Teabag Tarot: Today's Gratitude

Buddha Tea

This morning I woke softly with gentle wisps from a dream circling my head. Not that the dream itself was soft or gentle. So much more than that, it was significant.

The details remain deep within me. They provide a pattern of explanations for much that I've been experiencing these past few weeks.

So, what does that have to do with being grateful? I'm grateful for the nudging of the issues which arose recently. Honestly, some shoved more than nudged. All seemed relatively small and even unrelated, until the dream. I'm grateful for the perspective.

When people talk about being grateful for adversities which arise in our lives, I generally get annoyed or even angry. "Be grateful for your car accident." or "Thank the Divine for being downsized out of a job." are absurd statements that border on being abusive for so many reasons. Adverse situations, feelings of fear or personal losses are nothing to make flip comments about.

My issues tugged at me, took me into dark moments, created feelings of fear or overwhelm. They nagged at the back of my mind as I slept. Enough so that I lost sleep over them. Enough so that I dreamed about them. Then, last night, the dreams coalesced into one ~ and took me for an unexpected ride into my past and my emotional attachment to a story I had from it. Like an arrow, they pointed to one particular incident and one forgotten feeling. Shot by that arrow, I woke chuckling quietly and thinking, "Oh! So that's where all this is coming from!"

Gratitude is a practice. I could have gone through that entire dream process and never allowed it into my heart. My practice of gratitude ~ noticing and being thankful for even the littlest things in my life ~ helped seal the lesson in place. I'll probably continue to work with it. Each time it surfaces, the lesson will go a little deeper until I finally shower it with enough light and gratitude to break it apart. For that, I am thankful.

What little things nag at you? How do they show up? Do they ever join together? What do your dreams tell you about them? Do you practice gratitude? If so, how does it affect your life? If not, why not? How does that affect your life?

Teabag Tarot: Constancy

It's been waaay too long since I've written in this blog. Much has happened. Nothing has happened. Everything has happened. The past year has been busy, overfull, quiet, reflective, healing, amazing. Time for another shift.

The trigger for this shift? This Teabag Tarot hangs from my cup of steeping tea. I smile. It touches my endless soul, nudging me back to writing. Yay! Whew! It's about time! Words are important. They have the power to create and to destroy.

The framing of this small statement pointed me toward creation. Not only is our soul constant, continuous and endless. So is the beauty of that soul. The assumption is obvious: belief not only in the existence of the soul, but also in its continuity.

My personal focus is on its constancy. The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines constancy as steadfastness of mind under duress. That's the point. No matter what is going on. No matter the storms flinging themselves at our door. No matter the beauty or horror or tediousness in our lives. The beauty that lies at the core of our being is constant. *Sigh* What a concept! Something that we can rely on not because it reflects our outer world, but because it simply is that way.

Do you believe in your own soul? If not, what do you believe in? If so, how does it show you its existence? What beauty does your soul bring to the world? How does it provide constancy to and for you?

Conscious Forgiveness

Today's Teabag Tarot shows up as Uranus the Change-Maker begins its transit in Taurus. Change ~ whether desired, expected or sudden ~ produces its own level of stress and anxiety. As we experience our own variety of change, interacting with others in the midst of theirs can be complex. Feelings are often on edge during these passages and are more easily hurt.

As we progress into the various stages of shift and change, we also have the opportunity to remember that we have choice. And control. Maybe not over what happens, but certainly over how quickly, radically or rationally we react. Even if we react with undue haste or rudeness, we can choose to express our regrets afterward.

If we are the ones hit by another's hasty retort or action, we have another type of choice: whether or not to forgive. As today's Teabag Tarot so clearly points out, forgiveness is up to us. It is an individual act of conscious choosing. Forgiveness softens us. It reveals our best nature, our recognition of the other's humanity.

As we learn and lean into forgiveness, it also helps us. Think about the last time someone hurt or offended you ~ called you a name, spoke poorly of your work or appearance, stole from you, any situation that caused you pain. Our first reaction is generally hurt. Then we slip into anxiety and blame. It's part of our human nature. Think about how your body feels at these moments ~ muscles tense, heart rate increases, breathing speeds up or gets held, all signs of adrenaline and norepinephrine kicking in. There's a desire to run, hide or fight.

For several years, I worked with someone who was a bully ~ and I was one of the targets. They were good at their job and bosses ignored their bullying actions. My personal way of reacting was to hide or freeze. This person chewed me out in front of other co-workers, providers and clients. Over time, I learned to actively step into curiosity, internal questions: What made this person so angry? Who had hurt them so badly that they felt the need to hurt others? What did they gain from their bullying? I noted other stressors in their work environment at the time of each outburst: encounters not going the way they wanted them to; a meeting going sideways; support personnel being absent. All changes they couldn't control. Their bullying behaviors didn't change, but my responses did. I was less cowed, more assertive or simply quiet. My capacity to forgive, though not changing the actions of the other, changed me. Each time adrenaline and norepinephrine kicked in, I still froze, but I recovered from the effects more quickly.

As we consciously move into forgiveness, we counter these physical effects. We can breathe through what feels like an attack. This is not as easy to do as it is to say. It's a practice ~ which is why it has to be conscious. But actively practicing it helps our overall health.

How do you react to change? Do you want to fight? flee? freeze? Do you carry grudges against others who have wronged you? How do you feel each time you think of or encounter that person? What are your physical reactions to these thoughts? What are your physical reactions if/when you ask for forgiveness? How about after that?

Teabag Tarot: Light and Dark

I take my tea seriously. Well, maybe not my tea as much as the Teabag Tarot which accompanies it. This one was especially poignant since I've recently gone through a rather dark moment.

Dark moments happen. Our reflection seems a bit dingy. Our minds quietly turn toward melancholy. Our hearts feel too heavy for breath. These moments last however long they last ~ days or weeks or years. We may tumble in for an extended period or cycle in and out as the moments capture us.

When we're in the midst of them, we struggle to believe in, much less see and feel, the light. No matter. The light is there. Feeding us. Supporting us. Reaching toward us. As we emerge from our dark moment, we recognize that. We may rage against the light, howling about its desertion of us. Again, no matter. The light moves toward us, surrounds us, nurtures us. We breathe it in and move on.

Details of my dark moment stacked one upon another, consisting mostly of watching friends going through painful transitions that ranged from an unwanted move to significant health issues to the beginnings of dementia. As I slid from one to another of my friends' issues, rest eluded me. I slipped into an anxiety of my own, compounded by juggling connections and too much busyness. Little things that normally would glissade past, now crowded onto the stack. I watched sleep pass further out of reach. Sound familiar?

The four charges in this Teabag Tarot resonate like proverbs in my ear. We hear them, maybe even say them, with increasing frequency. Live light. Keep your life as simple as possible. Open yourself to the beauty around you. Travel light. Don't take or take on more than you can carry. Be ready to give up whatever doesn't serve you. Lighten your own load. Spread the light. Share the beauty within you. Listen to others. Give of yourself. Be the light. Live with self-understanding. Be an example of vulnerability and courage for others. When I remember these charges, when I actively practice them, they don't make the dark moments go away. They simply remind me of the balance of light and darkness in my life, our lives and our world.

What dark moments have you gone through? How did you get through them? Where are you now in the movement from light to dark? What practices help you find balance? What practices do you want to increase? diminish? maintain?

Unhurried Nature

Many of the great prophetic voices said this same thing in different ways. Today's Teabag Tarot is a translation of Lao Tzu's version: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. The version from the book of Ecclesiastes reads: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

We learn to rush through things, to hurry every process we can. Yet most things occur in their own course of time. When children or animals are born prematurely, a range of consequences can happen. When fruit is plucked before its time, its flavor and sweetness suffer. When we rush through traffic, we miss signs and cause accidents. No matter what motion or growth or activity is concerned, hurrying rarely helps.

I grew up around the Ecclesiastes version, including one turned into a folk song, Turn, Turn, Turn. Children often want to grow up more quickly. In today's bustle, even the seasonal celebrations are rushed: Halloween beginning right after school starts in September; Christmas following on the heels of Halloween; summer clothing showing up in February. The result of all this hurrying is anxiety ~~ the constant concern of never being ready, never being or having enough.

With one holiday over and another on the way, my plan is to allow for the pace of Nature. My trip to the beach reinforced the notion that nothing I do can change the progress of time or the fickleness of Nature. I wanted more time on the sands of the beach. Instead, I had time inside, watching the storms blow through. Quieting my body to the rhythm of Nature, allowing my mind to relax its vigilant pace. Winter is the time of Nature's hibernation. Rather than rush frantically around, I will allow for the quiet, leave time for rest, wake up to what Nature is teaching.

How do you pace yourself? What do you attempt to rush? What causes you to be more anxious? Over what do have control? What more can you learn from Nature about pacing?

Flower or Weed?

Today's Teabag Tarot brought many recent discussions to mind. We've discussed the recent elections which brings out a full range of vocalized opinions. We've discussed various circles from family to friends to work buddies ~ and all the intricacies of being with and around them. We've discussed the weather, the traffic, the latest store closure or opening. We've discussed how to prepare turkey and what to put into the dressing and which bell-ringers should or should not be singing holiday songs. In other words, every possible topic under the sun.

As each topic arises and is discussed, everyone's personal opinion about it surfaces as well. Although some topics, such as the elections, may bring out fierce commentaries, most of them have the potential to create impassioned statements.

One topic thoroughly discussed in the past week was the preparation of the Thanksgiving turkey ~ specifically, the preparation of the dressing. Savory? Sweet? Giblets? Oyster? In the turkey? Separate? The list of topics goes on forever. Everyone has an opinion, a preference, and wants to be heard.

So ~ in the midst of these discussions, this Teabag Tarot appears: The difference between a flower and a week is a judgment. I paused in my listening to the specific words. Each person has their point of view. For one person, adding the giblets was the flower and for the other person, it was the weed. Each has their position, their judgment, and was not interested in budging from that spot.

I thought about other conversations I'd participated in or listened to. Most of them remained civil even when strongly different opinions surfaced. The Teabag Tarot revealed the core of the discourse: what we stand on is simply our judgment. It's good to reflect on that ~ and on the similarity we share with our opponent as we do.

How many discussions have you had today ~ or this week ~ where someone changed their position? How strongly did you feel about your flower? their weed? About what topics are you most passionate? Which topics matter less?

Be the Lighthouse

My latest Teabag Tarot took me by pleasant surprise today. By nature, I am clearly a dualist.... half light, half dark. I swing from one to the other and every stage and step in between.

When people tell me to change my beliefs, emotions or actions in some way, my first reaction is to dig in and refuse. I want to acknowledge what is currently true for me before stepping into the change space. Change is also part of my nature ~ early on in my life my mother called me Windy because my moods changed like or with the wind. I want to own the change myself. And I do. I swing back and forth ~ and I do it to my own tempo.

That made today's Teabag Tarot especially pertinent. It felt quixotic.... and it felt grounding. All at the same time. I look at what is most important to me, what feeds my soul, what rises out of the dark depths of my being. What I find in those depths is that gentle spreading of the light at dawn ~ or at the rise of the full moon. I love bathing in the often surprisingly soothing light of the full moon. Everything in me gets lighter. No matter what the situation around me, I find myself smiling, wanting to dance or prance in that light.

First, the light has to spread inside me ~ to fill my dark corners and brighten my senses. Then, I can stretch out and be the lighthouse. The light inside me beams out toward others. I know they see and feel it. It is reflected in them, in their responses to me. It's not particularly MY light or a glaringly bright light. It's gentle, accepting of where they are, helping to carry them on to the next place or moment or day.

Being a lighthouse means essentially two things: the light comes from within and it shines through the fog, the dark and the storm. There's no need for a lighthouse in the glaring noonday light or when everything is going our way. It's more important now than ever: when we are all in the midst of turmoil, darkness and change. I'll do what I can.

What are you doing to encourage the light within you? How are you being a lighthouse? Are you in need of a lighthouse? Where do you look to find that light? Who in your life spreads that light and encouragement? Are there moments when you can find the light within? and moments when you can't?

Love Law

I never cease to be amazed at the combinations that show up when I play Teabag Tarot. I often combine two teas in one extra-large travel tumbler.... and I have no idea what their messages will be. When these two arrived in the same brewing, I was bopped over the head with their message of the law of love.

Much discussion with friends and others focuses on the need we each and all have for love. Questions that surface:

• How do we search for it? 
• Who do we feel disappointed us? 
• When did we have a time when we had enough? 
• What does enough love even mean?
• How does that search for love drive us at work? at play? in our families?

When I saw these messages, it was more like a strum on the heartstrings than on the head. Why search for love when that is what we are? I recognized that it's been awhile since I was drawn into actively searching for love.... since I felt as though what I was, what I AM, wasn't complete or enough.

Even so, was I practicing that last statement ~ the one that says Love is the ultimate law of life? Maybe not completely, but more at this time of my life than I have in the past. There's a wildly caustic election battle going on around me. Even though I am appalled by many of the revelations surrounding one candidate, my emotions have been more curious, more fascinated, more intrigued than hateful or spiteful. Even when people accuse or shame others about their candidate ~ no matter which it is, I find my head tipping to one side, my thoughts wisping to Huh, my heart reaching out to theirs. Is that practicing that Love Law? I think so. I believe that any time we release the option to hate we are allowing love to flow. As long as we ~ as I ~ continue to do that, hope remains alive in the world.

How do you practice the Love Law? What triggers your search for love? How do you know when/if you believe you are the love? When do you know you're complete? How does that Love Law show up in your life?

Life and Courage

Great gratitude to the tea companies that provide me with Teabag Tarot! This one arrived attached to a my tea yesterday. It resonated deeply with me.

Despite the words, I do not believe this is truly saying life itself doesn't matter. It's the details of life, the day-to-day stuff that happens, that is less important. In the long run, it won't matter if your work colleague took credit for your idea or if your lawn was mowed every weekend or if you had the highest gpa in seventh grade. What makes a difference is what you bring to the adversity you face. How did you respond when someone put you down? What did you do when the doctor gave you a worrisome diagnosis? How did you face the rapids when you were whitewater rafting?

Courage is a force within each of us. It shows up in different ways. Sometimes it's the moments when we break down, weep and wail over what's been lost, and continue on. Or the times when we find we need to turn our backs on a painful situation and move on. Or the times when we step in to fully embrace a new situation. Courage comes into our lives in times of change, whether radical or subtle, desired or resisted, adventurous or mundane. It does not reveal itself the same way in each person or in each situation.

We value strong shows of courage ~ and the people who exhibit them. We often don't recognize the less flashy kind. The mother whose child is born with a disability, whose courage is a daily movement and coupled with love. The youth whose dream is to be an artist and continues his art, no matter what. The surgeon who leaves her practice when she realizes her hands are no longer as steady as they once were. These are courageous moments too. They are the day-to-day decisions we make about how we will go on. Courage comes from a deep place within us, a wellspring we often don't know we have until we need it.

In what situation has courage arisen in your life? How do you recognize it in others? What kind of practice might cultivate courage for you?

Forgivenesses #1

Since I am one of those strange folk who has no appreciation for the taste of coffee, I begin nearly every morning with tea. I have been using brands that have the teabag version of fortunes attached to them. I refer to these as Teabag Tarot. Today I got these two which echoed each other's message. The cornerstone: forgiveness.

Pausing as I sip the near-boiling brew, my mind trips from one scene to another. It begins with moments where I felt left out: laughter gathering between my parents and brother; friends choosing sides for baseball and I'm the odd number out; schoolmates chatting about the upcoming prom and I have no date; walking into a room and feeling a hush begin. Knowing everyone feels this way, I can often settle my personal anxiety and move on.

Who do I need to forgive in each of these scenes? Who has added to the anxiety? I find that what helps me heal and move on is to forgive ~ forgive my family who simply found the same things funny; forgive the friends who didn't want a non-athletic person on their baseball team; forgive the schoolmates who didn't know I wasn't going to prom. Most of all, forgive myself. Forgive myself for letting these things matter, for letting them define me, for letting them create the pattern of sadness in my life. When I have forgiven, I feel lighter, more buoyant, happier.

When have you felt left out? How has that happened? What have you done about it? Have you forgiven those who left you out, on your own? Have you forgiven yourself? How did that work out for you?

Faith in Myself

Usually I have a pleasantly upbeat attitude. Lately, though, I find myself rocking wildly between upbeat and beaten up. This emotional roller coaster takes its toll on me when this happens.

Sometimes, maintaining equilibrium in the midst of everything life tosses my way is not as simple as at other times. This happens to be one of those more challenging times.

I have several decisions to make ~ important decisions, life-changing decisions, radical truth decisions. Every hillock and valley the roller coaster careens over and through leaves its tracks. If these decisions, or any one of these decisions, was not present in my life, maybe the sense of vertigo would abate. Not gonna happen. Because every one of these decisions is here, demanding attention now.

This morning, when making my cuppa, I was struck with joy at seeing this Teabag Tarot attached to my teabag. The first part of the koan, wisdom in your actions, felt a bit flimsy. I am not secure in the wisdom of my actions. I move forward, as openly and honestly as I can without leaving myself vulnerable to attack as I maneuver through the daily minefields. Am I wise? Well, as wise as I can be under the circumstances.

It was the second phrasing that twanged the chord in my heart: faith in your merits. I have been feeling wobbly and anxious, challenged and singled out, with a notable lack of faith in myself. This little piece of paper gave me pause to re-evaluate my personal truth: I am lovable, capable and worthy. What I think, feel, do and say matters. I am a positive influence on others. Funny how reading those four simple words on a tag attached to a teabag can boost my spirit and carry me through my day.

Do you believe in your merits? What are they? Can you list at least three? How do you feel when you do list them? Say them out loud. Do you feel different? List them somewhere where you can see them throughout the day. Look at them when anyone, including yourself, attempts to belittle or diminish you.

Relaxed Mind

I began my day today with a cup of tea ~ which provided this lovely Teabag Tarot comment. Reflecting on several recent discussions, I chuckled and shook my head when I saw it... that relaxed, creative mind also calls forth these quotes or images. It's as though the mind, given the space and the stillness, creates what it most needs to thrive.

One friend would refer to it as the Law of Attraction. Relaxing my mind, reaching for the higher vibration, attracts the flow which, for me, shows up as creativity. For someone else, it may show up differently. I want to attract creativity. I like the feeling of that creative flow. So here I am, writing about it.

When I feel tense (as in distracted, upset, stressed, or overwhelmed, to name a few sources of tension) my brain and being shift closer to or into survival mode. At that point, creativity is not bubbling forth as an option. I am into protecting myself. Everything is focused on that end. Even though creativity and rational thinking may be great allies, they are difficult to access. If I'm fortunate enough to recognize that I've gone reptilian, I take a minute or two or more to refocus, to shift. I breathe deeply. Or I stretch my limbs. Or I go outside, change the scenery. It generally doesn't take long.

After my breath returns to its normal, less constricted pace, and my muscles find movement comfortable, I can pick up a pen or sit at a keyboard and write or grab a brush and paint or look for images in a magazine. Anything to keep myself balanced and relaxed. Then even the muscles of my face relax into a smile and I find centered space and joy.

Understanding that creativity finds many forms, what does your mind create when its relaxed? What activities keep you centered? What clues does your system give to let you know you're tense? How do you shift from tense to relaxed?

Faith in One's Merits

Thirteen months ago, I wrote about feeling like a failure. The two blog posts that followed continued the journey back to balance.

Today, things were reversed. My Teabag Tarot tag this morning was "Have wisdom in your actions and faith in your merits." I felt the tug of the phrase throughout the day. By day's end, I was tumbling into the sense of self-imposed wrongness. Pausing to re-read this tag lifted my spirits like a jolt of caffiene.

"Have...faith in your merits" was the wave I rode back to the Light. Deciding to look up the word merit, I found "the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward." Was I worthy? Was I good? My wonderful internal gyroscope responded with a resounding YES.

What does it mean to have faith in my merits? The possibilities take my breath away! It means believing in myself, in my own worthiness as a person and in whatever situation I find myself. It all has to sstart wit me ~ or more precisely, within me. I have to believe in myself. If I don't, there is no reason anyone else should ~ and I won't believe them even if they say they do. My strength arises from those moments of doubt and struggle, yet continuing to recognize my own brighter self.

What are your merits? What gifts make you worthy of recognition, of praise, of reward? Do you have faith in your own merits? What do you do when your faith in yourself falters? How do you re-balance yourself?

Achieving a Smile

My latest Teabag Tarot.... and I'm giggling about it. Really? A smile is an achievement? Well, sometimes it is.

Sometimes happenings take me by surprise: a friend's hospitalization, a new pet at a relative's house, a pink slip in my pay envelope. Most surprises bring with them a sense of "oh, no!" which can translate into anything from fear to grief to shock. Even when the news is good ~ an engagement, an upcoming graduation, a raise ~ my first reaction is rarely a smile. To smile, to show happiness, at those moments is an accomplishment all in and of itself.

It's also difficult at times to get those corners of my mouth to turn up. When I am focused on work, I can feel my lips purse with intention. When I am doing housework or riding my bike or writing this blog, often my thoughts are flying faster than my fingers and I am not necessarily smiling either. Smiling at those moments, although happier times, also happens with reminders.

My giggling at this particular Teabag Tarot shows the strange paradox of the seriousness as well as the lightheartedness of its message. I look forward to practicing and rewarding myself with a smile as often as I can.

Do you ever feel the difficulty of smiling? How do you remind yourself to smile more often? When was the last time you caught yourself smiling and wondered why? What was the most difficult time for you to smile?

Be Yourself

Today, my Teabag Tarot showed up with this gem: be yourself. I chuckled.

"Wow," I thought, "that's one tough thing to do."

The past few weeks have been rough. No particular reason ~ everything on the outside is going well: work, family, finances, even the weather. Yet ~~ yet ~~ I had no motivation to write my blog posts. I'd been doing so well ~ and recently found my brain more void than fruitful. Every time I attempted to write, I'd reach a spot where the words stopped flowing. Or I'd fall asleep. Or I couldn't stop looking at something useless and trivial online.

It wasn't that words weren't there. It was that I couldn't quite access them. As though I was reaching through a fog toward an unseen and unknown spot.

That's who I was in that moment. My belief in myself, in my ability to draw words onto paper, remained in tact. The surface itself was shifting following the direction of the wind. I settled in. I allowed my deepest center to hibernate, to find rest and ease, to settle into the rhythm of the coming winter.

Allowing the space for that to happen isn't easy. I want more to happen; I want to move, to create, to feel the lightness of what's within me bubbling out. Recently, though, it's less a bubbling and more a slow drip.

As the Winter Solstice approaches, I feel that inner compass turning toward the stronger sun. I'm thrilled to feel the pull.

What do you do when your creativity rests? What does it mean for you to "be yourself"? How do you let go of the "shoulds"? What do you feel when you do?

Loving Your Soul

Teabag Tarot....what an incredible, crazy, wonderful statement to awaken to!

Love. Your. Soul.

The words themselves, run together into a sentence as they are, appear simple to the point of being a no-brainer. Yet the number of people I see who clearly do not love their souls astounds me.

Clearly I don't always love my soul. I don't think about it, consider how the consequences of my actions reflect the care I have, or do not have, for my soul. When I allow stress to take over my life to the point where I eat everything in sight or sit around the house in a stupor....then I'm not showing care for my soul.

I don't show care for my soul when I disrespect myself. That can be by talking in a way that others may approve of, but that is not healthy for me ~ like gossiping or making fun of others. Or it can be the way I carry myself, from wearing clothing to "fit in" to using language I may or may not otherwise use or smoking. It isn't about whether or not I do any of these things, the actions themselves are neutral. It's about my intention when I do them.

Loving my soul ~ loving your soul ~ takes practice and presence. It takes paying attention to my thoughts and intentions. Sometimes it also means taking time to be alone so that I can check in with my soul, recognize how it responds when I act or speak or move or dress certain ways. I want to love my soul. That's where the entire practice begins.

How do you show love for your soul? What practices do you have to stay in touch with your soul? Do you recognize its rhythm? What will you do to keep in touch with that part of you?

Good Advice

How many times has someone told you to 'just be yourself' and assured you that everything would be fine? How many times have you given that advice to another?

I heard that phrase multiple times each year I headed into a new school or a new setting. I was the quiet one, the introvert who watched more than participated. Somehow, being myself required that I be more outspoken. Or simply spoke more. Not going to happen. I'm not sure the speaker knew myself well. Being myself often was painful because others didn't approve or like or notice who I was.

Now that I'm older, and presumably wiser, I have an extremely different view of the advice to 'be yourself.' First, I've grown to accept the introvert within me, even to the point of honoring her and holding her close. I've learned how to be myself in the midst of a group and have many friends. My introvert self is bookish and has a wicked sharp wit and tongue. People laugh at my one-liners and find my stories pleasant to hear. Those are all facets of me that thrived within the introvert self.

'Be yourself' is incredibly rich and difficult advice. Our culture, although it holds particular strong individuals in high esteem, encourages us to be more alike than different. From a young age, we are taught by adults and peers around us that looking, acting, speaking and being a particular way ~ like the group ~ will gain for us acceptance, protection, affection.

"Who else can you be?" you may well ask. It's not a question of who else I can be, but of how deeply and thoroughly I can hide significant parts of myself ~ parts that put my individuality on display.

It's exciting to get 'be yourself' as my Teabag Tarot' advice today. It gives me a reason to review how much of myself I choose to show, how much I choose to hide, and how thoroughly I know who I am through it all.

How fully do you follow the advice to 'be yourself'? What facets of your personality do you feel a need or desire to hide? With whom can you more fully expose who you are? Where do you find yourself hiding?

Become Infinity

Aahh. Another 'Teabag Tarot' moment!

I love the simplicity of this thought. Open up to infinity. Open up to the Divine. Open up to joy. Open up to ..... whatever it is you want to manifest in your life.

If you open to infinity, to infinite possibility, you choose having that in your life. It's easy to continue in the mundane processes of our day-to-day existence and pretend that everything is 'just fine' ~ forgetting that there is so incredibly much more to who and what we are.

What does it mean to 'become infinity'? For me, it means to partake of the universe, to allow for all the possible wonderful things to occur in my life. Becoming infinity. Wow! What a concept! Allowing my soul, my spirit, my deepest part of my being, to expand to a place and point where I don't recognize my surroundings. Where life is multidimensional, as in more than 3D. It means to flow in the moment, to let go of the parameters I place on myself, the expectations of limitation.

I know how 'woo-woo' that sounds. It's not about seeing anything other than what's already there. For me, becoming infinity encompasses new definitions of what is possible and I like that feeling.

What does 'becoming infinity' mean to you? How would you open yourself to infinity? Why would you open yourself up? What good can come of it? What risk?