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Finding the Positive for December 10 – 12

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Vintage Christmas Tarot, Winter Magic Tarot, Winter Waite Tarot Glitter Edition, and Christmas Affirmation Cards

December 10

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Three of Cups – “Here’s  friendly reminder that the negative voice in your head is not you; you are actually completely delightful.” It has been pointed out to me that I’ve been being a serious ass lately. It was meant as a joke, but the ring of truth in it hit me in the face.  I’d asked someone close to me to pick up after themselves before going to bed last night, with the warning if I came out into the living room in the morning to find the dirty dishes still in the livingroom, I was going to be extremely upset.  They retorted back that I’m always upset, so what’s the difference?

The thing is?  It was said in a good-natured, teasing manner but… they were also right. I’ve been letting my fears and worries, as well as my inner criticism and cruel prodding of my inner narratives, get to me.  And, it’s showing.  It’s showing in how I interact with others.

Today’s card speaks of making sure to be are aware of these types of issues, encourages working harder not to listen to that negativity that holiday stress causes to rise up from within, and take care of how it comes out in interactions with others.

DECK USED: VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 11

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Two of Pentacles – “Stop calling yourself garbage. You are a shimmering star. You are amazing!” Just because you might be struggling a bit with finding your balance right now doesn’t mean that you suck at it or are failing.  Balance is hard. Just because it seems like it should be simple and easy doesn’t mean that it is.  Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you suck.

DECK USED: WINTER MAGIC TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 12

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Two of Swords – “You will rise above the ashes. You will find a way to become whole again.” Like so many others this year, your profit is down compared to years past, regardless of what the talking heads say about the “economy” having recovered. This kind of thing means you are going to have to make some hard decisions… but it doesn’t mean that this is the end of the line. You will make those decisions, and you will adapt to keep going, just as you have always done during hard times.

DECK USED: WINTER WAITE TAROT GLITTER EDITION AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Finding the Positive for December 7 – 9

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Lost Forest Tarot, The Snail Marseille Tarot, Pixie's Whisper Tarot Xmas Ed, and Christmas Affirmation Cards

December 7

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Queen of Cups – “Just because you feel like trash doesn’t mean that you ARE trash.” Emotional support begins at home. It begins with you… not with others. When you feel like crap, don’t just allow your inner narrative to have free reign to reinforce those feelings.  Instead, work at being a supportive friend during those times, and counterbalancing those feelings with supportive words and encouragement.

DECK USED: LOST FOREST TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 8

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Ten of Wands – “There’s no need to be so hard on yourself, you’re managing as best you can.”  Pushing yourself to do more and more won’t make things any better.  Instead of badgering yourself to into overwhelm and burnout, moderate your energy expenditure and let others help you more. Stop trying to pile more on to of what you’re already doing. You’re on the cusp of piling on too much.

Long story short? Stop pushing yourself so hard. You’re doing great, and you don’t have to pile on any more right now.

DECK USED: THE SNAIL MARSEILLE AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 9

Today’s meditation was skipped. I watched a Christmas movie instead (the new one with Eddie Murphy in it).

Death – “It’s okay to struggle. You are doing better than you feel like you are.”  Change is hard. Fluctuations in what you consider the “norm” is hard. Not just for you, but for everyone. It makes you feel like you’re struggling, but in truth?  You’re not sinking.  You’re not floundering.  You’re just feeling a little out of your element by experiencing things a bit differently than before. Keep going. Things change. Nothing ever stays the same.

DECK USED: PIXIE’S WHISPER TAROT XMAS EDITION AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Finding the Positive for December 4 – 6

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Trickster's Journey Tarot, Naked Heart Tarot, Seasonal Fox Tarot Winter Edition, and Christmas Affirmation Cards

December 4

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Hanged One – “On the coldest days we build the warmest fires.” Sometimes it’s easy to get all tangled up and confused when you try too hard to see things only by your own perspective and not let in the views of others. If you relax and sink into the patience and openness needed to see things from a new viewpoint, it welcomes others in to share with you their own perspectives.  This, in turn, creates comfort and community.  Make sure you aren’t closing yourself off to the point you make others feel that they are being set out in the cold and shunned.  Welcome them in instead.

DECK USED: TRICKSTER’S JOURNEY TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS (A HOLIDAY CARD GIVEN TO ME THIS YEAR)

December 5

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Judgment – “You are going to get through this just fine.” Stand tall under the judgmental eyes of others. Remember that your focus needs to be about who you are and who you want to become, not what they think you’re doing wrong or how “off-norm” you are.

DECK USED: NAKED HEART TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 6

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Seven of Swords – “Your joy is like a stocking filled with endless smiles.” Remember that your happiness is infectious. Do not sacrifice your joy for other’s to have theirs.  They may not be thrilled to not have everything exactly as they anticipate it to be, but they’ll still be happy… because you’re there with them and happy as well.

DECK USED: SEASONAL FOX TAROT NIGHT EDITION AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Finding the Positive for December 1 – 3

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Sentient Tarot, Beartarot, Lunar Tarot, and Christmas Affirmation Cards

December 1

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Death – “You are a fighter, ever onwards.”  Change is daunting and can feel like the end of the world sometimes. That doesn’t mean you give up, lie down, and just let everything go. Change is the spark of inspiration for something new to take root in your life and flourish. Don’t give up… seek out that opportunity instead. Remember how good you truly are at adaptation. Adapt and keep moving.

DECK USED: SENTIENT TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 2

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was a Daily Calm session from the Calm app. The meditation was a full body yoga nidra, which moved through the entire body from head to foot, before expanding out to encompass the entire body while speaking on the importance of self-nurturing.

Eight of Cups – “You’ve been doing a great job considering all you’ve been up against.”  The Eight of Cups is about letting go and walking away from those things that create emotional turmoil, and today this card combined with the affirmation card pulled, is a reminder (again) to focus on your successes instead of being dragged down by the negative nitpicking going on in your head. Let go of that negativity and worry, stress and anxiety. Turn away from the darkness and move toward the light.

DECK USED: BEARTAROT DECK AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

December 3

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was a Daily Calm session from the Calm app. It was a self directed meditation with Celestial Sunbeams by Kip Mazuy playing in the background. I often use this music in my meditation when visualizing being a part of nature. Today’s visualization involved floating beneath the surface of water, tangled up in the roots of a large tree while leaves fell to land on the water’s surface above me.

The Tower – “You don’t have to be perfect to be lovable.” We all fuck up now and then. Sometimes it’s little things, and other times it’s colossal and devastating. Sometimes, it’s inconsequential, and other times it’s a nuclear bomb aimed at the heart of our life. Today’s card is a reminder that it’s okay to fuck up.  It’s okay when things go wrong.

Even when it feels, in the center of the storm, like it’s the end of the world? It’s not. It’s merely the end of the world *as we know it*. There’s something new in the echo after the BOOM of destruction. Don’t let yourself (or others) put you down for these fuck ups. Release the blame and ride them out instead. Get excited for what new thing might be coming on the other side of the chaos.

DECK USED: LUNAR TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Finding the Positive for November 29 – 30

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

Hudes Tarot, Green Tarot, Christmas Affirmation Cards

November 29

Today’s meditation was skipped. (I took a pretty long nap instead.)

Eight of Swords – Don’t let that negative inner narrative that’s going on in your head cause you to be blind to what’s going on around you and the accomplishments that you are achieving. If you let it, that inner narrative of yours will create its own unpleasant reality for you, blinding you to life’s more positive aspects and joys.

DECK USED: HUDES TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

November 30

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Two of Cups – “Feeling worried doesn’t mean that anything BAD is going to happen. You’re going to get through this just fine; you always find a way.” Your anxiety has been a good deal higher than normal, and that overflow has spilled over the edge of the cup from being centered in the holiday rush to touching other parts of your life.  You need to reach out to others that care about you for help in keeping this under control. Two is better than one in this situation, so when your anxiety flares, let others help you in carrying the weight of your worry.

DECK USED: GREEN TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

Finding the Positive for November 27 – 28

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These Card of the Day readings are a mental health exercise (suggested by my shrink) used to help counterbalance my natural tendency toward pessimism, negative inner narratives, and depression. The request posed to the cards is, “A positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective.”

COTD2

November 27

Today’s meditation was skipped.

Page of Cups – “Every time you thought life would defeat you, you were wrong.” The Page of Cups is about creativity and self expression. It’s about the emotions and learning how to connect with them as well as with others.  Today, it’s a reminder that your emotions are not insignificant, and that it harms you and your outlook on the world when you try to bury them.  This doesn’t mean that you have to sink in and wallow in them, especially when those emotions may not be all that positive… but it means you need to be open to learning how to better acknowledge them instead of trying to push them away.

DECK USED: TAROT OF UNKNOWN SHADOWS AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS

November 28

Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and was one of the Daily Calm sessions from the Calm app. Its topic was self consideration.

The meditation session pointed out how thoughts of self-judgement, berating ourselves, and telling ourselves we are not enough in our self-talk aren’t things we would say to others. It spoke of self-compassion involving creating a space within ourselves free of judgement where we can respond to our frustrations and failures with kindness and care. It finished with a reminder that when your inner voice starts in with criticisms, to counter them with love.

Nine of Pentacles – “You are doing enough. It’s going to be okay.” Stop pushing the narrative of how much you have to do and are lacking, and instead pay attention to how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished. Celebrate your wins… even the small ones. Don’t let them go by unacknowledged.

DECK USED: ORGANIC ELEMENTS TAROT AND CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATION CARDS