Today I decided to do a general expanded tarot reading for everyone using my Coping with Social Distancing spread. If, like most of us, you are stressed and anxious about the world situation and are wishing you could have more contact with your loved ones, I hope this tarot reading will give you some some positive suggestions for things you can do for self-care and to keep yourself in a good mental and emotional state.
1. How can I release stress and worry? Page of Cups
The Page of Cups represents a dreamer with an open and joyful heart. Let this card be a reminder to release your stress and worry as best you can and focus on the positive things that are still taking place. People are shopping for their at risk family and neighbors. People are slowing down from the hustle and bustle of work, work, work, and buy, buy, buy. People are connecting with each other in deeply meaningful ways more than ever before.
The Page cards are messenger cards, and the suit of Cups deals with our emotions. Right now, I am feeling that we should be sending messages to the universe releasing and letting go of our feelings of stress and worry, sending those things outside of ourselves so we can focus on helping each other through these difficult times. I also believe we should be sending messages of hope, encouragement, support, and above all LOVE to as many people as we possibly can.
Action Item 1 — Release Your Worries: Take a few moments to write down a list of the things that are stressing and worrying you. It can be cathartic to hand write your list, but typing will work just as well. Print a physical copy of your list. Read over your list, and envision yourself releasing the worry and stress out into the universe, letting go as much as possible. Physically destroy the list in some manner: burn in a safe manner, rip up into tiny pieces, send it through your paper shredder. Throughout the destruction process, envision all the stress and worry floating away from you. Do you feel any better now?
Action Item 2 — Watch for and Create New Messages: Be on the lookout for messages of unexpected miracles and acts of kindness. Go on your social media and ask your friends to post examples of such things they’ve encountered. Even better: create your own acts of kindness, no matter how small. Spreading kindness to others can be one of the best messages of all right now, and a way to focus on something other than worry and stress. Send messages to friends and family telling them how much you love them and value your relationship with them.
2. How can I combat loneliness? Page of Wands
Now we have the Page of Wands. The suit of Wands deals with action and energy, suggesting that we combat loneliness with activity. Look at the energy depicted in this card: This Page is excited and ready to off and do something. We may not know what she is going to do, but it’s obviously something that is exciting to her.
Action Item 3 — Investigate a New Activity: Take some time and think about a new activity you would like to enjoy. With so many of us under shelter-in-place rules and with non-essential shopping being shut down, you may not be able to indulge in your activity right now. But you can be mentally active by selecting an activity of interest and learning all you an about it online. If you have the financial resources, order in some supplies if you can.
Or perhaps you want to organize some things around your home. Get online and search out some creative organizing ideas, using things you may already have around your house to help you get started.
Action Item 4 — Find Others Who Share Your Interest: Communicate with friends who may want to undertake the same activity. Share ideas and progress with each other. If you don’t have any friends who share your interest, the internet is full of people who do. Find message board communities or Facebook groups. There are plenty of people you can share with online via text and video messages to help you stay connected and not feel so alone.
3. How can I stay connected to my loved ones? The Emperor
The Emperor is a natural leader, who uses his power and wisdom to look after others. He employs strategic and analytical thinking to take action and protect those under his care.
He is a wise leader who shares his energy in service to his people. He uses his strength for the good of everyone, without worry about what he might be getting in return.
This time of social distancing is difficult for everyone. People cope with the stress in many different ways. Some may be out there online staying in touch in every way they possibly can. Others may find that they are expending so much energy on staying relatively mentally healthy that they can’t be proactive about searching out contact with others.
If you have the ability to reach out to others, please do so without expecting them to reach back out in the same ways. Be flexible in how you reach out to others, and in the expectations you may have about their responses.
Action Item 5 — Reach Out to Others with no Expectations: Make an effort to reach out to others around you. Send text messages. Get involved in online chat sessions. Let people know you are available if they need someone to talk with. Hold space for people to share their struggles and their triumphs. Do your best to keep the pathways of communication open, even if it seems to be a one-way street at the moment.
Let go of expectations for people to respond within a certain timeframe or in a certain way. You never know if the message of support you sent may have been what gave them the strength of going on for another day, even if they don’t have the strength to let you know that right now.
4. How can I find inner serenity? 9 of Cups
This card shows a woman who is bursting with joy at all the gifts she has received from the universe. She exudes gratitude for all of the abundance she has received, both as a gift from the universe and as a result of her own hard work.
She has so many gifts she cannot possibly use, enjoy, and appreciate everything simultaneously. She can have all of the gifts, but she must make choices about priorities, what to focus on, and setting clear intentions on how to use these gifts for the higher good of herself and those around her.
Action Item 6 — Find Serenity: Make a conscious decision to step away from all the fear that is surrounding us. Focus on the little pleasures of life that make you happy. Perhaps you have a pet that loves you ferociously. Maybe you have a wide circle of friends and family who are staying connected to you. Maybe you have a much smaller supportive circle, but you are all intensely connected with each other. If you are alone, focus on the blessings of health, shelter, food, the beauty of spring and the renewal of life as the earth wakes up and begins to bloom.
The secret to finding serenity is learning to stop the hamster wheel of our minds. Practice mindfulness and meditation to be fully present in the moment. Practice gratitude for things large and small. Breathe deeply. Slow down. Enjoy the now.
5. How can I practice self-care to keep myself mentally, emotionally, and/or physically healthy? 4 of Swords
In this card, we see a young woman curled up at rest in a nest. She is comfortable and supported, able to sleep to replenish her body’s energy. This card represents a time of deep rest, giving your mind and body time to heal and recuperate, even taking a brief holiday from the real world if necessary.
Many of us find ourselves wanting to be productive while we’re staying inside our homes. We feel we should start a deep spring cleaning of our house. We think we need to start or complete all sorts of home and garden improvements. Yet we somehow find ourselves incapable of much accomplishment. Instead, we are staying still, losing ourselves in watching tv, wasting time on the internet, getting lost in a book.
You know what? That’s totally okay. Mental health experts are saying that is our body’s natural reaction to the stress, fear, and worry we are all experiencing. Current events are enough to trigger our fight or flight response, but there’s really no way to do either. When our minds are confronted with no good response, our natural inclination is to retreat from the world.
So if you find yourself unable to accomplish much right now, recognize that it’s okay. Give yourself time to get used to our new, hopefully temporary, reality.
Action Item 7 — Rest: It is very important to allow yourself to take time to rest right now. Give yourself permission to slow down. Take time to be still. Listen to some meditations on YouTube. Journal about your feelings. Direct your energy toward healing yourself mentally and emotionally. Indulge yourself with things that make you happy: a special piece of chocolate, tea, some good wine, online social time with friends and family. Build a peaceful cozy nest around you.
Best Wishes
My thoughts, prayers, and healing energy are with you. If you need someone to talk to you and help you cope during this time of social distancing, I am only a message away. I’ll be happy to talk with you and give you the support you may not be able to find elsewhere.
If you enjoyed this general tarot reading and would like a reading specifically for you, check out the options in the SPARKLE Studio online shop.
Readings are for entertainment purposes only.
