Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is The Hermit card, which is traditionally a representation of solitude, self reflection and introspection, alone time, and inner guidance.

The card has then been combined with the Septarian card from the Lavish Earth Crystal Affirmation deck, which quotes Thich Nhat Hanh to say, “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.”

Have you ever noticed that when you sincerely smile at others, they have a tendency to respond in turn? Even if they don’t really want to, often their corner of their lips will twitch a little bit anyway. 

A genuine smile and the joy that it holds is contagious. It spreads from one person to the next. Sometimes in the form of a smile that continues on, but other times in the form of your smile creating a softening in the other person that then causes them to be softer to themselves or to someone else later on.

Sometimes, in the Hermit card, I find myself wondering who it is that the Hermit is holding his lantern for. He’s on a solo journey of self-reflection, so what is the lantern (located externally) actually illuminating? In this particular card, his lantern illuminates runes on the rocks. These runes speak of safe travels, insights, and breakthroughs. There are also a couple of lizards among the rocks, indicative of passionate pursuits.

The message in today’s card combination is a reminder that when we step outside of ourselves a bit in order to share those smiles and small samples of joy with others, we are sending out something good into the world. Even when we are so wrapped up in ourselves, we can still do this. It’s a simple as giving someone a hint of a grin or a smile as you pass them on the street, in a store, or on a bus.

DECKS USED:  SACRED WITCH TAROT AND LAVISH EARTH CRYSTAL AFFIRMATION DECK

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 6 | Entry 16 – Spiritual Development
Affirmation : “I acknowledge both the light and dark parts of myself.”
Prompt : One of the easiest ways to discover your shadow side (the parts of yourself that you often view as “bad” or shameful) is to consider something that annoys or upset you about another person. Often those feelings are discarded parts of your own personality that you have “disowned.” How can you confront your shadow side, using the wisdom of the tarot card you draw?

What feelings came up when I pulled this card?

One of the things that really bothers me in other people is favoritism and nepotism. I dislike that it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty for everyone else while also creating a sense of false security in those it is given to. It unbalances the scales in my opinion, and it is the immediate reaction that came to me when I saw the card here and it’s altered title from “The Moon” to “The Spousal Hire”.

Realizing this as the theme, I had a little internal war go on inside concerning how stringent I am with myself and those around me that favoritism is not okay. Reasoning this out, though, that little war going on inside me is because sometimes I am tempted… extremely tempted to play favorites, to the point where sometimes I have to step away and create some distance instead of making a decision at the time.

I strongly dislike this side of me that wants to play favorites from time to time and not be fair across the board. Even if I don’t give it free reign, it’s still there in the background now and then whispering in my ear.

What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?

As mentioned, when you create the imbalance that comes with favoritism and nepotism, whether they are qualified for the job or not, it creates a sense of uncertainty. Lack of stability becomes a part of the equation on anything that this person does, always niggling in the background.

There’s also an imbalance and uncertainty created in this dynamic because you can’t really correct or reprimand an employee that is a spouse or family member or friend in the same way that you would any other employee. At least, not without there being real life repercussions outside of work.

The Moon card is all about uncertainty, and combined with the renaming of this card, shines a light on the imbalance and uncertainty that such hiring practices create.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

Both of the figures in this card look disgusted and unhappy. This is because whenever we mix personal life and work life together, they bleed into each other just like these two figures are working and trying to enjoy a lobster dinner at the same time. The emotions get jumbled up, time management gets jumbled up, as sooner or later it creates a bit of a mess.

I have seen a dynamic where spouses working together actually works out, but only when they are equals. A “spousal hire” indicates that one of these figures ranks below the other, which is sure to eventually create conflict and sire uncertainty in one way or another.

My prompt response and reflections.

Favoritism and nepotism are a natural inclination that everybody experiences from time to time. This card encourages acknowledging the imbalance and the uncertainty that such behaviors create so that you are able to better resist those temptations.

It is absolutely possible to acknowledge these temptations without giving into them. That acknowledgment makes you more self-aware and creates a resistance that fosters greater stability. There’s no need to berate yourself for what you aren’t doing. Instead, congratulate yourself for self-awareness and avoiding the pitfall when this temptation rises to the surface and you’re aware enough to resist it’s lure.

Other elements included in this reading:
Copper D20 Die and Banded Agate D6 Die

DECK USED: THE ACADEMIC TAROT

A Simple Two Card Spread by @thetarotdiagnosis

Yes, – Four of Pentacles

Yes, you can create a greater sense of stability beneath your feet by leaning into restraint and miserly behavior until you are saving nearly every penny you earn,

and… – Four of Cups

… and in doing so you will begin to alienate yourself into solitude. It’s important to remember that although some alone time is all well and good, too much of it can become unhealthy and create a disconnect between you and others that doesn’t need to be there.

Take Away : Your pursuit of stability is like anything else in life. It requires a balance.

Too much spending might in some ways increase your social life and the amount of fun you have with others, but doing this would be overindulging and create a problem. On the other hand, not enough spending has the opposite affect and isolates you away from others, because you are unwilling to pay your share of things and so you bow out instead of participating.

The “Yes, and…” here is an encouragement to bring your attention to making sure you are finding that balance, and not tipping too far in one direction or the other.

Other elements included in this reading:
Beech Pod for Realizations that Foster Personal Growth
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: SACRED WITCH TAROT

I waited for Jer to get back from town to help me put back up Ms B’s curtains that got washed today, instead of trying to do it by myself.