Hello, hello beautiful people. How are you today?
August is a banana pants crazy month this year for me and managing it all has been a balancing act. And so yesterday I made the decision to delay this episode by a day. One whole day. And let me tell you, when the idea first occurred to me, panic filled my body.
A whole day!? What a failure I thought to myself. Rules number one through three with content is consistency, consistency, and consistency.
My perfectionist brain was really struggling with the idea of adjusting my expectations and letting myself have the time I needed to do all the things I wanted without running myself into the ground in the process. And let's be honest, was the world going to end because I waited one more day to record? No one is dying because Tarot Reflections Episode 22 came out on a Tuesday night instead of a Monday.
And this thought process inspired this week's Permission to Thrive Permission Slip. So if you're on the list to receive your weekly permission slip to do what you need to do to support your mental health, this is why I was giving you permission to be late! Or more accurately in this case, giving myself permission to be late! Because sometimes, deadlines are arbitrary and of our own creation. If we aren't literally saving lives, chances are we can ease up on strict and hard timelines now and then.
And if you're not on the list, what are you waiting for!? The link to subscribe is in the show notes.
Perfectionism has been on my mind a lot this month as I hustle through what needs to get done and pivot with last minute changes for the not one, not two, not even three, but four big events I'm involved in all before my birthday. And last week was the Passion Potluck, my own big event. Not just one I was involved in, but one that was my concept, my business, my organizing.
My vision for the Passion Potluck first came to me last summer, so I've had a year to dream of it. To imagine how it might go and the special touches I might add. When I applied for the grant to host the event, I was excited over how that grant money would enable me to host the perfect event, build a lot of hype around it, and have me engaging the community in all new ways.
I had big, beautiful, bold plans for this event. I was inspired. I was living for the vision I held in my head.
And about 30% of it actually came to fruition.
For the majority of Tuesday and Wednesday last week, leading up to the moment the first guest arrived on Thursday evening, I had already written my event off as a failure because I did not accomplish all I had intended to. I was meeting the bare minimum needs to make the event happen - at least by my standards. I was kicking myself over missed opportunities and not doing my vision justice. I just prayed folks would find it enjoyable enough then I could wash my hands of it and never do it again.
Again, I had written the Passion Potluck off as a failure exactly 48 hours before the event even started.
Folks, I hate to make you jealous, but last Thursday night was a truly magical night. The event came together probably better than I had even imagined. The connections that were formed and the community that was built was astounding. The main goal of the event, the main thing I wanted to make happen, happened organically. Without any of the big audacious plans I envisioned early on. Community was created. Was cultivated. Was connected.
There was engagement and passion. Laughter and joy. Good food and good company.
And guests encouraged me to do it again.
So, it was basically the opposite of a failure. What's that thing again? Oh yeah. The event was a success.
So yeah, sometimes we need to readjust our vision and expectations of ourselves, of what we're doing, of who we're becoming. Just because something didn't go exactly as planned, doesn't mean it wasn't perfect.
And now on to this week's reading.
Our message from the Universe comes to us right now through ... the Knight of Wands Reversed.
So our knights tend to be a little juvenile I always think, and so when we find them in reverse these juvenile aspects of the knight are amplified. This week, the Knight of Wands Reversed is wandering lost, looking for inspiration. He's a little rash and impulsive and that impulsivity has led him to end up in unfamiliar territory.
Are you finding yourself in a situation with no idea how you got there and no knowledge of how to move next? Maybe you're working in a new field or on a new project, one you haven't had much experience with in the past. Or maybe you're seeking new creative adventures or hobbies but uncertain what to turn to?
Perhaps it's time to hit the breaks, take a beat, press pause. Go back to basics, do some research, and put intention behind the next step you take. Rein in the Knight's impulsive decision making tendencies and tap into your logic brain to figure out a plan of action.
And our message for mental health resilience is from... the Reversed Ace of Swords.
Be kind with your words this week. Not just the words you use with others, but in particular the words you use with yourself. You may be feeling pulled to be cruel with your words this week. Cruel to yourself.
But words cary so much power in them. Be mindful of the ones you use. Chose words that uplift and heal you.
It may also be that words are causing some confusion and chaos this week. Be aware of this and seek out what may need clarification if any tensions rise up.
Okay, that is everything for this week except for an extra long wrap-up message from me because next week is not only my birthday but it is the official one-year anniversary of when I first published an episode of Tarot Reflections. Granted, I published a total of what, four? episodes. Then peace'd right on out for months. But it really has been a year since this podcast was birthed into the world and 31 years since I was birthed into the world. Which I think is cause for celebration.
So, in honour of my birthday, I am asking you for a gift. Hello, I'm a Leo, of course it's about me first. But stay with me. From now until August 28, I would be honoured to accept the gift of your rating on this podcast. If you really want to spoil me for my birthday, 5 stars would do it. But any rating will count towards my gift to you. When you rate this podcast, take a screenshot of you rating, slide into my Instagram DMs @meganmentally, and send me that screenshot so I know you've given me the most incredible gift.
To thank you, I'll be entering all who DM me their ratings and reviews into a draw to receive a free, personal Building Mental Resilience Tarot Reading. It's my signature tarot card spread I developed to explore your mental wellbeing — the good and the shadow. I will announce the winner of the tarot reading on August 29th's episode.
To learn more about my Building Mental Resilience Tarot Reading offering, I'll drop a link in the show notes. Shout out to my astrology icon, my podcast mentor Madi Murphy for doing this type of give away on her podcast which I am gratefully copying. Not inspired by, full on replicating.
As usual, please subscribe to the podcast if you don't already so you don't miss an episode. Come follow me over on Instagram and Twitter at meganmentally or on TikTok at tarotreflectionspod. And get rating so I can get reading. Your tarot cards of course.
Until next time friends.