Lovely Links & Happenings
This week has been feeling like fall for real! I'm not letting a little North Carolina mugginess get in my way - I already have four pumpkins on my porch and I'm not stopping anytime soon.
In tarot-world, I explored how The Hermit reminds us to reconnect with ourselves after pulling the card for the Self-Care series. Let's just say it was a message I needed to hear during a frenetic week.
You can also see my two cents on when not to consult tarot. Useful whether you're just getting started or are an enthusiastic tarot reader who can't stop pulling cards. (<-- hint: this is me.)
I hope you've been having a splendid week and have an even better weekend. Don't hesitate to share your latest inspirations in the comments below - you'll make my day!
Until next time, here are some things that piqued my interest this week:
I'm late to the party, but I don't give a damn. The pomodoro technique has been a game-changer. I feel exhilarated! Productive! Fellow procrastinators, I highly recommend this one.
Getting excited for fall flavors, including this cauliflower soup.
Really enjoyed this excerpt from an upcoming biography on Shirley Jackson. The quote below is especially beautiful:
“When 8-year-old Laurence asked his mother how he ought to spend a dime, she suggested he give it to the birch tree in front of their house. He promptly went outside and asked the tree for a dime’s worth of wind. To Jackson’s delight, a massive hurricane struck that night. “All we could figure was that wind must be very cheap indeed for him to get that much for a dime,” she wrote to her parents.”
This post from Yes and Yes on why we resist things that make us happy really hit the nail on the head. And explained why I have been avoiding yoga for months...
And because it's fall and I have to read it every yeart: it's decorative gourd season motherf*****!
Tarot for Self-Care: The Hermit
Sometimes a tarot card really hits the nail on the head.
It's been a stressful week and I wasn’t sure what to do. When I sat down to read my cards for guidance I was expecting a meandering reading I could mull over. Maybe some information about my issues, something a little mysterious, or even one of those cards that make no sense, but then reveal their meaning in an epiphany later on.
Nope. Instead, the first card I drew was The Hermit, and I knew to stop right there.
This was not a graceful, “ah yes, of course this is what I need, let’s end the reading now.” Instead I felt like a teenager complaining about too much homework and getting salty when their parents tell them to just do it.
I wanted to feel like a spiritual pioneer, combing my subconscious for cool insights. Instead I got a stern talking to.
But it was what I needed.
Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in the hullabaloo of our lives and forget that if we get overwhelmed we should stop doing what is overwhelming us.
I’m an introvert and I love people. I like being active, but for the right reasons. As soon as my plate fills up I forget all the habits and routines I do to take care of myself. In a frenzy of activity, I lose touch with my goals and run around manically from event to event. I get resentful. It is not fun, and it invites the pushy part of myself to add its two cents: you’re not doing enough!
And if I listen to that voice, the cycle continues.
The Hermit reminds us to turn inward and reconnect with the source of our motivations: ourselves.
We all go through life looking for something. It helps to sit down with oneself and figure out what exactly this is. Add to this the fact that life is constantly changing, and we find that we need to reflect on ourselves frequently.
This is a lot of work, but it sure helps cut out all the background noise as we strive towards our best life.
How do we do this? Focus. Tune out the noise and reconnect with what guides you forward. Find your own lantern to guide you through the moment.
Solitary activities like meditation and journaling fit the bill perfectly. You could even read tarot on the subject. So carve out the time for yourself, have a cup of tea, get centered, and focus on questions like the following:
- What am I looking for in this moment/in life?
- What are the main forces guiding me?
- What matters most?
- How can I let my passions/beliefs/higher-self guide me?
If you feel stuck in your thoughts, try meditating by placing yourself in the shoes of The Hermit. Visualize yourself alone, holding out a lantern in the darkness. What casts light on your life, illuminating the next step? What motivates you to move forward with peace and curiosity?
When Not to Read Tarot
Reading when you're not ready can lead to ill-advised sneakiness & wishful thinking
Tarot is a tool that can be used in countless situations. There are hundreds of spreads for almost anything imaginable, and you can create your own if you want something even more specific. With all these options, however, it’s important to remember that tarot is best used with an open mind, curiosity, and flexibility. Here are some situations when, no matter how tempted, you should put down the deck and try something different:
1. In an Emotional Crisis
You’re really upset about a recent breakup. Understandable! You may want to see what the cards have to say about it, or whether there’s a change you will get back together. But now is not the time. When emotions run high it is easy to miss the message of the cards. This is not to say that you have to be beaming with sunshine to read, just that if you can’t see the cards through the tears (or are consumed with rage, frustration, you name it) wait a bit. Take a walk, journal, nap, and return to the cards when you are centered and calm.
2. When You Want a Certain Outcome
To continue with the scenario above, say you want to read cards and are hoping they will tell you you’ll get back together with your ex. In fact, you want this so much that when you do a reading, you only see what you want. There’s a three of swords in the outcome position? Well, that’s not so convincing. Why not draw another card? The two of cups? That’s more like it! We’re definitely getting back together. (See photo above.) As you can see, you’re not ready to hear what the cards have to tell you. Maybe you need to process your breakup more, maybe you need to try and get back together. Either way, it’s clear tarot is not the right tool for this moment.
3. When You’re Impatient
There’s a reason the stereotypical image of the tarot involves a solitary fortuneteller in a dark room with candles and incense. Tarot doesn’t do well when rushed. Throwing down cards in a hurry won't get you any closer to enlightenment. Much like the example above, when you’re impatient you can’t interpret and assimilate what the cards have to tell you. Wait until you feel more settled to buy a reading or throw cards for yourself.
4. When Your Judgement is Clouded
Also known as don’t get a reading when you’re drunk. Simple, yes, but often ignored, as I can tell you from my time reading tarot at a bar. And remember, any reader worth their salt will refuse to read for you if you’re too tipsy. Soul-searching is best done sober.
Weekly Forecast: Sept 26-October 2
Fall is here. The signs? Leaves starting to turn, shorter days, and pumpkins and gourds piled high outside of grocery stores. It’s a glorious time of the year. Last week we celebrated the fall equinox, officially marking the start of the season. And it looks like the season has ushered in a new change.
The cards for this week show the arrival of calm. Not just on a surface level, either. The Star, in all its major arcana glory, signifies a deeper sense of connection to ourselves and our values. The sort of peaceful certainty that makes decisions easy. You just know what to do because it feels right. Your intuition is lining up with your actions, a truly beautiful place to make decisions from.
So picture the crispness of a fall day. Maybe you’re going to pick apples. It’s just cold enough to wear your favorite sweater and feel your cheeks getting rosy from the breeze. The sun is shining and everything feels bright and full of possibility. This is the energy coming into focus this week.
Transitions come with a lot of activity and in the previous week you may have found yourself a bit exhausted. The seven of wands shows a young man fending off an army of sticks, defending his high ground. Similarly, you may have felt a bit besieged by work, obligations, and setting boundaries. All good things to accomplish, and yet once you realize what your time is worth, the unending exertion can get tedious.
This is a good sign, however, because who wants to be constantly grappling with life? There has to be some balance, right?
The Star gives us the answer and it is a clear, undeniable yes. You have integrated the lessons from the seven of wands. You know what you stand for, what is worth your time, and what you want. To stay in a defensive place past this point is a poor use of your energy. The Star tells us that you have made this move and are about to enjoy the peace and solidity of really knowing yourself.
Stars illuminate the night sky and when we look up at them we are simultaneously humbled and inspired. There is a playfulness and wonder to stars that will be helpful to keep in mind moving forward. Progress does not have to be a weighty thing.
When you’re following your inspiration and true self life is full of magic and excitement. This does not make it any less important than busyness and stress. In fact, it is the sign that we are headed in the right direction, under the guidance of our north star, so to speak.
Which brings us to the three of wands. In connecting with your true motivations and beliefs you are much better prepared to move forward. In this card a man stands on the shore of a body of water holding three wands. He has learned many things and knows what he needs to bring with him. Now he considers his next move, secure in his abilities and full of optimism.
You are arriving at a time where we have learned and integrated deep lessons. The next question is: where will you go next?
Lovely Links & Happenings
A glimpse into my fall equinox ritual. Cards from the Wild Unknown Tarot
What a week its been.
Fall begain on Thursday during the equinox, when the day is the same length as the night. What a beautiful way to signify the beginning of autumn. In addition to buying an excessive amount of pumpkins, I performed a centering tarot ritual (pictured above) to celebrate the change in season.
The latest bout of killings by police officers has been weighing heavily on me as it should. I decided to get in-depth with the three of swords, a dark card if there ever was on, and investigate the importance of acknowledging and feeling our grief and holding space for the grief of others. I decided to put this post in Tarot for Self-Care because I truly believe that caring for the self extends to caring for our communities and fellow human beings. We cannot flourish if we limit our love and care to the individual level.
Some especially eloquent articles that moved me on this topic are this piece by John Metta about the prejudices lurking in our culture and this stirring op-ed about the systematic injustice in Charlotte. Please take the time to read them and let me know what you think.
Other thought-provoking and inspiring internet happenings:
Loved this interview at Little Red Tarot with Courtney Alexander, artist and creator of the Dust II Onyx: A Melanated Tarot Deck. Take a peek at this gorgeous deck and support it via kickstarter. I'm especially in love with her Empress card.
I lost myself in these beautiful photographs of specimens from museum and national park collections by Leah Sobsey.
A new study suggests pigeons can recognize words! Another reason they're the most misunderstood bird and one of my favorite animals.
Sand looks absolutely beautiful close-up.
Tarot for Self-Care: Three of Swords
The three of swords is a straightforward card. Frighteningly so. Three swords piercing a heart: as clear a representation of pain and suffering as you can think of.
I’m an optimist. I like to look on the bright side, to see the upcoming sunrise in the darkest hours of the night.
But sometimes things just hurt. Sometimes rushing through the pain is disrespectful. We feel pain for a reason. It alerts us to suffering, injustice, and wrongdoing. It has a message and it begs for action. When the pain grows too acute we can’t ignore it. Something must be done.
So what happens when we gloss over the pain compulsively? In our culture, if we grieve we are weak. We are supposed to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and steamroll over the bumps and difficulties. Act as if they never happened. Our suffering, in this line of thinking, is a personal failing.
My response? That's garbage.
We do not exist in isolation. We are families, communities, nations, and humans. We are responsible for each other.
The three of swords has been on my mind this week. Two more black men have been killed by police. Their names are Keith Lamont Scott and Terence Crutcher.
I am angry. I am filled with sorrow. I am fed up. And I am immensely privileged to take a break from this reality.
There are two parallel worlds existing in our country right now. I get to walk through one, feeling seen and protected because of my whiteness. People of color are trapped in another, where injustice is baked into its very structure. For them, there is no guaranteed safety, there is no guaranteed justice, no guaranteed equality.
To turn away from another’s pain is to deny their humanity. To rush to a brighter interpretation is to gloss over another’s reality simply because it is different from your own or makes you uncomfortable.
We can’t do this. We can’t support a world that marginalizes others and erases their experiences. I don’t have a solution. I do know, however, that in order to move forward we have to acknowledge the swords placed in our hearts and the hearts of others, holding space for their grief and accepting responsibility for the world we live in and create.
Weekly Forecast: Sept 19-25
There’s restlessness in the air this week. The leaves are turning, the light is golden, and although fall has yet to begin, these changes call to mind the specter of winter. Like birds being called to migrate or bears shuffling into the forest to hibernate, we too are feeling a deeper call this week to either retreat or strike out.
The motivation springs from two sources. At its heart is the feeling of needing to change. You are in search of a missing piece of the puzzle. While your instinct is passionate and correct, the act of leaving your comforts is slightly unnerving. Why turn your back on the coziness you’ve created for yourself to travel over unfamiliar terrain, looking for something new? Something you haven’t even defined yet?
But this isn’t just a feeling you have. The discomfort has been popping up in your daily life. There is a conflict between the sense of order you’ve created and the desire to shake things up. Everything is measured out just so. You take great pains to make sure things are done at the right time and in just the right amount. But this role is tiring and you may have found yourself daydreaming more lately, looking for a change and for something more adventurous.
Seeing the moon illuminating the path of the man in the eight of cups is a rather magical reminder of the recent lunar eclipse. It reinforces the pull drawing you from a place of comfort into unknown territory. Your motivations spring from within as well as from a deeper, more elemental source. It is wise to heed these calls and break away from the regimented life of the six of pentacles.
Here, the eight of cups tells us that in order to lead a more fulfilling life we must embrace our wildness and strike out to search for what is missing under the light of the moon. This card is grounded by two pentacles cards, showing us that while the journey may seem risky at first and its logic may not be immediately understandable, it will lead us back to the earth in an improved state.
The two of pentacles shows this outcome. After some soul-searching we reemerge with a sense of clarity. No longer focusing outwardly towards the two begging figures, we are considering the merits of two options. There is a sense of concentration and motion. Juggling requires focus and as we dance from foot to foot we truly feel out each path.
But perhaps the most magical aspect of these cards is the color. Red, the color of passion, dominates the clothing of each primary figure, and even pops up in the ships’ sails in the two of pentacles.
In the story told by these cards, we follow our passion from regimented balance, through brave soul seeking, to dynamic decision making. And maybe even to a journey. I see this continuity as a clear message that whatever little voice we’re hearing, whatever wild call to migrate or change with the season, is one worth listening to. We must follow our passions to truly realize ourselves in this world.
Lovely Links & Happenings
Hello lovely readers! How has your week been? It's been a bit of a wild zone over here. We now have a third dog in the house - a majestic Siberian husky who we're watching for a friend. It has been quite a hoot leaving my study to see these three faces:
Gina, everything you say is fascinating! Oh, no you're just holding some food.
This week I delved into the rich realm of The Empress with my first installment of Tarot for Self-Care. I'm so stoked about this series and had so much fun writing this week's piece.
I also got carried away and made a fragrance inspired by The Empress. A little backstory: my hobby (and part of my former job) is making natural perfume. I keep all my absolutes and essential oils on my desk, and sometimes I glance over and... make just a quick bottle of something new.
For the curious, this batch featured hibiscus tincture, honey absolute, mimosa, and pink graprefruit essential oil. Definitely a keeper in my book!
I've also been working on some super secret freebies you'll be seeing more of soon, so stay tuned...
Some more things that I found delightful this week:
Came across the gorgeous Circo Tarot - looks like another beautiful deck to add to the wishlist!
Wish this Horror Tarot was still available for halloween.
Really loved this animation of an interview with David Lynch about the origin of great ideas.
And my favorite topic, food: I haven't been able to stop devouring Pan con Tomate this week. Hard to imagine anything better than bread, tomato, and olive oil.
How about you? What has tickled your fancy lately?
Tarot for Self-Care: The Empress
Explore Self-Care through Tarot. Every Wednesday I’ll be drawing one card and reflecting on what it tells us about how to take care of ourselves in this busy world. Look forward to tarot spreads, recipes, rituals, and more.
The Empress is an unabashedly sensual card. She sits on a comfortable throne, staring out at us with a relaxed confidence. Surrounded by natural splendor – lush trees, a cascading river, and bountiful grains – she rules fertility and abundance. Her realm is not the above and beyond, it is the here and now. The delights of the physical and the magic all around us.
This card invites us to connect to our senses and ourselves. To revel in the moment and celebrate our connection to the physical world.
This week I certainly needed to embrace the energy of the Empress. I was running around, feeling disconnected from myself, and wrapped up in the constant buzz in my mind. When I saw this card it didn't take long to figure out how to channel more of the Empress.
I’ve always loved making concoctions. When I was young I used to make potions out of whatever I could find in the kitchen, plus green food coloring (because I thought it looked cool, of course). Later, I started making natural body products and even started a business selling them. I still love the process of combining the various ingredients, getting inspired by the smells and textures of herbs and oils.
What better way to channel The Empress’ connection to nature and the realm of the senses?
This week I’m sharing a bath soak recipe I made with the Empress in mind. I used buttermilk powder for its skin softening powers as well as a symbol of the Empress’ connection to motherhood. The oats are taken from the grains depicted on the card and I used hibiscus to represent the red of the pomegranates on her robe. And because it makes your bathwater pink, so how could I resist?
I found the act of making the soak just as enjoyable as the actual soaking - very in-line with the Empress way of thinking. Feel free to substitute herbs to your liking. The only requirement is you smell, touch, and relax throughout the process.
Empress Bath Soak
Materials
Spice Grinder
Small Bowl
Jar
Ingredients
¼ cup buttermilk powder
¼ cup ground oats
¼ cup Epsom salts
4 tbsp pink salt (or any other coarse salt)
2 tbsp dried lavender flowers
5-7 dried hibiscus flowers
10 drops essential oil(s) of your choice
(I used 5 drops sandalwood and 5 drops rose)
Instructions
1. Mix buttermilk powder, ground oats, and Epsom salts in a small bowl.
2. Place pink salt, lavender flowers, and hibiscus flowers in spice grinder. Grind until powdery and uniform in texture.
3. Add to bowl and mix to combine.
4. Add essential oils, stirring to incorporate.
5. Pour into jar and you’re done!
6. To bathe: Add 3-5 tablespoons to bathwater and soak your troubles away.