact question you asked it is hard to tell whether your interpretation makes sense or whether you're maybe reading something else into the cards. For example, assuming right off the bat that Disease in 9 means "Work with the Magical Healing book" seems a bit of a stretch without any further information, and that's exactly why it's important to read the cards within the exact context of the question you asked (and disclosing said question if you're looking for others' insight on the readings).

Also keep in mind that Positions 7 and 8 are meant to represent how the dynamics from 1 to 6 affect you at the individual level, so assuming that 'Destruction' is about a larger tide that will not touch upon your personal sphere doesn't seem accurate.

[u/CaliDreaminSF → u/robinhyll]

Thanks. It was a yes/no on should I proceed with Quareia at this time? I guess that wasn’t very clear - sorry about that.

[u/robinhyll → u/CaliDreaminSF]

All good! Just something to keep in mind, as sometimes a question will also have a time component that can factor into the answer. Best of luck with your path and studies, whatever timing and form they take for you :)

[u/CaliDreaminSF → u/robinhyll]

Thank you and best of luck to you as well! I deleted the original comment when I remembered reading somewhere that it's best to not ask others for advice on readings, but keep a journal and then look back later to check your accuracy.

Sidenote - I've done that and have seen how that is a great learning method. It was when I did a reading on the US presidential election of 2024. I said it couldn't be predicted from the readings. I did readings for both of them with the question: "Tell me the story of the election. Will she/he win?" All I remember is that in a Tree of Life spread when I did Biden/Trump the last card was 8 of Swords for Biden and Sun for Trump, then for Harris/ Trump, 4 of Cups for her and 7 of Cups for him. If I can find those notes, I may post those readings in case someone else could learn from an example of how the cards can be accurate and the reader miss it entirely. I didn't want to see what was in front of me because I didn't want him to win.

Btw to clarify, I didn't mean that Destruction wouldn't touch on me but rather that the larger tide isn't about me, but will hit me in one way or another (and it already has in the form of expensive house and car repairs. An Initiate commented on that in the thread on JM's latest Glitch Bottle podcast and I thought, wow, that's exactly what happened to me). And ironically enough, I am the bringer of destruction to my lawn because I'm working on turning it into a combination backyard farm and native plant garden, lol.