A Q1 Reflection: Incorporating Tarot into my Life & Business Planning
If you've been following along on Instagram, then you know that I have recently gotten into tarot. I got a deck for Christmas, and I've been voraciously soaking up as much as possible. It's become a staple in my morning routine, as I pull a card every day. Thanks to my friend Mandy, I even started tracking each day in a new format that feels like a great way for me to personally get to know my deck and the meanings for each card.**
Last month I celebrated one year of MaggieGentry, and as a way to prepare for Year 2, I did a tarot spread for the year ahead. What this means is that you draw 13 cards, one for every month, and the 13th, and final, card is the overall theme for your year. For the better part of last year I had been sharing my monthly goals, but I thought this would be a fun spin on the same concept, and I think writing my thoughts on these interpretations will only help me as I continue to explore and learn more about my deck and their meanings.
My card for April: Son of Wands
The Son of Wands is known as a charmer, and this card symbolizes change, creation, and adventure. When this card shows up, one is encouraged to listen to your unconscious mind and follow your creative urges. Ideally, this creative spark should happen with genuine intention that allows you to see a new approach to something that has been vexing you. In The Wild Unknown Guidebook, my favorite quote about this card is, "Trust your instinct with this one - perfection is an illusion."
It's striking to me because I'm coming off of a month where I've been feeling pretty trapped in the comparison game - and not simply with others - but also with myself. I set some pretty lofty goals, and because I didn't accomplish them, I was feeling really defeated. I've lacked confidence to move forward with some ideas, and because of that, I've procrastinated for far too long. And of course, I've fallen down the rabbit hole recently of seeing what other people are up to and feeling really inadequate compared to what I'm seeing on their social media feeds.
But researching this card as I head into April has helped me to snap out of it! We are seeing the best version of everyone on Instagram, and I can't assume because they paid for good photography (or they happen to be a great photographer themselves) that everything behind the grid is perfection. Even though we all know this, being so highly connected sometimes makes it hard to remember. The tactile nature of shuffling the tarot cards and spending time researching the meanings, and interpreting that for myself, is helping me get out of my own head about these things that: 1) I have no control over, and 2) I honestly don't know the whole story.
And this is even bigger than just social media, but the reality stays the same. I had veered way off course, and I was letting my head do the talking. I was letting my head dictate realities that weren't real. I was making up stories, passing blame, feeling inadequate, and all of that steered me off the most powerful path. The path that leads us to where we're going is by taking one intentional step at a time. To help me get here, I know that I need to listen more to my heart, and not my head.
So here's to a new month! I'm feeling determined to not let what other people are doing guide me. I know what feels right for me, and I'm taking the steps to ensure I'm consistently tuning in to listen to that inner voice, quiet the inner critic, and move forward. If things don't turn out exactly as I had hoped, I am determined to now wallow in my self-pity, but look for new avenues to see if I can change the outcome for next time. And if I can't change the outcome, then I'll change my expectations.
It was honestly exhilarating to look back at my business year ahead spread to see that April was the Son of Wands because it just so happens that I'm working on creating a brand new offering. It will be related to the Own Your Why materials, but my hope is that this new offering will be able to reach a wider audience - so stay tuned.
I'm liking this new approach of using the year ahead spread to help formulate my goals for each month, so I'm hoping to keep this up and share with you. I'm still learning all of this, too, but it's fun for me to explore with you.
Do you use tarot for your business? If so, tell me how in the comments below.
Resources to help me with this understanding & interpretation:
What are some of your favorite tarot resources?
**The technique I learned from Mandy to help me learn tarot. Previously, I was noting the card I pulled each day in my gratitude journal. She recommended that I start a fresh journal and write the name of each individual card at the top of a new page, and do that so that the journal is full of the entire deck with one card per page. Then after pulling the card that day, sit with it to interpret the meaning on my own before looking at any other resources. From there, I can look at a guidebook, or explore more online. Then mark the day I pulled it on its designated page. The next day, go back and write what happened the previous day before/after I pulled the new card for the new day. This method is interesting because it allows me to see what cards I'm pulling more frequently, and to see if there are patterns in what happens each day I pull a certain card. I make notes about personal life, business life, energy levels, etc. Is this how you keep track? If not, I'd love to hear what you do!
DID SOMETHING COME FOR YOU AS YOU READ THROUGH THIS?
WOULD IT FEEL SUPPORTIVE TO CONNECT AND TALK
THROUGH IT? IF SO, KNOW THAT I AM HERE!
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