Cosmically Curated / Spiralic Edition
As we move into the third week of shelter in place here in the bay area, I keep thinking back to a Tarot spread I pulled using the stunning Lioness Oracle Deck in December forecasting what lies ahead in 2020. The spread is a great one, so keep an eye out for a future post about it!
The first card represents something positive coming in 2020, and I pulled the Tower. Now, for the record, I don't believe in the concept of a "bad card." Each card offers important learnings and even the scary ones have silver linings. With that said, the Tower is a pretty ominous card. As a whole, the reading was optimistic and I was feeling super pumped for the new year. But what the heck was this Tower business about?
For those who are less familiar with the Tower, it’s a pretty freaking grim card. A grossly simplified way of understanding this card is that it represents established structures being torn apart by sudden, disruptive change. A classic depiction that comes to mind is from the recognizable Rider-Waite Coleman Smith deck, the image shows two figures falling out of a flaming tower, seemingly to their deaths on the rocks below. Surely this means there are some great times ahead, right?
Fast forward to last night, I’m sitting on the sofa trying to come up with something valuable to write up amidst all this chaos, and I just kept coming up blank. I decided I would pull a card to give me guidance on what I should write about, sleep on it, and then write the piece in the morning. I felt called to do my divination practice a bit differently than I usually do, and I felt oddly compelled to pull a card from the bottom of the deck rather than the top, per my standard practice. I pulled the card and was genuinely speechless when I saw that I had pulled the Star.
Where the Tower represents breaking down in order to break through (pretty spot on for the year we’ve had so far), the Star is the next sequential card in the Major Arcana, and brings me so much hope. The Star is a good omen when you need it the most, after making it through the Tower.
With that, I’d like to propose that we continue to move through this Tower time knowing that the Star is ahead; that while the foundation may be crumbling around us, a homecoming is ahead of us. Without the Tower there can be no Star, and as we begin to find our way through these odd times, we can rest assured knowing that the light of the Star will guide us.
While I could go on about the symbolism of this Tower / Star relationship and how eerily relevant it feels (seriously, message me if you wanna chat about it), I want to keep the spiralic relationship of these two cards at the top of our minds as I share this Cosmically Curated list. With everything going on in the world, I need to keep reminding myself that the in-between space is where we encounter the divine. My hope is that we are all able to hold this belief and find gentle ways to make the most out of these turbulent times, for both our individual and collective wellbeing.
GROUND + CENTER
One of the most important elements of wellness and spirituality (if not the most important) is taking time to quiet the mind and body. With limited access to the outside world, I’ve been doing all that I can to make my home a space that is suitable for work and rest. Aromatherapy is making a huge difference in my daily life, as it’s one of the only changes I can make in my small space to physically allow myself to shift between states of activity. Lemon + sweet orange + rosemary essential oils turn the living room into a productive office space, and lavender turns it back into a cozy haven. The Scarlet Sage is fulfilling online and phone orders, and they have everything you could need to transition your space from office to respite.
LISTEN + LEARN
In my typical busybody way, I have been trying to use this time to expand my knowledge of mysticism, intuitive business and divination, and the free workshops at Holisticism have seriously become my lifesource. I’ve been on almost every Zoom meeting they’ve had and I feel like Michelle Pellizon is my bff at this point (Michelle if you see this, pls know that you are my hero). I cannot say enough wonderful things about these classes and the amazing humans participating in them. Go check it out, you’ll be so happy you did.
In this Tower-to-Star phase, I keep circling back to the thought that this is an opportunity for our world to move forward in a way that values people over profit. The ladies over at Witch the Vote have an amazing episode on anti-capitalism that was giving me all the feels.
SUPPORT THE COVEN ECONOMY
Speaking of the ladies of Witch the Vote, since we’re all cooped up at home, now could not be a better time to learn how to incorporate magick into your home life. Erica Feldmann’s book HausMagick is chock full of everything you need to know to make the most of our time at home.
What have you been up to during quarantine? How are you focusing on your personal growth, health, and sanity? What would you like to do more of during this time? Have you let go of anything that is not serving you? As always, let us know how The Charmed can help and what you’d like to see more of. Until next time witches!