Hey guys – I’m baaack! My blog took a holiday nap, and now it has woken up refreshed and ready to resume new posts each Tuesday.

While my blog has been sleeping, I have been very much awake. I travelled across the country for Christmas. I lovingly completed a multitude of readings for my clients. And the biggest news: I’ve been packing up the apartment I’ve lived in for six years, and I’ve been painting, cleaning and otherwise preparing my new home.

I’ve found myself wishing there were two of me lately. I am really excited about my new house – I’m a Cancer and the concept of home is crucial to us – but it has left me with less time and energy than usual to devote to my business. This has been a struggle for me because I LOVE my business. It is one of the most important things in my life.

This morning I asked for guidance from the Japaridze tarot and drew the Two of Gardens. This card speaks gorgeously to what I’ve been going through lately, and it’s a reminder that adjusting priorities is something we ALL have to handle.

Because the truth is that there is no FIXED recipe for a tasty life. We can’t divvy up our time and energy into rigid categories and stick to them always (as tempting as that sounds!). Our energy, focal points and interests are constantly in flux.

Sometimes home life will be your main focus, and you’ll have to shift some attention away from other happenings. Other times work, health, or hobbies will take center stage.

We are all juggling a combination of focuses, doing our best to make space (be that space big or small) for the various facets of our life.

The balancing act of being human is kind of like being a chef. You have to constantly taste your life and consider what needs adjusting. Do you need another dash of play? Maybe a pinch of solitude? Perhaps you need to get a better handle on your work life, or give some extra attention to your home life. The recipe truly isn’t fixed – it’s a process of constantly tasting your life and shifting as you go.

Of course, we can’t skate over the fact that this juggling act can be difficult. It can feel like too much to handle, it can be awkward and clumsy. It’s important to remember that we’re not in this alone. Everyone you know is trying to keep their own balls in the air, and everyone you know struggles with this process sometimes.

The key is finding the joy in the juggle, thinking of it as a game instead of a burden. We can’t do it all, so it’s okay to let some stuff drop. We might make mistakes from time to time, but then we can pick up the pieces and move forward. It is okay to experiment with what works for you. It is okay to change your priorities from day to day, week to week, even hour to hour.

Roll with your shifting energy and take care of yourself. Fixating on what you ‘should’ be doing will only further drain your energy.

Be here now, do what you can, and have a damn good time making up your own recipe as you go along.

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The Hermit :: Dreaming Way Tarot

Can you feel that? That little pull, that heightened sense of possibility bubbling up within you? Uh huh, that’s the new year energy starting to swirl around! At this time of year, a lot of us feel like we are being called to level up: to feel better, to create change, to acknowledge our weaknesses and enhance our strengths. Of course, you can choose to level up on any date, but it’s fun to tap into the symbolic power we bestow on New Years Day.

If you are ready to up your game in 2016 and could use some additional perspective…turn to the cards. Tarot can help you clarify your existing goals for the year, and it can also bring light to things you haven’t yet considered. You can use tarot to enhance your game plan for 2016, or you can use tarot to create your approach from scratch. Here are three ways you can level up for your new year with tarot!

1. Use this spread to reflect on the previous year

A new year offers a chance for a fresh start, but none of us are starting with a blank canvas. Before you fixate on the masterpiece you want to create next year, consider what you’ve painted this year. Here’s a simple and effective three card spread to help you look back at the past year. This will help you move into 2016 with useful knowledge about where you’ve been.

When you’re clear about the past, it’s a lot easier to get clear about the future. (tweet this)

Card one: What do I most need to reflect on from 2015?
Card two: What might I need to leave behind?
Card three: What is best to carry forward?

2. Open yourself to monthly synchronicities

A lot of people draw twelve cards at the beginning of the year, using them to consider incoming energies for each month. I did this a little differently this year, and my approach might work for you, as well. When I drew my twelve cards, I took note of overall trends and possibilities, but I didn’t attempt predictions.

Instead, at the beginning of each month, I turned again to the card that I’d drawn. I jotted down any ideas I already had about how that card might be relevant to my life. Then, as the month progressed, I would make note of any synchronicities that transpired, and consider any new insights the month brought me regarding my selected card.

This exercise is interesting in a few ways. First, it helps you stay mindful. Since the cards haven’t been used to make definitive predictions, your chosen card becomes more of a jumping off point to look for possibilities. Second, it can help deepen your relationship with the cards and expose you to different angles of their messages. Try this for yourself this year and see how things unfold!

3. Choose a theme word for the year

I am not anti-resolution, but I do find that resolutions sometimes become stiff and uninspiring. For 2015, I decided to try something different and used a theme word for the first time. A theme word (otherwise known as a power word) is an intuitively selected word that you use as a beacon for your year.

This worked really well for me largely because using a theme word is open ended. I selected my word using tarot, and here’s how you can do the same! Get your deck and shuffle, asking to be guided to a word that will uplift you during 2016. Pull three cards. As you look at your cards, let each card intuitively inspire one word.

It’s important to note that your word may or may not be related to the card’s traditional meaning. The point is to let the cards serve as a springboard for your imagination. Once you have three words, you can then choose the one that resonates the most strongly with you. That’ll become your theme word for the year!

If you’d like some additional guidance, I’m now offering Setting Your Theme for 2016 readings – click here for more info. In addition to reflecting on the previous year and giving insight for the year ahead, this reading also gives you three specific words that you might use as your theme for the year.

This year, I’m going to try something a little different. I’m going to use two theme words – one that I consciously choose, and one that I’m guided to through tarot. You can use theme words however you like. Take this concept and mold it so that it suits you!

So, what do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know if you’ll be trying any of these approaches as you head bravely into your new year.

If you liked this post, you might also like:
Setting your theme for the new year with tarot (video)

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