April Is National Poetry Month!

 

Double posting today because I want to talk about my weeklong sale I'm having for National Poetry Month!

Ebook copies of my books GROWTH: A Healing Journey of Poetry and Prose, See Ya & Other Goodbyes: Poems & Prose About Life, Love, and Loss Through My Eyes, and Meet Me In the Lavender Fields will all be available for $0.99 from April 1st until 11:59 PM on April 8th!

I have also included special rates for paperback versions as well. 

GROWTH: A Healing Journey of Poetry and Prose is now $8.88
See Ya & Other Goodbyes: Poems & Prose ABout Life, Love, and Loss is now $8.05

Meet Me In the Lavender Fields is now only $7.77

I placed the links to my books over there ----->

Or click here! This will take you to my linktree where you can purchase my books directly!

This sale will only happen once a year in April! If you want a paperback copy or want an ebook copy, the prices will not be this low again until 2027!

Happy National Poetry Day!

March Poem Dump

 

March has been a month of shifting. I am quietly searching for work as an administrative assistant or data entry specialist. I have quit Instagram on my tarot business and deleted the tarot blog. And I have even scaled back operations on my tarot business. I am no longer doing private readings and am shifting to only doing special events at Totem Books in January, February, and October. I would love to share some poetry and prose I've written over the last few months to celebrate Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

More Than a Canvas
By: Samantha Jean Tate

I'm not someone who inspires an artist

To paint me naked on his canvas

Or a poet to write a love sonnet

Of our heartbreaks and passion.

I'm someone who says you'll be okay

After a harsh storm

Or goes out to eat pizza

And share a slice.

I'm the someone who will laugh at your jokes

And clown it up with you

Someone who will lie on your chest

Comforting you in the middle of the night.

I'm a love worth waiting for

A love to know

A love to catch

And a love that is immortal

Unlike naked bodies

That will wither away with age

Or a beautiful face

That gets wrinkles at 50.

I am a love that deserves to be protected,

To be cherished,

And held in your arms.

I'm Gone

By: Samantha Jean Tate

Dying for love.

The music played louder,

The messages were clear.

But not just any love.

Your love.

Your love kept me going.

And now that it's gone,

I'm gone.

Burn By: Samantha Jean Tate

Friend: "What structures are you most ready to burn down next with this fierce energy you're embodying?"

My response:

"A woman must submit and obey her husband."

Nope, not me. 

"A woman must be nurturing, kind, and soft."

Hell no.

"A woman's place is in the kitchen."

FUCK NO.

"A woman cannot lead."

FUCK TO THE HELL NO!

Tate By: Samantha Jean Tate

I really lovedislike my name

Samantha Jean Tate.

She's the one who's unstable

She'll cancel last minute,

She'll quit a job she doesn't like,

She cries at the drop of a hat

In short,

SHE'S A MESS!

I really lovelike my name

Samantha Jean Tate.

She stands up for what is right,

She's resilient as hell,

She comes from a long line of fighters

In short,

SHE'S DEFIANT!

I really love my name

Samantha Jean Tate

She's complex,

She's a paradox,

She backtracks a lot

But hey,

Who's perfect?

In short,

SHE'S ME!

These Cards By: Samantha Jean Tate

These cards have told many stories,

many fortunes,

many truths,

many lies.

Creases from shuffling

In various hands.

Figuring out their purpose

or if he will call again.

These cards fed me,

nurtured me,

taught me lessons

about me

about others

about love

about life

about death

and sad goodbyes.

These cards hold many secrets,

especially mine,

which will be taken

to the grave after peaceful slumber.

These cards will return to dust,

along with my body,

mind,

and soul.

My Writing Process: How I Create Tarot Spreads

 

Today, I thought I would share my process for how I create tarot spreads, mainly ones for my Saturday Morning Tarot series. So if you are a fellow tarot reader, grab a cuppa and take some notes. I have been designing my own tarot spreads since the early 00s, when I was first learning tarot. My process has grown a lot since then. I used to think the bigger the spread, the better the answers. That's not always the case!

First, I select a theme. In Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads For Your Inner 80's Child, I knew I wanted to focus on popular 80s cartoons from the 1980s such as Rainbow Brite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, Strawberry Shortcake, and others. I wanted the theme to be about self-discovery and inner child work. Mainly because inner child work was "cool" at the time of printing. I observed trends via Instagram and thought, "Inner child healing would be a significant theme for the book!"

Second, I researched the cartoons. I noticed themes and lessons within the cartoons themselves. I noticed my thoughts on how the cartoon made me feel as an adult, as well as watching it as a kid. I researched by rewatching cartoons and doing searches on Google through Wikipedia and Fandom sites and various articles throughout the internet. Cartoons that I wasn't familiar with, such as Thundercats, Transformers, G.I. Joe, I watched via YouTube or Tubi. I watched a few episodes of each show and leaned heavily into my research on Google. 

Third, I focused on one section of a cartoon at a time. When I was on Rainbow Brite, I watched nothing but Rainbow Brite cartoons to help me develop the spread. I did brainstorm with ChatGPT before I knew it was wrong (and have since stopped using in my process), but the spreads, I thought of their positions and the spread idea. I took Starlite, for example, and made that a self-confidence spread. I took Rainbow Brite and created a breakout from a gloomy funk spread that focused on mental health. 

I decided how many cards I wanted in the spread. I concentrated on having 4 to 9 cards for varying spreads. I wanted the spread to fit on a twin-size bed (which is what I sleep in currently and where I do my own tarot readings for myself). It's why you don't see anymore cards past 9 cards in the book. I tried to stay away from 1 to 3 card spreads as I felt inner child/self-growth work required more in-depth spreads than a 1 - to - 3 - card spread.

Once I decided how many cards I wanted, I got to creating the spread's positions. I wanted to stay away from yes-and-no/tell-me-what-to-do questions and stick to a more open-ended format. I wanted people to use the questions for tarot reading and also for reflecting in their journal without cards. Some, not all, met that goal in Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads For Your Inner 80's Child.  I also wanted questions I could ask while shuffling and drawing cards, or that would give the user a theme for the reading.

After creating the questions, I went to Canva and designed using their clip art graphics, which are royalty-free and can be used freely as long as it's mixed media and not a standalone graphic. Since I could not use actual art from the cartoons themselves, because of the hurdles of copyright, I stuck to art that resembled the cartoons or had a theme of the cartoon (such as turtles for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or a woman with long, blonde hair for Lady Lovelylocks).

Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child will come with a new process in the book. Examples of certain spreads in action in my own readings. I will test one spread from each section and including my interpretation of the reading. I hope this will help novice tarot readers or casual tarot readers interpret the spreads.

Some spreads in 90s Child will be spreads I created back in the early aughts that I found in my old tarot journals. I will refine some spreads, and they will not be the exact spreads from the journal, as I focused on psychic abilities and reading people's minds with tarot back in the day (which is now a no-no).

And that, my friends, is my process on creating tarot spreads!

Progress! (+ a couple new poems I wrote)

 

I am so excited! I have four more sections to write and create in Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child. And then it's on to phase two, testing the spreads! I originally was going to test all of the spreads in the book, but decided against it. I'm going to have sample readings from one spread in each section. After testing the spreads will come writing the introduction and formatting the manuscript. After that, comes editing. I'm excited to announce that I will be working with my editor from the first Saturday Morning Tarot, Lauralyn Kearney. I like her work because she doesn't try to change my voice. And that's important to me. I also felt that she was easy to work with and affordable. 

I've currently have the following sections completed:
- Rugrats
- Doug
- Rocko's Modern Life

- Hey Arnold!

And I have started on Tiny Toon Adventures as of this writing!

It is to be noted that there will be no art work used from the cartoons themselves. That would take a longer and headachy process with Paramount, Warner Brothers, etc. But I have used clip art in Canva that represents the cartoon or theme of the spread. 

This book will be in color again and be available in 8x10 and 6x9 versions. The 8x10 version is for those who need larger text. The 6x9 is what I want the book to look like. I decided, why not do both?

In case you missed it, I revealed the cover, which I got design help from Sarshi Hamilton, an independent artist from Nebraska.

I am so excited for this book! I am looking at a Fall 2026 release date and I hope to make both copies available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble somehow. And of course, there will be an ebook version as well, which will be available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited (I still get paid!)

This is the soundtrack I am listening to as I work on Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child. Summer Hits of the 90s!

In other works in progress, I've made 0 progress on the Autumn poetry book. I'm afraid I may have to wait until 2027 to release it. I try putting myself in an autumn mood, but nothing is working! I guess I just need to be in the season in order to write. And that probably doesn't make me a good writer/poet. 

I just finished chapter 10 of my romance novel. I also came up with a title for it for now. It is titled The Breaking Strain. My characters, Sarah and Sam, are about to have their first date! I'm excited! I feel like I've been in character develop mode for a long time. I also entered the first few chapters of the novel into the Novel Beginning writing contest at ProWritingAid.com. I'm hoping it places, but it will be no big deal if it doesn't place at all. Although the grand prize of $50,000 and representation and editing services are a dream! A girl can dream, right?

One of my favorite things I've written in my romance novel is this texting response from Sam to Sarah when Sarah is angry about her therapist telling her that she needs to get rid of all the alcohol in her house and her parents have to lock up the pills.

"Sarah, I have a confession. I’ve only been sober for three weeks since leaving the hospital. I’m sorry I have been a terrible accountability buddy. And honestly, you sound like where I am with alcohol. I’m mad that I’ve had to empty $30 worth of beer as part of my treatment plan. $30 that could have gone toward actual food, instead of my dis-ease. And it’s all because I am a ticking time bomb. And you are also a ticking time bomb. People in recovery are ticking time bombs. Anything can set us off track. But it’s up to us not to light the fuse.”

I love, love, love this! Because it is raw and carries a heavy sense of personal responsibility. It's also a high-pressure way to view oneself. I think it captures the hyper-sensitivity that often comes with early or difficult recovery. You expose your "nerves" when you strip away a primary coping mechanism. Minor inconveniences can feel like existential threats because the emotional skin is thin.

It also rejects the idea that a person is a passive victim of their triggers. It places the matches firmly in the individual's hands. It's an assertion of willpower and ownership.

Of course, there are two sides to this coin. There is the stress of vigilance. If you constantly see yourself as a "time bomb", you are living in a state of perpetual high alert. That kind of stress can actually shorten the fuse you're trying to protect.

And then there is the "explosion" myth. Framing a relapse or a setback as an "explosion" makes it sound final and catastrophic. In reality, recovery is usually less like a bomb and more like a car. Sometimes you stall, sometimes you get a flat. But you can usually get it back on the road if you don't walk away from the vehicle.

This is a great quote for accountability. It's a "no-excuses" mantra. Which is how I have viewed my recovery from bipolar disorder. I know I am in charge of letting what situation or person light my fuse. I decide to "explode" or I decide to hold the matches and use a coping mechanism such as journaling or creating. 

I feel like a lot of people in recovery can relate to this feeling. I'm sure  I'm not the only one who feels this way, I'm sure.

Now that I've shared my excitement over my projects. I'll treat you all to a couple of poems I am proud of that I've written recently.

Noise
By: Samantha Jean Tate

The constant yelling. The screaming. The sirens blaring. The fireworks booming. The constant mouths running. Every opinion not wanted. It's all noise. Noise I can't stand. Noise, noise, noise. No one knows And will never understand. All the noise I've got To put up with.

Masks By: Samantha Jean Tate

Wake me up When the world peels off Their masks Wake me up When we hold politicians  Accountable For sex crimes they commit

Wake me up

When the world is not

On fire

Where power is restored

To the people

And the average Joe,

Aquafina,

Valentina,

and Betty Sue

plus Rainbow, too

are free.

What Writing Revealed About the Love I Accepted

 

Writing poetry didn't make me stronger. It made me honest.

I didn't realize how much I was settling until I saw my words in print.

I accepted emotional inconsistency and called it complexity. I fell in love with potential instead of reality. I shrank my values and standards because being chosen—even halfway—felt better than being alone. I was grateful for the breadcrumbs lovers gave me, even though they left me starving.

On the page, I wrote about how messy my love life was. I had ah-ha moments as I wrote my poetry piece by piece, confessing all my relationship patterns. I realized then that my self-worth was the issue. 

I didn't see myself as worthy of a true, loving, fulfilling, consistent, emotionally available relationship.  I kept getting into the same patterns I've helped navigate clients in my tarot reading practice out of. And I knew I needed to do better. I deserve better. And my values mattered to me.

Poetry can stay hidden. Self-publishing cannot. I decided to self-publish my first poetry book, GROWTH: A Healing Journey of Poetry and Prose in September 2024. I didn't think twice about it. I knew I had to put it out there to fully heal. 

Putting my poetry out there for others to read helped keep me accountable from repeating the same relationship patterns. It also helped me connect with others and belong to a community. 

I know my worth now. I will no longer be a side girl, fall in love with potential, ignore red flags, and settle for emotional inconsistency ever again. Instead, I hold myself to a higher standard and embrace single life. And that is where the healing journey begins...

Works In Progress: Stuff I'm Currently Working On

 

I have a secret. I've been working on three different writing projects for quite some time now, and I am ready to talk about them to keep me accountable.

My projects comprise:

• An untitled romance novel based on my 2024 psych ward experience.
• A collection of poetry based on Autumn/Fall
• Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child

The romance novel it's a second-chance trope that takes place in and out of the psych ward. I've written 9 chapters so far. It was originally going to be a novella. But I felt that a novella would not do this heavy a story justice. I don't have an outline I'm following; I'm just writing by the seat of my pants when inspiration hits. And honestly, it's based on an experience I had in the psych ward in 2024, reuniting with my high school crush in the ward. What happens in the story, however, is purely fictional. It's what I wish had happened instead of what happened. To be honest, this is my toughest project. I'm no longer carrying feelings for the crush, and it's difficult channeling the romance vibe into the story. I also took inspiration from my astrology chart, having Venus in Libra in the 12th house. The 12th house rules hospitals, prisons, mental health, dreams, things that are hidden or secret, and self-undoing.

The next project I'm working on is something I hope I can release by Autumn 2026. It is a collection of Autumn/Fall themed poetry. This is for the fall/autumn lovers. I'm not particularly a fall lover. But I feel inspired to write about Autumn/Fall since I feel like that is the season my life is in right now. I'm seeing things fall away from me, and embracing the next season of my life: winter. I have 16 poems so far; I would like to write two more poems or prose. And then it is on to formatting and creating a cover for the book.

My last project I've struggled on and off with since 2023 when Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads For Your Inner 80's Child came out. But this book is like my number one seller out of all four of my books I've written. I thought I would create the follow-up to Saturday Morning Tarot, which will focus on 90s cartoons such as Rugrats, Doug, Animaniacs, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Powerpuff Girls, etc. Each cartoon will have its own section and will have a synopsis of each cartoon, and the spreads will have either a story behind them based on an episode from the cartoon or my own personal experience. Right now, I just finished the Doug section of the book. I have about 7 more cartoon sections to write, plus the introduction, and I need to get a cover made. I'm not entirely sure when I will release this, as I just started working on it again after initially scrapping the idea altogether.

So that is what I am working on. I'm going to update as soon as I make more progress.

Love Poems & Prose

 

Did you know I wrote a collection of love and romance poems? I did. In my latest chapbook, Meet Me In The Lavender Fields, I share some of my heartfelt poetry from longing for love, nostalgic love, to being in love.  If you like any of these poems, I encourage you to read for free on Kindle Unlimited or purchase your own ebook copy or printed copy of Meet Me In The Lavender Fields. This is not an affiliate link, but any purchase or read on Kindle Unlimited helps!

I have always been a Valentine girly. I was the weird kid whose favorite holiday was Valentine's Day, not Christmas. I am a Libra rising with Venus in my 12th house. If you know anything about astrology, Venus is my ruling planet and Venus rules love. And being a Libra rising, I am not happy unless I am partnered up! I am trying to break that though as my Aries moon longs to be independent and alone without feeling lonely. Or at least strike up a healthier balance than in my 12th house where I will sacrifice myself for the love of my life.

Without further ado, here are a few love poems and a couple proses.

Love Is...#2
By: Samantha Jean Tate

Love is a sound

A distinct sound

It sounds like heaven

Angels singing

Hearing actual instruments

The drums are beating like my heart

The flute is your gentleness towards me

The guitar is what our chemistry sounds like

Love is looking into his eyes

And feeling home

It's a comfort feeling

His eyes are brown

Like looking into pools of water

I see his hurt, his pain

I feel his soul reaching out to me

I just want to love him

Love all of him

Love is two souls finding each other

From the darkness of the world

And healing together

And laughing

As well as being there for the downtime

Love is him, love is us.

Battle Scars By: Samantha Jean Tate

They showed their battle scars

They were vulnerable

They were in a sacred union

They cuddled, they kissed

He stroked her dirty blonde hair

She eased herself into his bare chest 

He told her he loved her madly

She said she felt the same

She looked into his caramel eyes

And said, "I don't ever want to lose you again".

He called her gorgeous

As he caressed her scars on her womb

She called him an Adonis

He was her god for the night

And forever 

She was his Aphrodite for the night

And forever

The two had good conversations 

They talked about life

They talked about loss

And everything in between

He got lost in her blue eyes

And she got lost in his words

It was the perfect night

They read each other poetry

They read erotica

They quoted romance memes to each other

They were deeply, madly in love

Twin flames at its finest

She never believed in twin flames

But he changed her mind

They weren't tortured souls

They healed when they were with each other 

He was her inspiration

She was his muse

They would be united together forever

No matter where in the universe or galaxy

And across dimensions from time and space

They would cross paths again

In many lifetimes after this one

But right now

It's magic

It's heaven on Earth

It's true love

And they found it in each other

For Better and For Chaos

By: Samantha Jean Tate

My wedding day probably won't be perfect.

Me and my groom sleep in until noon, 

forgetting that today was thee day!

We would frantically get dressed, 

brush our teeth in a hurry,

he'd forget to put boxers on, 

and I'd forget something borrowed, 

something blue.

My wedding day wouldn't go on without a hitch,

My witness would forget the music I wanted played.

Instead, we use my phone, 

and she plays How To Save a Life.

A bad omen? A joke?

Maybe.

But for one moment, 

as I walk down the aisle, 

I see him.

We join hands, 

face to face.

Recite our vows 

at a slow pace.

We savor this moment, this time, this place.

We forget about the chaos of the day,

Say "I do"

and kiss, 

becoming one with the universe—

and each other.

My wedding day will not be perfect

It may not even be ideal

But if my wedding day isn't chaotic,

Then it's probably not happening at all.

My Knight of Wands

By: Samantha Jean Tate

He came in fast,

Like a wildfire. 

But he stayed, 

While the embers were cooling down. 

We had fun, 

He was sexy, 

He was charming, 

And now he's everything to me. 

I can't live without his soft touch, 

I can't sleep without his voice to tuck me in.

The fire is just starting —

We're not cooling down yet!

Dedicated To Him

By: Samantha Jean Tate

To him,

Who saw me when I was down,

Who made me smile with his brown eyes

Watching over me.

To him,

He noticed me when I was invisible

He befriended me, no questions asked.

He stood up for me behind my back,

His sensitivity mirrored mine.

To him,

For all the friendship he's given me

For all the comfort just knowing he's there.

To him, I dedicate this poem

And my heart

Forever will be yours.

Online Love

By: Samantha Jean Tate

I sign on to AOL

Just to see your name pop up

My heart beats fast

I get nervous

Thinking about IMing you

Low and behold,

You send me a message.

We chat,

but I cannot tell you how I really feel.

I lol at your jokes,

I make cute innuendos with emojis,

My status update are emo romantic songs lyrics.

It doesn't phase you,

you don't know my secret,

that I'm in 

love with you!

I Hope

By: Samantha Jean Tate

I hope you fall in love with someone who makes you feel seen and heard.

I hope you fall in love with someone who wants to be around you, in good times and bad.

I hope you fall in love with someone who will fight for what you have.

I hope you fall in love with someone who brings light to your darkness.

I hope you fall in love with someone who can make you laugh during the hard times.

I hope you fall in love with someone who appreciates you and what you bring to the table.

I hope you fall in love with not just anyone, but someone who doesn't dim your light and makes your sparkle shine.

And most importantly,

I hope you fall in love with someone who treats you the way you deserve to be treated.

Her Magic Still Lingers

By: Samantha Jean Tate

Her magic still lingers

In his heart.

Her spells still linger

In his chest

Like butterflies.

Her whimsy still fascinates

Him and perplexes

Him.

Her laughter rings through

His ears.

He's still in love with her.

Her sorcery and all.

The Way He Calls Me Babe

By: Samantha Jean Tate

The way he calls me babe

Makes me feel like

Everything will be all right.

Like sunshine and a rainbow

After a thunderstorm.

The way he calls me babe

Makes me feel like

He cares.

I swear he cares.

Like a pup waiting by the door.

The way he calls me babe

I just adore it.

But I am forever his babe

And nothing more.

Fated

By: Samantha Jean Tate

Meeting you was fate

Our stars finally aligned

Your eyes twinkled with your flirty smile

When you came up to me and said

"Hello".

From that first hello,

We are inseparable.

You listen to my fears.

You kiss my forehead and reassure me

That everything is going to be alright.

From your quirky jokes,

To the sound of your deep voice,

The warmth of your hugs,

I feel at peace. 

I feel safe.

You're my hype man

My number one fan

You encourage me to unbind myself

From hurtful narratives

And things that left scars

You tell me "You've got this!"

With a thumbs up

When I walk out the door.

This meeting was fate.

It was written in the stars.

A cosmic love

A divine soulmate life partner

I'm the luckiest woman in the world

And now this fated meeting is everything.