Hello fellow humans,

I know you’re probably oversaturated with the news of the world right now, so I’m going to do two things with this message today.

In the first part, I’ll be talking about the big world news. I’ll try to do so in a calm and centered sort of way, but if you are inundated with this and don’t want to hear about it right now, that is valid.

If you’d like to scroll to the bottom of the email, I’m gonna share some miscellaneous stuff which is bringing me joy lately (music, TV shows, etc) so you can just scroll on down to the big bold text announcing ‘UNRELATED STUFF’ if you want to. It’s underneath the picture of The Sun.

First, I want to talk about what’s coming up for me personally right now. Above is a blackout poem I made a few years ago, which feels very relevant for me once again.

Look up.

This is the message that keeps coming through to me from the universe. I’ll be out on a walk worrying about this global pandemic, and the trees seem to whisper:

Look up.

I’ll be scrolling through my phone reading endless news articles and something within me calls…

Look up.

We can’t deny the gravity of this situation. It’s bad. People are sick and dying. Others pass the sickness along without knowing they are doing so. People who are already at a disadvantage due to their line of work, health, age, etc are now in an even worse spot. There’s economic uncertainty, parents scrambling to care for kids who are out of school, anxieties are running high. This is all real stuff that we can’t ignore or spiritually bypass.

Alongside all of this, there is the call.

Look up.

A couple of weeks ago, right before the shit hit the fan here in America, I went to an exhibit about Pompeii (and several years ago, I visited actual Pompeii on a trip to Italy). Here was this society, going about their lives, thinking everything was fine. Out of nowhere this tragic event hits and destroys everything. Not that the scale and impact are directly comparable, but some of the parallels between that and what’s happening right now were pretty unnerving.

It makes me think about one aspect of the Wheel of Fortune in tarot that is very important to me: you can’t control everything. Sometimes terrible things happen and they evade our understanding.

I’m kind of going to the dark place here, but you know… bad stuff happens. Bad stuff has always happened, and always will happen. Some people believe everything happens for a reason, but that is not my personal belief. I think some things are just random.

Humans like to find meaning in things. We are meaning makers. Story tellers. And maybe in time, we will find individual and collective stories that help us make sense of the coronavirus pandemic. Maybe you believe that this is some broader working of the universe that fits into a bigger plan. Or maybe you don’t. Either way of being is okay.

It may sound counterintuitive, but for me, giving myself permission to stop looking for a reason and meaning behind everything has been very freeing.

It’s okay if things feel random. It’s okay if stuff doesn’t make sense. Especially when you’re right in the middle of the wheel’s motion, as we are now.

So I went to the dark place talking about the Wheel of Fortune, but as they say, there’s always some light in the dark. So it’s a good time to talk about The Star. I’ve been drawing this card a lot lately. Here’s something I shared a couple of days ago on Instagram:

“The Star shows you that there is no need to be anything other than exactly what you are. You don’t need to be perfect, and you don’t need to respond to tragedy in any one right way. Even when times seem dark, there is an invitation to a moment of peace. This isn’t in an attempt to ignore or negate the reality of suffering, but rather to give you a broader perspective.”

This goes back to the recurring theme.

Look up.

Even in the bleakness, there are magical things happening right now:

People are choosing to keep physical distance (not spiritual distance!) to slow the spread of the virus. In Italy, people sing from balconies. In my neighborhood forums people are offering each other all sorts of assistance. Some people are finding space to reconnect with creative and spiritual practices.

And maybe I’m being overly optimistic here, but as a society we are being forced to acknowledge (and hopefully, find ways to mend) the flaws in our healthcare and economic systems.

Where I live, spring is slowly emerging. Going outside is still allowed, and it is necessary medicine. Put the phone down. Look up, and maybe you’ll see birds. Buds. Clouds. Signs of life and movement and sensuality and presence. Like we talked about with the Wheel of Fortune, bad things do happen, and always will. But wonderful things will always happen, too. So I’m not gonna stop looking around. But as much as possible, I’m going to look up.

A few posts I’ve written over the years with more thoughts on times of uncertainty:

Five Tarot Cards to Meditate On For Tough Times
I Hope, I Despair, I Hope
How To Stay Informed Without Losing Your Shit

UNRELATED STUFF!

Here are a few things which are bringing me joy and keeping me sane lately:

Listening to Harry Styles. I am a little bit in love with him, it’s fine. I was too old for One Direction but his solo stuff is real good. A few songs to try depending on your mood: feeling emotional about the state of the world? Sign of the Times. Want a bubbly, Vampire Weekend-esque song that matches the vibe of The Sun card above? Sunflower, Vol 6. Want a chill groovy song which is better live than on the album and also shows how great not only Harry is, but his band is? Lights Up. And my favorite HS song just for good measure: Ever Since New York.

PBS Passport. I mean I get that Disney + is all the hype right now but don’t sleep on PBS, people. I joined passport a couple months ago, gives you access to stream many PBS shows. My favorites right now: Antiques Roadshow and America’s Test Kitchen.

DOPE 4 Bird Personality Test. I have a thing for personality tests and this one delights me to no end. The concept is based around four types of birds: Dove, Owl, Pigeon and Eagle (hence DOPE), each exemplifying different traits. I got really excited about this when a friend described it to me, and I exclaimed :I want to know what bird I am!” Without skipping a beat, she said “oh, you’re a dove, hun.” Sure enough, I took the test online and I am, indeed, a dove. Take it for yourself.

Video games. My husband and I have been playing a fair amount of Mario Kart. We have many of them but 8 is my favorite. I need Nintendo to release a new one like, yesterday. I’m finally getting around to playing Final Fantasy 15 but not sure if I like it. I’ve also started replaying my favorite game of all time EarthBound – such an underrated classic. It’s funny! Has great music! It’s just phenomenal. And although I’ve never played Animal Crossing, I keep hearing about it everywhere lately and I’m thinking about getting the new one that comes out this week.

That’s it for now. Sending lots of love and chill vibes to all. If you have thoughts on anything shared here, please do leave a comment.

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