friendship

Valuing the Trusted

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty seconds long, and focused on taking time to enjoy life instead of allowing life to push you ever forward in a state of overwhelm.

I think everyone has those times when life is overwhelming and you forget to pay attention to the little joys and small pleasures.  One of my favorite ways to get in touch with those little joys is to take my sister to a toy store.

We never went to toy stores as a kid, and this has become a HUGE fascination for her as an adult.  Take her in a toy store, and he face lights up like Christmas.  She can spend hours (yes, literally hours) going through the aisles playing with all the different toys and chatting about everything she sees.    She never spends a penny, but for her?  It’s like taking her to an amusement park.    And in taking her, she draws me into the silliness and fun that, if I’m honest, I have a difficult time connecting to on my own.

In today’s meditation, it talks about how focusing on those moments of joy and enjoyment are apart of what makes life worth living.   And its true.  Without the shimmer of light to dazzle us now and then, life can begin to feel very plain and drab.  It’s important, when that twinkle appears, that you take a minute to enjoy it and appreciate its presence.

Today’s draw is the Three of Brine (Cups), which is a representation of small gains, harmonious unions, small groups, and communication in the area of the emotions, relationships, intuition, and creativity.  This can come across in many ways such as successful collaborations, friendship and comradery, community celebration… or on the negative side, the “three’s a crowd syndrome”.

When I look at today’s card I see community and friendship.   The three stingray-children that gather together have their heads dipped in a display of the depth of sharing they have with each other.   The one facing forward displays that his heart is exposed, which to me expresses not just that he wears his “heart on his sleeve” but that he feels safe being vulnerable and exposed in this environment and with these people.

This card speaks to me today of remembering who is important and who is ‘safe’ in your life to share those inner most parts of you that, when exposed, leave you vulnerable.  It’s about knowing who to trust, and cherishing those relationships.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot

One Plus One Equals One

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Today’s meditation was ten minutes long, and focused on the subjectivity of time.  That is to say, how in some situations time feels like it moves at a crawl or even stands still, while at other times it flies by in a blink.

It specifically dealt with times when these slows or accelerations in time are stressful or uncomfortable, and how we can help take ourselves out of that space by stepping back for a moment and focusing on the now.  This includes a moment of mindfulness, taking a few deep breaths, and centering yourself in the moment.

I have a habit of doing this thing throughout the day, but it was a good reminder, because there are times when I am feeling flustered or overwhelmed that I forget the practice is available to me.

Today’s draw is the Nine of Brine, with a jumper card of the Knight of Oak.  (That would be the Nine of Cups, and the Knight of Pentacles, in tarot-speak.)

The Nine of Brine is traditionally a culmination card in the area of emotions, creativity, and relationships.   But, what I see here in this card is not so much culmination as support through times of difficulty.   I see the young elephant and the young human giving each other comfort and support as they are surrounded by the remnants of the dead.   The water they wade in is a reinforcement of the emotional connection blended into the support between the two.   They are washed clean together, they emerge together, supportive of each other.

The Knight of Oak (pentacles), is a card of action within the tarot, which deals with themes to do with hard work and productivity.  Again, in this card I see something that lightly touches on that theme, but that again speaks of a coming together and supportive relationship.  The moose and the boy work together to gather what they need.  Yes, the key word here is that they are working, but what I see in this card is far more than that and speaks to me of a joining of spirit and interconnected relationship.  Support between two spirits that are very different, and yet the same.

Bringing the impressions I am pulling from both cards together, what I see is an encouragement to take stock of and appreciate those connections I have that serve to support myself and the other individual in the relationship.  These are my close relationships, like you, my sister, and J.  In each instance, there is support given and received on both sides, and together in these relationships everyone is different, but together create something far stronger and more useful than as individuals.

These cards also speak to me of the work involved in preserving and fostering these relationships being worth it.  Sometimes, these relationships are work, and that’s okay.  That you’re willing to put in the work is a part of knowing how much you value what you have.

Deck Used: Stolen Child Tarot

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.