Lately I’ve been making a habit of asking myself the following question:

Is this nourishing me or is this poisoning me?

I got this inquiry from Martha Beck, whom I mentioned in my last post as well (clearly I’m on a kick lately). It’s one of those things that sounds ridiculously simple, but when you start implementing it… well.

Things change. The landscape shifts.

Of course, this is a metaphoric question. Nourishment and poison are not restricted to food (though the things you put in our body are certainly part of the equation). Your thoughts can be nourishing or poisoning. The content you consume – be that in the form of articles, social media, news, books and so on – can be nourishing or poisoning. The physical environments you hang out in can be nourishing or poisoning. Relationships can be nourishing or poisoning. And so on, and so on.

Here’s why this question isn’t actually as simple as it seems: you usually know the answer immediately on an intuitive level. You just know. Discerning if something is nourishing or poisonous for you is not a complicated process, your inner knowing is hardwired to make this distinction.

BUT.

The ego – which loves instant gratification (think the realm of the Devil card in tarot) – is very sneaky about trying to rebrand poison. This is the voice inside of you that says: “nooo, this totally isn’t poison! It’s fiiiiiiiine. It will provide a distraction, it will make you happy right now. It’s okay, go on, drink up…”

So it’s one thing to recognize: ah, this will nourish me. That will poison me. It’s an entirely different thing to actually consistently choose nourishment. Really implementing this question and allowing it to transform you requires you to cultivate a blend of self-love and self-discipline. Myself, I’m still fine-tuning that aforementioned blend of self-discipline and self-love. But as with anything, progress is more important than perfection.

Be gentle with yourself in this process, as it can take time and intention to redirect yourself towards more nourishing choices. It’s okay to start small. Eventually, it may right for you to make bigger, radical changes such as quitting poisonous jobs or leaving poisonous relationships. But you don’t need to rush yourself. Trust the pace of your expansion.

You may also find that the answers to this question shift for you. Do not assume that just because something was nourishing for you in one circumstance it will be nourishing in another. Choosing nourishment is a nuanced process, and it requires you to always tune in to the current state of your inner landscape.

Another caveat: not everything is black and white. I once had a job where I felt micromanaged and under-appreciated (poison) but it also provided insurance and paid my bills (nourishment). I’ve also had certain people in my life who anger me (poison), yet also force me to confront the shadowy shit within myself (nourishment). If you are CERTAIN something is entirely poisonous, it’s wise to do what you can to remove it from your life. But don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, as they say.

As I’ve been sitting with this question for myself lately, I’ve also been sitting with the Empress tarot card. She reminds me that I am allowed to choose nourishment. She affirms that being nourished and well-cared for is my birthright. As an idealized mother archetype, she reminds me that saying no to poison can sometimes be very hard, but I’ll feel better in the long run when I do it. She reminds me seeking nourishment is not selfish.

Perhaps most importantly, the Empress reminds me that choosing nourishment is how I bring the best version of myself forward. Choosing nourishment is not just about watching out for yourself, it is about tending to yourself so that you can be of greater service to the nourishment of all beings.

A few more random updates while I have you here:

• Tarot reading sessions for July are officially open as of today! We’ll connect via Skype and take a good ol’ deep dive into your messages from the cards. June sessions did sell out, and I’m only offering ten slots during July, so I’d recommend booking soon if you are interested. All the lovely details here.

• Each astrological season, Siobhan from Radical Tarot gathers twelve tarot readers to contribute tarotscopes for each zodiac sign. Cancer season messages are up now, and I contributed for Virgo! A few of my favorite readers such as Beth from Little Red Tarot, Vix from New Age Hipster and Ariel from Maven Unmasked also contributed this time around, so make sure to read your tarotscope here.

• The Light & Love Tarot Conference is coming up September 21 in Montreal. I’ll be giving a talk (alongside my freaking IDOLS Mary K Greer and Rachel Pollack). It’d be awesome to see you there! All the details here.

• Last but not least, and on a more personal note… I’ve still been navigating an annoying bit of resistance when it comes to blogging, and I really want to get back in the flow. So for the next week I’m challenging myself to blog every day, even if it’s just a short post. These ‘bonus’ posts won’t go out as emails, but you can check them out here on the site if you fancy.

Sending nourishing wishes to you always,

Book a private reading with me here.