Tarot Reading for June 2016
AND
Blog #57: Why Is Mindfulness So Important?
Legacy of the Divine Tarot
6 OF COINS: Practicing generosity and having
compassion for others are positive actions we can take that will help us feel
better in these discordant times. There
is a balance of giving and receiving that is important and becomes more so now. We are not only talking about monetary or
material gifts, but also the feelings associated with giving of
ourselves—whether it is a random act of kindness, giving someone a sincere
compliment, or just saying hello to someone who passes by. Also, the idea of balance is embodied in this
card—is your life balanced in a healthy way? Are you drawing on both your
masculine and feminine sides? Are you using both your left and right brain
hemispheres so you come to decisions that are right for you? Are you staying in
a positive frame of mind and being grateful for the good things in the world,
rather than focusing on what is wrong and how bad things seem to be? You have
the power to get yourself balanced, and the rewards can be amazing.
THE LOVERS: This card can represent not only love,
friendship, relationships, or a partnership, but also choice, discernment, and
(once again) balance. The energy and
changes in the air now are requiring many of us to make choices about a variety
of things—deciding if we are truly happy and if not, what to do about it;
realizing that dissatisfaction is a good thing because it makes us move out of
the status quo; and understanding that the decisions we are making can be life-transforming. That is why use of discernment and careful
consideration are key. The idea of
self-love is also important, because many of us have been brought up to see
this as being selfish. We can alter our feelings about ourselves for the better
simply by looking in the mirror and saying to ourselves “I love you” every
single day or doing something just for ourselves. Lack of self-love appears to
be prevalent in our society, but asking yourself if you practice self-love can
bring awareness to this part of your life.
QUEEN OF SWORDS:
Some qualities this Queen possesses are being straightforward, independent,
fair, analytical, and perceptive; yet also compassionate, quick, and
gracious. The truth is very important to
her, and she can see through lies easily.
The current political state of our world is fraught with lies and
disinformation. Rather than getting upset and frustrated with this situation,
we can learn to be more like this Queen, who sees the truth yet is able to understand
and perceive what is really going on (i.e., things are being played out now
that have been occurring for many, many years).
She is compassionate and fair-minded, realizing that the truth cannot be
hidden for long. Truth will prevail.
10 OF SWORDS: We all have times in our lives when we think
that our current situation is as bad as it gets. We do eventually move through
the pain, knowing that there is an end in sight. This card could be a depiction
of the state of our world right now—we wonder how things can get any worse. But
10—the number of completion—tells us that a fresh start is possible. So rather
than feeling miserable and struggling against what is happening, just surrender
to what will be and keep sending unconditional love to all those who are
responsible for the sad state of the world.
Just know that things will get better—this is the Age of Aquarius after
all!
TRENDS FOR THE
MONTH: The themes for June are
balance, generosity, self-love, making wise choices, seeing the truth, and believing
that we are at the end of one cycle of challenges and are in the process of
moving into a better place. Practice kindness to others and yourself, look
critically at your current situation to make wise choices about your future,
see the truth without getting discouraged, and have faith that things can and
indeed will change. Keep a positive
mindset as we all wait for this cycle to end, for a new age is dawning.
Blog #57: Why Is Mindfulness So Important?
Retrieved from www.mindfulness.colostate.edu
Mindfulness is focusing awareness on the present moment, and
it does not require meditation or doing anything extra special. It just requires putting awareness into
everything we do in our lives. If practiced regularly, it can become a daily
habit and life-long routine leading to happiness and a sense of well-being.
One author defines mindfulness as
“. . . the
awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present
moment and non-judgmentally. That sounds pretty simple…but actually when we
start paying attention to how much we pay attention, half of the time our minds
are all over the place and we have a very hard time sustaining attention.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/habits-mindful-people_n_5186510.html)
Why is being mindful important? As we start practicing mindfulness, we can
enjoy life more, because we are actually more productive when we pay attention
to what we are doing each moment. Have
you ever done a simple task, such as turning off a coffee pot, but not paying
attention to what you are doing, and then can’t remember if you turned it off
or not? As you are driving away, you may
keep wondering about that coffee pot.
This is an example of not being mindful.
When we are mindful
while eating, we can enjoy our food more and eat more slowly (which is better
for digestion anyway). If mindful while
doing housework, we can change our perception of it from drudgery to something
more—a task that makes us more aware of the floor we are sweeping or the
furniture we are dusting, perhaps even grateful that we have a house and
furniture to clean.
It does take practice, but if you just try it for even one
hour, you may be amazed at how you feel.
Some ways to practice mindfulness
Ø
Do one
thing at a time. When
eating, just eat. When brushing your teeth, just brush. Don’t multi-task.
Ø
Do each
thing slowly and deliberately.
Don’t rush; take your time and move slowly. This helps your focus.
Ø
Do less. Even if you are busy and feel you must rush
from one task to another, you do have the ability to figure out what is
important and letting go of what is not.
Ø
Don’t
schedule things close together.
Give yourself time to fully complete one thing before going on to the
next. This will help you feel more relaxed and less rushed.
Ø
Spend five
minutes a day doing nothing. Sit in
silence, noticing your breathing, your thoughts, the sounds around you, what
you see (you don’t have to close your eyes). Allow yourself to be comfortable
with silence and stillness.
Ø
Rather than
worrying about the future, focus on the present. Become more aware of what you are thinking—do you tend to worry about what
has not yet happened? Recognize when you
are doing this, and bring your thoughts back to the present and what you are
doing at that moment.
Ø
Be present
when talking with someone. When
engaged in conversation with someone, instead of thinking what you will say
next, or all the things you have to do, concentrate and focus on the person you
are with, giving him/her your undivided attention so you can enjoy yourself
more.
Tips that may be helpful
Mindful
people:
Ø
Take walks
and get outside. A walk
connects you with nature, calms the mind, and facilitates greater awareness.
Ø
Turn daily
tasks into mindful moments. Pay
more attention to daily tasks as you are performing them.
Ø
Create. Sing, play, dance, doodle—do whatever you
enjoy and let your imagination soar. Creative activities help you get into a
state of quiet flow.
Ø
Pay
attention to their breathing. Calming
the breath helps to calm the mind.
Ø
Do only one
task at a time. This helps you stay in the
moment.
Ø
Know when
to disengage from the phone. When
interacting with others, give them your full attention.
Ø
Seek out
new experiences. To step
into the unknown is to find balance between holding on and letting go.
Ø
Feel your
feelings without suppressing them.
Accept what you are feeling without resisting it.
Ø
Meditate. Go within, even for just a few minutes; it
can be a walking meditation or just a short time being alone in silence.
Ø
Are
conscious of what they put into their bodies and minds. Eat healthy, nourishing food and spend some
time away from television, social media, mindless gaming.
Ø
Don’t take
themselves too seriously. Remember to laugh, even when things aren’t
going well.
Ø
Let their
minds wander when they feel like it.
Imagining and fantasizing can actually help us be more mindful.
So why not trying being mindful just
once during the day? As you gain practice, you can increase the mindful
instances gradually. It could become a wonderful habit.
Sources
http://mrsmindfulness.com/3-habits-to-help-you-maintain-mindfulness-all-day-long/
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-obstacles-to-mindfulness-and-how-to-overcome-them/
