Pick-a-card Monday
The Lumina Tarot ✨
Since this is a Monday letter, it always falls on this holiday.
Today, in the US, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and collectively look back on our history. These examinations trigger both optimism and pain.
The tarot reminds us that in order to grow we need to acknowledge the lights and shadows in our lives.
I read another great Jung quote yesterday that fits with today’s energy well:
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.”
Today’s reading is a 2-card spread:
The first card represents an element of your past to honor and offer a prayer of appreciation for.
Second, an element of your past that can help you grow now, in the present.
Which pile draws you in the most? Or maybe begin with the one that you don’t feel. There’s typically a reaction you can tune into either way. Breath. Listen, then choose.
The crystals & stones:
1-Larimar: healing and calming; facilitates inner wisdom and outer manifestation ✨heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras
2-Ruby Zoisite: amplifies our connection to energies in the spirit world; supports healing from trauma ✨crown chakra
3- Green Flourite: gentle healing, focus, and clarity✨heart & throat chakras
Hold up!
Choose a card from the photo above before scrolling down.
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one
An element to honor: Ace of Wands
The Ace of Wands carries powerful creative energy and momentum. It supports taking action, taking a chance, trusting yourself—and Source—that things will be okay.
In the context of honoring an element of your past, when have you taken a risk or been fiercely motivated by something?
It’s that energy that has brought you many gifts, some that you might not even realize or see. Take some time to honor the creative endeavors in your past. These may be creations of art, ideas, or of life, such as bringing children into the world.
We all create. When we are motivated—in a flow state—and drawn to create, we are in alignment with our higher Selves. And in that space, creation serves as a form of prayer.
An element to help you grow: The Emperor
The Emperor represents personal authority and responsibility. He is steady energy, and often a leader.
In combination with the Ace of Wands, you have a very strong call to stand tall and move forward. Perhaps even take a risk or two.
In the context of your past, look for people—perhaps role models—that have stood their ground and acted on what they believe in. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a perfect example of this energy.
What can you take away from this spread? How can you move forward with a clear plan and strong clarity? Sit with that for a while and you’ll find the answer.
two
An element to honor: Four of Pentacles, reversed
There is a powerful lesson coming forward for you from a time in your life where you behaved in a greedy or gluttonous way.
Remember, we are examining the shadow, not attributing permanent labels. This is not a call to sit in judgement of your past self, but with observation and the intention of learning.
Greed is most often associated with money, but greed doesn’t rely on only one currency. It can influence how we spend our time, how we treat others, and how we interact with the Earth, for example.
This may be pointing to a period of time where you withheld something valuable from someone so you could keep it for yourself.
Perhaps it was a period of overindulgence with food, alcohol, or other substances. No matter what it was, you’re being called to see the gift in that experience now that it is in your past.
This lesson is strongest through a retrospective lens, and can offer you insights into what works well for you, and what doesn’t serve you.
This is likely a very internal issue, as reversals typically indicate. Dig deep and be honest.
An element to help you grow: The Hermit
The Hermit sends a strong message: What can you learn from yourself by slowing down? Tune out some of the daily noise by taking a break from the news or social media.
In the past, you have experienced moments of clarity from quieter times. Do you know what they are? Sit with that for a while.
The Hermit asks that you go inward in order to uncover your truest Self. It means listening to your body—less screen time, earlier bedtime, perhaps—and quieting your mind.
How can you avoid the shadow side of the Four of Pentacles (greedy & gluttonous behavior) by listening to your body and Self?
Find ways to connect to your inner knowing: journaling, sitting staring out the window for 30 minutes, or whatever feels like a resonant way to relax your mind. Then sit in whatever comes up. Processing is very important at this time.
three
An element to honor: Nine of Wands
What have you learned from past losses or setbacks?
The Nine of Wands reminds us that in any endeavor, we are able to see the end of the tunnel eventually. Consistency brings us closer to our goals, and a retrospective look at our past can clearly show us what might be gained from sticking something out.
Perhaps you committed to a job until the end of the year, or a relationship, or a hobby. No matter. The Nine of Wands reminds us to examine journeys from our past and history that brought us through something.
What have you gained and how can you appreciate those gifts now?
An element to help you grow: Four of Swords, reversed
The Four of Swords reversed suggests that the period you’ve come through carried very stressful and anxious energy. The length of this period doesn’t matter.
You’ll notice during stretches of high anxiety or pain that you rise and fall more often, and to greater depths at the bottom. It is a time of conflicting emotions and ideas that takes a tremendous amount of energy to navigate.
In the context of something difficult you’ve made it through in the past, sit in the aftermath of that experience. In what ways did you emerge stronger? Wiser? How can that help you the next time something challenging appears in your life?
These cards pair together perfectly by asking you to look carefully at a period of time where you struggled—one that has passed—and to feel for the gifts that are there under the surface, on the other side of your pain.
Today’s deck:
Lumina Tarot:
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