There Is Light at the End of the Tunnel

Today’s meditation was just over ten minutes long and wasn’t really focused on anything in particular even though it was a guided meditation.   The guide took me through a breathing exercise and then spoke near the end about the new year and how important it is to step forward into the future with a mentality of hope and anticipation rather than pessimism.

The Emperor - Ostara Tarot Today’s draw is The Emperor of the Major Arcana.  I really love the imagery for this Emperor card, which speaks to me of not just dominance and control, but an earthy power behind that strength as well.

The Emperor’s appearance on this last day of the year is an encouragement.  I have been feeling very adrift and struggling with an awkward sense of directionless discomfort over the past week since the holiday rush ended.  The Emperor is a reminder that it won’t always be that way and I’ll find that familiar sense of grounded strength and surety once again soon enough.

DECK USED:  OSTARA TAROT

Bonus Reading – #TarotForGrowthDecember

Question: How can I make the most of this coming year?

Fateshifter’s TarotReading Summary:  Set aside my inner conflict (Five of Swords) and instead embrace the new beginnings that the new year represents (The World) and jump in with both feet (Eight of Wands).  Give and Take (Six of Pentacles)

Take Away:  Sometimes how you take your steps forward into the future is an inspiration to others, and sometimes the way others do so can be an inspiration to us.  The cards in today’s draw is telling me to look outside myself and seek out the guidance of others to help me in embracing  the new year and all that it entails with open arms.

DECK USED:  THE FATESHIFTER’S TAROT

Stability

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and ten seconds long, and focused on self-soothing. That is to say, finding methods to self-soothe that work for you personally during times of stress and discomfort.

It covered a number of methods in mindfulness and meditation including breathing exercises, counting exercises, visualization, etc.

These are all methods that I’ve tried before, and most of them work for me on some level as long as I’m not overly worked up and toppling into the area of a snickers attack.

Today’s draw is the fourth card of the Major Arcana, the Emperor, which like all of the Major Arcana cards deals with “the big picture” rather than any one aspect of the human experience.

The Emperor card is a representation of authoritative energy, control, and structure. Its appearance today is a reiteration of what you have been saying over the past few days while I ride out the disorientation of my family’s new behavior.

That is to say, keep myself seated in a place of stability and strength. Enjoy the reprieve, but don’t allow it lull me into a place of vulnerability.

Getting in Touch with Responsibilities

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and six seconds, and focused on the practice of Metta. This is mantra meditation, where you focus your mantra upon yourself first, and then picture a recipient in your mind to focus it out ward upon them. For example, today’s mantra was “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be at peace.”

I directed this mantra, when it was time to do so, to you. After our conversation yesterday, it feels like these ‘blessings’ are something that you are in need of right now, and I hope the energy that I directed your way helps you in finding that happiness, wellness, safety, and peace that you felt lacking in last night.

Today’s card is the fourth card of the Major Arcana, The Emperor. As with all Major Arcana cards, this card is focused on “the big picture” instead of smaller factions of the human experience.

The Emperor is a “father figure” card of responsibility, authority, and goals pertaining to the “greater good”.

The appearance of the Emperor in today’s draw ties into the readings I did yesterday for my Self-Care work, as well as the morning’s daily draw. The emerging theme of yesterday’s readings was one focused on compassion, and yesterday’s draw was Temperance.

The Emperor requires both of these to bring about positive consequences and be the embodiment of a just, fair, and balanced authority. He is focused on what is important to him, what he values most, rather than on the new and the frivolous.

This is a continuation of yesterday’s lesson, and a reminder to focus on the now. The Emperor card is pointing out that my actions and their consequences affect more than just myself, and to pay heed to this when considering my future actions.