Hello, hello and welcome to season three of Tarot Reflections! Happy New Year. Happy Capricorn season. Happy return of the sun and belated blessed Yule. It is good to be back folks.
Turns out, a lot of you found me over my extended break. If you're new here, extra welcomes to you! Thank you for being here. I'm Megan te Boekhorst. I'm a mental health coach and tarot card reader, and a passionate community cultivator. This podcast is a space exploring topics in mental wellbeing. Typical episodes will focus in on one topic, often inspired by whats going on in my world or through my work as a Community Support Worker. Then we wrap it up by tuning in to messages from the Universe through one-card tarot readings. Every now and then, I toss in a bonus episode where I invite a guest on for an interview and I do a Building Mental Resilience Tarot Reading for them. It's my signature tarot spread.
Now, I usually kick us off with any specific announcements for the community. But as I am just coming back from a holiday break and getting into the swing of things again, I have none. I still barely know what day it is. Join me in taking it slowly folks, it's a good place to be.
Speaking of taking things slowly, I have a question for you to reflect on. And I mean that. Take your time with this question. Hit pause on the podcast if you need to. Think it through slowly.
Where are you right now? Where do you spend most of your time? Is it in reflections of the past, thoughts of the future, existing outside of time and space, or are you in the present the majority of your time?
Where are you spending the majority of your time? And do you want to be spending more time in the present?
People talk about mindfulness a lot, and talk about how to be mindful, but folks, I don't think many people are conscious of what mindfulness is.
In its simplest form, mindfulness is being present. It's being aware of where you are and what you're doing. A clear awareness of your thoughts, the sensations of your body, and naming your feelings without judgements or reacting to them.
Mindfulness isn't the cure for anything. But it sure does improve everything.
The thing with being present is that it's hard to do. For so many reasons, it can be easier to escape the present. Being present forces us to acknowledge what's real and tangible in our lives. It allows us to feel our feelings, even those that aren't the easiest to feel.
So when we first try to become more mindful, try to be more present, it takes practice and experimentation. Because there are several ways of becoming more mindful, and not all of them will work for you.
Actually, forgive me as I take a detour to rant a little here. I'm sure it's no surprise that I listen to a lot of spirituality and psychology podcasts, read a lot of self-help books, and follow the associated social medias. And I am really tired of hearing folks say one specific tool will change your life and that everyone should be doing it. I hear this a lot with meditation and journaling... whoops, spoiler alert for next week. My point is, the act is the tool. And not every tool fits. That does not discredit or diminish the power of the tool that works for you. Journaling for five minutes every day is just as valid of a mindfulness tool as painting for five minutes a day. All that matters is it works for you.
So don't be afraid to try different tools. If meditation doesn't work for you, I encourage you to not give up and try a different method. One of the most effective tools I use is focusing on my breath. But it took me a while to find that. In fact, when I was first being intentionally more mindful, breath didn't work for me. I had to start with something a little less intense in order to get familiar with feeling present.
And I had to start slow. Being intentionally present for 30 seconds a day at work is going to be more effective than trying to be present for 5 minutes every now and then. Don't put pressure on doing anything quote-unquote perfectly. There is no perfection in being present.
So, are you ready to be more present this year?
Now on to our reading for the week ahead!
For our new friends of the pod, I ask the tarot two questions, and use a one-card draw in order to interpret messages from the Universe. I prefer to use the term Universe, but it could also be referred to as Spirit, Creator, God, Allah, etc, etc.
My first question is: What does the Universe want us to know for the week ahead? What areas of our life should we bring out attention to?
And this week's message comes from...
As above, so below, our message is from The Magician. Embrace your magick this week friends. What form of spirituality, mysticism, metaphyz, witchcraft, or manifestation pull you in and call to you the most? Explore it more in the days ahead. Welcome it into your life. Allow it to bring you what it is you're wanting in life. Honestly, this is a fantastic card to pull for the first week of the year, it signals to me that we are going to have an incredible year of creating our desires and brining our goals to life.
But here's the thing about creating our desires and bringing our goals to life. It takes dedication and willpower. And that is something The Magician brings us. She symbolizes pure willpower. Call in the strength of The Magician and maintain your willpower.
My second question for the Universe is: What mental health message do we need to hear this week?
This week, the Universe sends a message from...
The Page of Swords Reversed. And honestly, it makes sense with the time of year. That being, resolution season. It's well known that in those first few days, maybe first two weeks of the year, we as humans tend to be very enthusiastic regarding changing our lives. But the Page of Swords Reversed warns us about rushing into things, acting hastily, and being all talk, no action. With the Page of Swords Reversed, there is a genuineness to your intentions. It's well meaning. But jumping in with no strategy or poor strategy burns you out fast. It leads to setbacks, frustrations, and likely to giving up.
If you're looking to make a change in your life, be present about it. Take your time, think it through, and don't rush in. Make a realistic plan that takes your mental wellbeing into account.
That is everything this week my friends. If you've enjoyed Tarot Reflections, help others find us by leaving a rating and review. Give us a follow. And if you would, consider sharing us with a friend. You can find my socials on Instagram or Twitter at meganmentally and I'm over on TikTok at tarotreflectionspod.
If you are ready for more quick, easy, digestible bits of mental health guidance, you need to check out my weekly newsletter Permission to Thrive. Subscribe at the link in the show notes.
Until next time friends.