charity

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

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220px-Fractal_treeToday’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on how one’s life and meditation practice is like a fractal.   I… didn’t really get it, to be honest.  I mean, I know what a fractal is.  Essentially it’s when you have a specific design/shape that is created out of identical shapes (see example picture).

My problem lies in how this applies to the relationship between meditation and daily life?  She did some explaining, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

That said… I very much enjoyed the meditation’s method on focusing on the breath today, which was a step by step process of noticing where in the body you feel the breath, from nostrils to belly, and then as a whole throughout.

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is a representation of harmony, cooperation, abundance, charity, and a cyclical balance of give and take in the area of finances, resources, and the material world.

Sometimes we are all on the giving end, and sometimes we all need to be on the receiving end, but in our journey through life this is truly more of a cycle.  Even the most wealthy sometimes need a helping hand, and even the poorest of the poor are able to give of themselves to others in need.

This card’s appearance today is a reminder to me that it’s okay to ask for help.  Sometimes I forget, and will struggle under the weight of trying to do everything myself and work it all out on my own.   That is a completely unrealistic mindset, and yet I return to it again and again.

Some of the aspects of my life that I find this most prevalent are in my business, in my self care, in my finances, and in my resources (such as my grocery/food supplies specifically).  It’s good (and in fact, important) to remember that there are venues out there to assist me in some of these areas when I struggle with them.

Deck Used: Student Tarot v5

 

Give and Take

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Today’s meditation was fifteen minutes and nine seconds, and focused on catching yourself when you’re reacting to something without thought.

I don’t mean instinct. Rather, the meditation was about habitual reactions, and how they develop overtime through repetition into something we don’t even think about first.

The guidance was focused on catching yourself in the act of these habitual reactions, examining them, and then deciding whether they are justified, or if there is a different reaction that would serve you better either in the present moment, or next time if the moment has already passed.

Today’s draw is the Six of Pentacles, which is a card that represents abundance, generosity, charity, and sharing in the areas of resources, money, and the physical world.

This card can represent both sides of the spectrum on this theme, meaning that the seeker (me) can be either the one doing the giving, or the recipient.

I believe that the Six of Pentacles is telling me that everything is going to be okay. Stability wise, I mean. Financially.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my worries and my goals, that I forget that in most cases a deficit isn’t the end of the world. I’m not going to lose everything if I’m a few dollars short here and there once in a while, because I also have times when I’m a few dollars ahead.

This balance of give-and-take is natural. I just need to remember that when I am in the lows that I allow other people to help me, and that when I’m in my high points I am offering my help to others. In this way, a cycle of good energy and good intentions is created, and a theme of harmony and unity begins to flourish.

Understanding and Support

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Today’s meditation was eighteen minutes and sixteen seconds, and focused on awareness during meditation.

This meditation was a variation on using body scanning during meditation. It involves scanning your body from head to toe and then back up again very slowly as a form of focus during the meditation.

I did not doze! Although, my mind did wander quite a bit. Of course, as always, when I caught myself I would bring myself back to my breath and the body scan.

Today’s draw is the King of Cups for my daily focus. He is the representation of a strong alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of emotions, relationships, and creativity. The King of Cups is support and empathy, strength and understanding.

Lately I’ve found myself a little bit more impatient with people, and a little bit less understanding. A little bit less forgiving of their idiosyncrasies that bother me. I’ve let my fear of being hurt emotionally by others close me off from seeing their potential, their pain, and their needs.

I used to be far more open, and far less judging.

This card is a reminder that just because I may not always be comfortable with (or particularly like) a person doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of my attention or my support. It’s a reminder that it is okay to open up, socialize, be sincere, and help people… and that I shouldn’t let fear of being hurt hold me back from these things.

Incidentally, I’ve always associated the King of Cups with you. That open personality that you have which draws people in and makes them feel safe and comfortable. Even when you don’t always know what to say, you always seem to find the right thing. Your heart is so big, and yet strength and that alpha energy within you is ever present in each word and every action.