affirmations

Exploration and Creativity

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Today’s meditation was curtailed by the fact that I spent the majority of my day sitting behind a steering wheel in bumper to bumper traffic.  I didn’t have enough time to get it done before leaving the house and I’m pretty sure when I try before bed I’m going to doze off.

Today’s draw is the Page of Cups. Pages are the representation of an omega-type energy, personality, or person seated in the position of a learner or explorer. The suit of Cups represents creativity, emotion, instinct, and relationships.

The appearance of the Page of Cups in today’s draw is an encouragement to set my curiosity free and allow myself room to explore and experiment.

Although physically this didn’t really get much play, mentally I did a good deal of contemplation on ideas concerning everything from new jewelry designs and wire wrapping ideas, to additions and edits to my tarot journal, and roleplay ideas for our writing.

I didn’t get the chance to immerse myself in these ideas as the appearance of this card would suggest, but I definitely have a great number of ideas for exploration later.

A little off topic?   But I think the depiction on this card looks like C.  Different color hair, but there’s something in the face that just reminds me of her.

Changing Focus

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty four seconds, and focused on the concept of Pura Vida.  This is (apparently) a common phrase used in Costa Rica for all kinds of things such as greetings, goodbyes, saying how you are, wishing someone well, etc.  It embodies the mentality of living one’s life purely, gratefully, and joyfully.

Today’s draw is the King of Swords, which is a strong alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of the mind, logic, thought, and communication.  In other words, he is the representation of authority and intellectual strength, fairness and reason.

The King of Swords appearance today is a reminder to pull myself out of the creativity side of things that I have been immersed in this weekend (I’m finally fully caught up on my tarot journal!), and get back to business.

Surprisingly, for this time of year, I had really decent sales over the weekend while I was “on hiatus” from doing business work and have instead been wallowing in more creative endeavors such as finishing catching up on the tarot journal and doing a couple of deck modifications.   Today is the day I need to bear down and get to work, and set my mind to the business of running a business.

Being Kind While On Memory Lane

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and eight seconds, and focused on examining one’s habits, when you catch yourself in the middle of them, to see if they are really for you, and necessary, or if they are simply habits picked up over a lifetime.

The guided meditation explained that this is a part of mindfulness and getting to know yourself. That the more that you make decisions and choices based on what is authentically right for you, rather than what you’ve “picked up” along the way, The more mindful and “your self” you become.

Today’s draw is the Six of Cups, which is a card that deals with memories within the realm of the emotions and relationships, and provides guidance to view these emotions with kindness and understanding rather than judgement and condemnation.

The appearance of the Six of Cups in today’s draw is just that… a reminder that when I reflect on my memories, I am kind to myself rather than beating myself up with should haves and harsh judgements.

As you know, I can often do that.  I need to remember that while mistakes of the past can be learning tools for the future, that doesn’t mean you have to relive the emotional trauma again and again each time you touch upon those memories.

Intellectual Inspiration

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Today’s meditation was eleven minutes and twenty two seconds, and focused on worry and discerning the differences between productive worry, and non-productive worry.  It also outlined the “pause and take a breath” method of centering yourself when your worries try to run away with you.

Today’s draw is the Ace of Swords. This card is a representation of potential and the seed of new beginnings in the areas of thought, logic, and communication.

The appearance of the Ace of Swords in today’s draw is an encouragement for me too do the studying and research needed to finish catching up on my tarot journal.

Starting my journal late in the year created a couple of hurdles I wasn’t expecting to come across. I managed to get quite a bit done with putting the journal together and the visual side of things, but then I stalled out when it came to filling in the pages with my writing.

This card is telling me that today is a good day to “fresh start” the intellectual part of this process.

[Update from later in the day, since I did my meditation this evening instead of in the morning. I spent a good chunk of my day working on my journal.  I changed a few of the organizational factors and did a good deal of research for my writing.  I then sat down and got some writing done and I am now about 3/4 of the way through catching things up.  If I can find some time to dedicate to it tomorrow I might be able to get it completely caught up.

Be Fierce

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and thirty two seconds, and focused on a body scan where you start at the top of the head and slowly shift your focus lower until you end at the toes.  The focus is on your breath and relaxing each body part as your focus transitions to it.

Today’s draw is the Ten of Swords, which is a representation of completion and endings of a possibly painful sort.  It is also the representation of that moment just after the storm ends.  It is the chaos at the peak of the tornado, and the abrupt silence that immediately follows. Swords, of course, also always deal with the areas of thoughts, logic, and communication.

From a purely intuitive aspect of drawing this card, as this card’s imagery very much speaks to my intuitive side rather than my logical one.  Intuitively, it appears that my day might be filled with some difficulties, that I should be strong and fierce in my thoughts and words in order to bring things in hand and make sure they go my way in the end.

This card’s appearance tells me that I will need to be the voice that says “STOP.  This is DONE.” Sometimes, there is a need to be the one to take control and call halt to the chaos.

I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed, and the Ten of Swords is speaking loud and clear to let me know it’s time to finish with that and get my ass back on track once and for all.  That is the message…  Be strong and end the chaos.

Warm Fuzzies and Tears of Gratitude

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, And focused on one sense of space.

This is something that’s very familiar to me, and I have always excelled at. Essentially the guided meditation walks you through first sensing your personal space around you (that bubble of space around you) and then expanding your awareness of space outward to the room at large, and then beyond that to the earth and sky and surroundings.

It’s not about what’s going on in that space that’s the focus, but rather sensing that the space is there and being aware of it. Sinking into it, so to speak.

Today’s draw is the Nine of Cups… again. The suit of cups is the water suit, which deals with the emotions, relationships, and creativity. The ninth position in this suit represents fruition, contentment, gratitude, and sometimes the consequences that come with the end of a journey.

I believe that this is a direct reflection of yesterday. This card is a reminder to look back on yesterday and remember that it can happen again (because yesterday was a really good day).

I really enjoyed our time together, and like the day that I took to reconnect with my spirituality and do some creativity, yesterday put a balm on the ragged edges of my heart left raw by the depression.

I also want to say, and this ties into the contentment part of the Nine if Cups as well, that it feels really good to have you be a part of and accept this piece of me and my life. The fact that you are now a part of my spirituality in some small way has created an interesting sense of fulfillment to it. As if throughout these 11 years we’ve been together I’ve kept something apart from you, but now that part of my life is a little bit fuller and warmer with you involved.

(And… I’ve gotten a bit weepy in writing this for some reason.)

I didn’t expect this when I decided to include you in this journaling activity. I didn’t expect it when I change this activity from a daily affirmation to a daily draw. And yet it feels so good to have you now tied in to this part of my life.

Thank you.