November 5, 2024 • 18 mins
Today on CARD TALK, I’ll cover:
-on the importance of self-care
-three ways to work with the cards during periods of high stress
-an election day survival spread
-resources for support and distraction
Resources to get you through:
pulling cards in an uncertain world: newsletter essay
solar returns, favorite things, and a gift for you: newsletter roundup
CARD TALK: starting with tarot spreads episode
Next Level Tarot lectures on multi-card readings
Fill Your Cup workshop with Jeanna Kadlec
Drink Some Water free email series
From Grief to Hope (and back again) journaling workbook
Archetype Medicine lecture
3am.tarot Conservatory membership, packed with resources to explore
3am.tarot on Instagram
Call Your Coven podcast: November 2024 forecast and election episode
For more on Meg, check out 3amtarot.com, and order your copy of Finding the Fool through Bookshop.org or your favorite local bookstore.
Find episode transcripts and more over on the CARD TALK website. And as a special thank you for CARD TALK listeners, click here to download a completely free, exclusive workbook for building your best personal tarot practice.
Love what you’re hearing? Support the pod with a one-time donation or recurring subscription, and please subscribe, review, and share with a friend or two!
CARD TALK is written, edited, and produced by Meg Jones Wall of 3am.tarot. Theme music created by PaulYudin.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I'm Meg Jones-Wall, and this is Card Talk, a mini
podcast for tarot basics andevergreen insights.
I'm here to help you build atarot practice that works for
you.
Glad you're here.
Today is election day here inthe United States.
It is November 5th, 2024, andwe are all having a time, and so
(00:34):
, as a special Tuesday episodeoffering this week for Card Talk
, I want to talk through how youcan use the tarot to take care
of yourself.
Specifically today, whether youare located in the United
States or not, the election hereimpacts everyone.
America is a superpower, it'san empire, it has its fingers
and budgets in everything, and,unfortunately, everyone really
(00:56):
is heavily impacted by whathappens in the United States
today and in the days to come,and so I want to just
acknowledge here at the top thathowever you're feeling is
legitimate.
If you're angry that all of ouroptions are bad, I'm with you.
If you're grieving forwhatever's about to happen, I'm
with you.
If you're sad and discouragedabout the candidates that we are
(01:17):
facing and the platforms andbeliefs that they hold, I hear
you.
I'm there too.
And also, if you are trying towrangle your hope as best as
possible, if you are alreadythinking about how you can
organize or continue organizing.
On the other side of theselection, I'm with you too.
This is a complicated moment,with grief and hope, with joy
(01:39):
and sorrow, with anger andfrustration all mixed up in this
big messy cocktail, and I knowI'm not the only one feeling it.
So today, my intention is tooffer some different resources
that you can use right now inorder to help yourself ground.
Slow down, take a breath andcare for yourself in whatever
(01:59):
way you need.
For some people, that is goingto look like using the tarot as
a form of self-care to help withrest, to help with recovery, to
help with tenderness andcompassion.
For others, it might look likea distraction.
I am not someone that likes towatch day of election coverage.
It stresses me out and so I amgenerally looking for a big
(02:20):
project I can take on, somethingnew, I can begin or something
like a class that I can reallylose myself in, so that I'm not
just refreshing informationevery 10 minutes all day long,
and so I'm going to try to offerboth of those things in this
episode, pointing you to somedifferent resources that you can
utilize if you're looking for adistraction, but also talking
(02:40):
you through, right now, somedifferent resources and
exercises that you can do inorder to take care of yourself
in whatever way is going to bemost useful for you.
But before we dig in, I wouldlove to invite you to just take
a deep breath in and let it out.
If you'd like, shake out yourshoulders, stretch out your
(03:04):
wrists or your ankles, loosenyour jaw, relax your jaw, give
yourself a little scalp massage,crack your knuckles, just do a
couple of gentle movements,wherever you are, whatever that
looks like, whatever that meansfor your body to loosen up a
little bit.
Right, we are all going to becarrying a lot of stress in our
(03:25):
bodies, and stress manifests inall kinds of different ways.
But while you're thinking aboutyour mind and your heart, I
don't want you to lose sight ofyour body.
It's okay to take care of yourbody today too, and it might
feel that taking care of yourbody is actually the best thing
that you can do.
Give yourself permission tostretch, to do some gentle yoga
or breath work, to do someexercise if that feels good for
(03:47):
you, to go for a walk or spendsome time in nature, but I
really want to encourage you totake care of yourself beyond the
tarot in whatever ways that'sgoing to look like.
I also just want to remind you,in case you need to hear it
today, that self-care is not adirty word.
It is an expression that hasabsolutely gotten commoditized
by capitalism, because that'swhat capitalism does right.
(04:09):
But, as the brilliant TriciaHersey of the ministry says,
rest must be a lifelongmeticulous love practice rooted
in justice, and not a one-timeretreat that costs money and
requires a passport.
These days, self-care is reallypainted as a luxury.
It gets seen as bookingyourself a fancy vacation or
(04:30):
splurging on a big day at thespa or taking a month off of
work, and while those things arefantastic if you can access
them, for a lot of us thosethings simply aren't possible,
and part of the reason that Ilove using tarot for self-care
is because it is a relativelyaffordable, simple way to build
gentle daily rituals into yourdaily life, your weekly life,
(04:52):
your monthly life, whatever thatlooks like for you.
The number of times, theconsistency with which you pull
cards, is less important thanthe having of some kind of
routine that really suits youand your mind and your habits
and your schedule.
I wrote a big essay on thisthat's available to everyone to
read, right at the top of thismonth, so I'll include a link to
(05:14):
that in the show notes if you'dlike to read it and you're not
yet on my newsletter list.
But I talk a lot about how tarotand the ritual of tarot and the
connection and tangibleexperience of using tarot can be
really helpful for quiteliterally reducing our physical
stress and just giving ussomething to tap into.
Even having a few moments ofdaily magic, of reflection and
(05:38):
introspection and perhaps, ifyou read with other people, of
connection and community, reallycan make a difference in
long-term periods of stress.
But especially on a day liketoday, when you might be feeling
incredibly overwhelmed, whenyou might be feeling helpless
and frustrated, when you mightbe juggling really big emotions,
taking a few minutes to checkin on yourself with your cards
(06:01):
and ask the cards how you cantake care of yourself could be a
really helpful and supportivepractice.
So now that I've talked aboutcapitalism and self-care for a
few minutes, cause I can't seemto help myself let's talk about
three simple exercises that youcan do with your cards to take
care of yourself today.
The first is just choosing acard with intention to talk to
(06:23):
or to spend the day with.
This is a great place to start,if doing a reading which is like
formulating a question anddrawing a card to be considered
an answer, if reading feels justlike too much today.
You know, some days we justcan't focus on a reading.
Some days it feels toooverwhelming to imagine what the
cards might offer us, and sothis is a really lovely, very
(06:45):
simple way of working with thecards that might feel a little
bit more accessible and a littlebit less overwhelming or
emotional.
All you have to do for this ispull out your tarot deck, flip
it over so that the cards areface up or so that you can see
what the cards actually areYou're not looking at the backs
of the cards and go through thedeck, find a card that feels
(07:05):
like something, an energy thatyou want to sink into.
This could be an archetype thatyou want to spend the day with,
or this could be a minor arcanacard, like one of the numbered
pips that reflects the kind ofenergy that you love to feel
today.
Once you have a card that feelslike an energy you want to sink
into, something you want topursue or chase after, or just
something you want to prioritizetoday, pull it out of your deck
(07:28):
and take a few minutes to lookat it.
Now you can just spend sometime talking to it or praying
with it or thinking about it, oryou can grab your journal and
actually write down anythingthat comes up.
But I want you to really thinkabout what it would feel like to
intentionally spend the daywith that energy and,
specifically, I'd like you tothink about what it looks like
to be in an embodied experiencewith that card.
(07:51):
In other words, I want you tothink about what it would look
like to live in that energy forthe day and to think about that
in a really practical, tangibleway, not just in a theoretical
sense like oh, I would love to,if I was the Empress again, go
for a big spa day and then havea huge, expensive, luxurious
meal prepared for me by someoneelse that I could just enjoy
(08:12):
with 50 of my closest friends.
If you're listening to this andyou're in a position where
that's possible, 50 of myclosest friends.
If you're listening to this andyou're in a position where
that's possible, literally gooff queen, enjoy that.
I wish you all the best, but Idon't think most of you
listening would necessarily havethe means or the time or the
opportunity to splurge onsomething lavish.
So I want to encourage you toreally think about things that
(08:32):
are actually accessible to you,that would actually be possible
today.
So, while you might have a piein the sky fantasy of what
embodying this energy might looklike, I also want you to think
about what you could actually dotoday, what might feel
realistic for you To keep goingwith that Empress example.
This could look like justfinding an everyday luxury that
(08:53):
feels really good for you,pampering your body, maybe in a
way that feels really lovely andjoyful, but isn't necessarily
just like using all of the mostexpensive things you can find
right.
So for me, pampering my bodycould mean a shower.
That's what it usually means.
For me, pampering my body isusually associated with water,
and so a shower or a bath,perhaps using a body scrub I
(09:17):
love to make body scrubs out ofolive oil and essential oils and
some salt, because those areall things that I have in my
house or a long bubble bath withsome like some nice music,
something that feels reallycalming and gentle.
This could also look like, youknow, a few minutes of yoga or
gentle stretching, somethingthat really helps you come into
your body and remember thebeauty and strength of your body
(09:37):
, whatever that means for you.
Or the Empress could just meana home-cooked meal that's
prepared with someone you love,right?
When I think about the Empress,I often think about community
and collaboration and generosity.
So thinking about preparingsomething.
It could be really simple.
This could just look likebaking bread together or making
cookies together, right, butsomething that feels
(09:59):
collaborative and pleasurable.
But the Empress can also bereally service oriented, so this
could look like going out andvolunteering in your community
today, grabbing a trash bag andsome gloves and picking up any
stray garbage that might be inyour neighborhood.
These are just a couple ofexamples of things that would
work for me and feel good for me.
But I really encourage you,after you've chosen your card,
(10:20):
to really think about concrete,tangible ways that you can step
into and enjoy this energy andthen do that today.
You don't have to do everysingle thing you think of, but
try to at least do a couple ofthose things and really allow
yourself to be consciouslytapping into that card's energy,
whatever it is, as a way oftaking care of yourself.
Think of it as a gift that youcan give to yourself is doing
(10:44):
these practices and just reallyshowing yourself that kind of
tenderness that we all deserveright now.
My second suggestion is to pulla card in a reading as advice
for caring for yourself today.
So, rather than the firstexercise, which is about
intentionally choosing a card,this is really following all of
the same advice, but insteadletting the deck provide you
(11:04):
with an answer.
So for this one, I wouldencourage you to shuffle up your
cards really well and ask themwhat can I do to take care of
myself today?
And then pull a single card,then do all of the same things
that I just suggested in thefirst exercise, which is to say,
talking to the card,brainstorming around the card,
writing down how it might lookor feel to embody that energy,
(11:27):
and then being reallyintentional about taking the
deck's advice and allowingyourself to take care of
yourself in whatever way thecards suggest today.
The third and final suggestionthat I have for you is to do an
election day tarot spread.
So, if readings feel good, butyou want more than just a single
card, this is a three cardspread that I actually wrote for
(11:49):
the 2020 United States election, because here we are again,
y'all, and so I'm going to talkthrough this spread quickly.
I'm going to talk you thisspread quickly.
I'm going to talk you throughthe three positions and I'm also
going to offer a couple ofadditional kind of questions or
some more insights into each ofthese positions.
Now, if you want to try thisspread out, but you are not
(12:10):
someone who typically usesspreads in your practice, I
would love to direct you to adifferent car talk episode that
I recorded called starting withtarot spreads again free to
access, just like this one, butit's going to give you a little
bit of insights into gettingstarted with a tarot spread.
I'm not going to explain tarotspreads to you in this moment,
but that episode already does it.
(12:31):
So I would encourage you topause this episode and go listen
to that one first beforeattempting the spread, just to
get some extra insights andcontext and advice for
navigating that spread.
And if you love spreads and arelooking for a bigger distraction
today, if you're one of thefolks like me who is excited to
dig into a class or losethemselves in something nice and
(12:52):
distracting today as a form ofself-care, I do have a lecture
series specifically exploringlonger readings and multi-card
readings and spreads called NextLevel Tarot.
It's a lecture series that'sgoing to walk you through
telling stories with your cards,connecting the cards together,
navigating, confusing readingsand everything else you need to
know to do longer, more robustreadings.
(13:12):
So that could be a nicedistraction for you today.
I will include a link to it inthe show notes.
All right back to the spread.
I'm going to assume that youknow how to read spreads, so
let's talk through it.
I've shuffled the cards well andthen pull three different cards
and we're going to have onecard for each position.
So card one is going to beresponding to the prompt, a way
to show yourself kindness.
(13:34):
Now, this is similar to theother kind of prompts that I've
already given as potentialactivities or exercises for
taking care of yourself today.
So I want you to think aboutthis prompt not just as a way to
show yourself kindness, butalso a way to slow down, a way
to offer yourself compassion,just a way to be gentle and
generous with yourself.
(13:55):
Let the tarot offer you a giftyou can give yourself, or just
an act or an action that you cando today.
That is going to make the dayjust a little bit softer and a
little bit easier.
Card two is a suggestion for howto protect your energy, and so
this is really a prompt and acard that is about boundaries,
which can be really hard,especially when we're in, like
(14:18):
moments of overwhelm or periodsof really high tension or fear,
or just feeling really activated.
This card is really an advicecard, offering you a practical
suggestion for a way to protectyourself, for a way to stay
focused on what is important,and just for a way to again make
the day a little bit easier.
This might look like delegatingtasks or allowing
(14:41):
responsibilities to be shiftedto the back burner.
This might look like spendingtime with people that you really
love, who are going to let yoube in those messy emotions
without judging you.
Whatever it is, this is goingto be an advice card that's
really about protecting yourselfand protecting your capacity
for softness.
Finally, card number three is atruth to remember, no matter
(15:03):
what happens, and while thefirst two cards are really
practical, advice oriented cardsfor ways to navigate the day
and show yourself softness andprotect that softness, this is
really about an insight.
This might be something thatyou can really hang on to and
trust in and remember,regardless of the results of
today's election, whateverhappens today and in the days to
(15:26):
come, however long it takes forthis election to be called,
whatever you may see or feel orhear today, this is really
something that you can cling toand hang on to, something that
you can allow to be a foundationand a support, regardless of
what's going to happen Now, inaddition to talking through this
spread, I did create a graphicfor it in 2020, and I am
(15:50):
revamping it and posting ittoday on my Instagram.
So, if you're still onInstagram, you can find me at
3amtarot and you'll be able tosee an updated version of this
graphic.
Now you could theoretically useall three of these rituals if
you like, or you can just pickand choose whichever one is
going to feel best for you, butit is my sincere hope that, in
(16:11):
allowing the tarot to offer yousome insights and support in
moving through this day in a waythat is compassionate and kind
and authentic, that you're ableto tap into a little bit of
sweetness and a little bit ofcomfort, regardless of how hard
the day might be.
And, as I mentioned, if you arelike me and you really would
love something big and juicy anddistracting to dig into, today
(16:34):
I am including some of my mostpopular workshops and lectures,
things that are really orientedinto emotion and things that are
going to offer you variousforms of support in the show
notes, so feel free to explorethose as well.
I hope you're able to findsomething that just gives you
some comfort and some pleasureand some joy and some excitement
today.
(16:54):
Wherever you are in the world,whether you end up listening to
this episode on election day orin the days to come, please know
that I'm sending you so muchlove, so many wishes for safety
and power, and I am gratefulthat you're here listening to
these words.
Please continue to invest inyour own community.
Please continue to show up forone another.
(17:14):
Please continue to extendcompassion and generosity with
one another.
Please don't be afraid ofconflict or disagreements.
Conflict is not abuse.
Conflict is not the enemy.
There are going to be a lot ofvoices out there offering
insights and advice and waysforward, regardless of who wins
the presidential election, andso I would encourage you to just
(17:35):
continue to stay local and toinvest in the people that are
around you, your neighbors, bothdigitally and physically.
That is all I have for youtoday, but, as always, thank you
so much for spending this timewith me, sending you a lot of
love and strength, and I will beback again soon with more Card
Talk.
Card Talk episodes are alwaysfree for everyone to enjoy, so
(17:59):
if you love what you hear,please consider supporting the
podcast by subscribing,recommending Card Talk to a
friend or two or donating tohelp with production costs.
You can find episodetranscripts.
Learn more about me and join mysignature Tarot Conservatory
membership program through mywebsite, 3amtarotcom.
Thanks for listening and seeyou next time.
I'm Meg Jones-Wall, and this is Card Talk, a mini
podcast for tarot basics andevergreen insights.
I'm here to help you build atarot practice that works for
you.
Glad you're here.
Today is election day here inthe United States.
It is November 5th, 2024, andwe are all having a time, and so
(00:34):
, as a special Tuesday episodeoffering this week for Card Talk
, I want to talk through how youcan use the tarot to take care
of yourself.
Specifically today, whether youare located in the United
States or not, the election hereimpacts everyone.
America is a superpower, it'san empire, it has its fingers
and budgets in everything, and,unfortunately, everyone really
(00:56):
is heavily impacted by whathappens in the United States
today and in the days to come,and so I want to just
acknowledge here at the top thathowever you're feeling is
legitimate.
If you're angry that all of ouroptions are bad, I'm with you.
If you're grieving forwhatever's about to happen, I'm
with you.
If you're sad and discouragedabout the candidates that we are
(01:17):
facing and the platforms andbeliefs that they hold, I hear
you.
I'm there too.
And also, if you are trying towrangle your hope as best as
possible, if you are alreadythinking about how you can
organize or continue organizing.
On the other side of theselection, I'm with you too.
This is a complicated moment,with grief and hope, with joy
(01:39):
and sorrow, with anger andfrustration all mixed up in this
big messy cocktail, and I knowI'm not the only one feeling it.
So today, my intention is tooffer some different resources
that you can use right now inorder to help yourself ground.
Slow down, take a breath andcare for yourself in whatever
(01:59):
way you need.
For some people, that is goingto look like using the tarot as
a form of self-care to help withrest, to help with recovery, to
help with tenderness andcompassion.
For others, it might look likea distraction.
I am not someone that likes towatch day of election coverage.
It stresses me out and so I amgenerally looking for a big
(02:20):
project I can take on, somethingnew, I can begin or something
like a class that I can reallylose myself in, so that I'm not
just refreshing informationevery 10 minutes all day long,
and so I'm going to try to offerboth of those things in this
episode, pointing you to somedifferent resources that you can
utilize if you're looking for adistraction, but also talking
(02:40):
you through, right now, somedifferent resources and
exercises that you can do inorder to take care of yourself
in whatever way is going to bemost useful for you.
But before we dig in, I wouldlove to invite you to just take
a deep breath in and let it out.
If you'd like, shake out yourshoulders, stretch out your
(03:04):
wrists or your ankles, loosenyour jaw, relax your jaw, give
yourself a little scalp massage,crack your knuckles, just do a
couple of gentle movements,wherever you are, whatever that
looks like, whatever that meansfor your body to loosen up a
little bit.
Right, we are all going to becarrying a lot of stress in our
(03:25):
bodies, and stress manifests inall kinds of different ways.
But while you're thinking aboutyour mind and your heart, I
don't want you to lose sight ofyour body.
It's okay to take care of yourbody today too, and it might
feel that taking care of yourbody is actually the best thing
that you can do.
Give yourself permission tostretch, to do some gentle yoga
or breath work, to do someexercise if that feels good for
(03:47):
you, to go for a walk or spendsome time in nature, but I
really want to encourage you totake care of yourself beyond the
tarot in whatever ways that'sgoing to look like.
I also just want to remind you,in case you need to hear it
today, that self-care is not adirty word.
It is an expression that hasabsolutely gotten commoditized
by capitalism, because that'swhat capitalism does right.
(04:09):
But, as the brilliant TriciaHersey of the ministry says,
rest must be a lifelongmeticulous love practice rooted
in justice, and not a one-timeretreat that costs money and
requires a passport.
These days, self-care is reallypainted as a luxury.
It gets seen as bookingyourself a fancy vacation or
(04:30):
splurging on a big day at thespa or taking a month off of
work, and while those things arefantastic if you can access
them, for a lot of us thosethings simply aren't possible,
and part of the reason that Ilove using tarot for self-care
is because it is a relativelyaffordable, simple way to build
gentle daily rituals into yourdaily life, your weekly life,
(04:52):
your monthly life, whatever thatlooks like for you.
The number of times, theconsistency with which you pull
cards, is less important thanthe having of some kind of
routine that really suits youand your mind and your habits
and your schedule.
I wrote a big essay on thisthat's available to everyone to
read, right at the top of thismonth, so I'll include a link to
(05:14):
that in the show notes if you'dlike to read it and you're not
yet on my newsletter list.
But I talk a lot about how tarotand the ritual of tarot and the
connection and tangibleexperience of using tarot can be
really helpful for quiteliterally reducing our physical
stress and just giving ussomething to tap into.
Even having a few moments ofdaily magic, of reflection and
(05:38):
introspection and perhaps, ifyou read with other people, of
connection and community, reallycan make a difference in
long-term periods of stress.
But especially on a day liketoday, when you might be feeling
incredibly overwhelmed, whenyou might be feeling helpless
and frustrated, when you mightbe juggling really big emotions,
taking a few minutes to checkin on yourself with your cards
(06:01):
and ask the cards how you cantake care of yourself could be a
really helpful and supportivepractice.
So now that I've talked aboutcapitalism and self-care for a
few minutes, cause I can't seemto help myself let's talk about
three simple exercises that youcan do with your cards to take
care of yourself today.
The first is just choosing acard with intention to talk to
(06:23):
or to spend the day with.
This is a great place to start,if doing a reading which is like
formulating a question anddrawing a card to be considered
an answer, if reading feels justlike too much today.
You know, some days we justcan't focus on a reading.
Some days it feels toooverwhelming to imagine what the
cards might offer us, and sothis is a really lovely, very
(06:45):
simple way of working with thecards that might feel a little
bit more accessible and a littlebit less overwhelming or
emotional.
All you have to do for this ispull out your tarot deck, flip
it over so that the cards areface up or so that you can see
what the cards actually areYou're not looking at the backs
of the cards and go through thedeck, find a card that feels
(07:05):
like something, an energy thatyou want to sink into.
This could be an archetype thatyou want to spend the day with,
or this could be a minor arcanacard, like one of the numbered
pips that reflects the kind ofenergy that you love to feel
today.
Once you have a card that feelslike an energy you want to sink
into, something you want topursue or chase after, or just
something you want to prioritizetoday, pull it out of your deck
(07:28):
and take a few minutes to lookat it.
Now you can just spend sometime talking to it or praying
with it or thinking about it, oryou can grab your journal and
actually write down anythingthat comes up.
But I want you to really thinkabout what it would feel like to
intentionally spend the daywith that energy and,
specifically, I'd like you tothink about what it looks like
to be in an embodied experiencewith that card.
(07:51):
In other words, I want you tothink about what it would look
like to live in that energy forthe day and to think about that
in a really practical, tangibleway, not just in a theoretical
sense like oh, I would love to,if I was the Empress again, go
for a big spa day and then havea huge, expensive, luxurious
meal prepared for me by someoneelse that I could just enjoy
(08:12):
with 50 of my closest friends.
If you're listening to this andyou're in a position where
that's possible, 50 of myclosest friends.
If you're listening to this andyou're in a position where
that's possible, literally gooff queen, enjoy that.
I wish you all the best, but Idon't think most of you
listening would necessarily havethe means or the time or the
opportunity to splurge onsomething lavish.
So I want to encourage you toreally think about things that
(08:32):
are actually accessible to you,that would actually be possible
today.
So, while you might have a piein the sky fantasy of what
embodying this energy might looklike, I also want you to think
about what you could actually dotoday, what might feel
realistic for you To keep goingwith that Empress example.
This could look like justfinding an everyday luxury that
(08:53):
feels really good for you,pampering your body, maybe in a
way that feels really lovely andjoyful, but isn't necessarily
just like using all of the mostexpensive things you can find
right.
So for me, pampering my bodycould mean a shower.
That's what it usually means.
For me, pampering my body isusually associated with water,
and so a shower or a bath,perhaps using a body scrub I
(09:17):
love to make body scrubs out ofolive oil and essential oils and
some salt, because those areall things that I have in my
house or a long bubble bath withsome like some nice music,
something that feels reallycalming and gentle.
This could also look like, youknow, a few minutes of yoga or
gentle stretching, somethingthat really helps you come into
your body and remember thebeauty and strength of your body
(09:37):
, whatever that means for you.
Or the Empress could just meana home-cooked meal that's
prepared with someone you love,right?
When I think about the Empress,I often think about community
and collaboration and generosity.
So thinking about preparingsomething.
It could be really simple.
This could just look likebaking bread together or making
cookies together, right, butsomething that feels
(09:59):
collaborative and pleasurable.
But the Empress can also bereally service oriented, so this
could look like going out andvolunteering in your community
today, grabbing a trash bag andsome gloves and picking up any
stray garbage that might be inyour neighborhood.
These are just a couple ofexamples of things that would
work for me and feel good for me.
But I really encourage you,after you've chosen your card,
(10:20):
to really think about concrete,tangible ways that you can step
into and enjoy this energy andthen do that today.
You don't have to do everysingle thing you think of, but
try to at least do a couple ofthose things and really allow
yourself to be consciouslytapping into that card's energy,
whatever it is, as a way oftaking care of yourself.
Think of it as a gift that youcan give to yourself is doing
(10:44):
these practices and just reallyshowing yourself that kind of
tenderness that we all deserveright now.
My second suggestion is to pulla card in a reading as advice
for caring for yourself today.
So, rather than the firstexercise, which is about
intentionally choosing a card,this is really following all of
the same advice, but insteadletting the deck provide you
(11:04):
with an answer.
So for this one, I wouldencourage you to shuffle up your
cards really well and ask themwhat can I do to take care of
myself today?
And then pull a single card,then do all of the same things
that I just suggested in thefirst exercise, which is to say,
talking to the card,brainstorming around the card,
writing down how it might lookor feel to embody that energy,
(11:27):
and then being reallyintentional about taking the
deck's advice and allowingyourself to take care of
yourself in whatever way thecards suggest today.
The third and final suggestionthat I have for you is to do an
election day tarot spread.
So, if readings feel good, butyou want more than just a single
card, this is a three cardspread that I actually wrote for
(11:49):
the 2020 United States election, because here we are again,
y'all, and so I'm going to talkthrough this spread quickly.
I'm going to talk you thisspread quickly.
I'm going to talk you throughthe three positions and I'm also
going to offer a couple ofadditional kind of questions or
some more insights into each ofthese positions.
Now, if you want to try thisspread out, but you are not
(12:10):
someone who typically usesspreads in your practice, I
would love to direct you to adifferent car talk episode that
I recorded called starting withtarot spreads again free to
access, just like this one, butit's going to give you a little
bit of insights into gettingstarted with a tarot spread.
I'm not going to explain tarotspreads to you in this moment,
but that episode already does it.
(12:31):
So I would encourage you topause this episode and go listen
to that one first beforeattempting the spread, just to
get some extra insights andcontext and advice for
navigating that spread.
And if you love spreads and arelooking for a bigger distraction
today, if you're one of thefolks like me who is excited to
dig into a class or losethemselves in something nice and
(12:52):
distracting today as a form ofself-care, I do have a lecture
series specifically exploringlonger readings and multi-card
readings and spreads called NextLevel Tarot.
It's a lecture series that'sgoing to walk you through
telling stories with your cards,connecting the cards together,
navigating, confusing readingsand everything else you need to
know to do longer, more robustreadings.
(13:12):
So that could be a nicedistraction for you today.
I will include a link to it inthe show notes.
All right back to the spread.
I'm going to assume that youknow how to read spreads, so
let's talk through it.
I've shuffled the cards well andthen pull three different cards
and we're going to have onecard for each position.
So card one is going to beresponding to the prompt, a way
to show yourself kindness.
(13:34):
Now, this is similar to theother kind of prompts that I've
already given as potentialactivities or exercises for
taking care of yourself today.
So I want you to think aboutthis prompt not just as a way to
show yourself kindness, butalso a way to slow down, a way
to offer yourself compassion,just a way to be gentle and
generous with yourself.
(13:55):
Let the tarot offer you a giftyou can give yourself, or just
an act or an action that you cando today.
That is going to make the dayjust a little bit softer and a
little bit easier.
Card two is a suggestion for howto protect your energy, and so
this is really a prompt and acard that is about boundaries,
which can be really hard,especially when we're in, like
(14:18):
moments of overwhelm or periodsof really high tension or fear,
or just feeling really activated.
This card is really an advicecard, offering you a practical
suggestion for a way to protectyourself, for a way to stay
focused on what is important,and just for a way to again make
the day a little bit easier.
This might look like delegatingtasks or allowing
(14:41):
responsibilities to be shiftedto the back burner.
This might look like spendingtime with people that you really
love, who are going to let yoube in those messy emotions
without judging you.
Whatever it is, this is goingto be an advice card that's
really about protecting yourselfand protecting your capacity
for softness.
Finally, card number three is atruth to remember, no matter
(15:03):
what happens, and while thefirst two cards are really
practical, advice oriented cardsfor ways to navigate the day
and show yourself softness andprotect that softness, this is
really about an insight.
This might be something thatyou can really hang on to and
trust in and remember,regardless of the results of
today's election, whateverhappens today and in the days to
(15:26):
come, however long it takes forthis election to be called,
whatever you may see or feel orhear today, this is really
something that you can cling toand hang on to, something that
you can allow to be a foundationand a support, regardless of
what's going to happen Now, inaddition to talking through this
spread, I did create a graphicfor it in 2020, and I am
(15:50):
revamping it and posting ittoday on my Instagram.
So, if you're still onInstagram, you can find me at
3amtarot and you'll be able tosee an updated version of this
graphic.
Now you could theoretically useall three of these rituals if
you like, or you can just pickand choose whichever one is
going to feel best for you, butit is my sincere hope that, in
(16:11):
allowing the tarot to offer yousome insights and support in
moving through this day in a waythat is compassionate and kind
and authentic, that you're ableto tap into a little bit of
sweetness and a little bit ofcomfort, regardless of how hard
the day might be.
And, as I mentioned, if you arelike me and you really would
love something big and juicy anddistracting to dig into, today
(16:34):
I am including some of my mostpopular workshops and lectures,
things that are really orientedinto emotion and things that are
going to offer you variousforms of support in the show
notes, so feel free to explorethose as well.
I hope you're able to findsomething that just gives you
some comfort and some pleasureand some joy and some excitement
today.
(16:54):
Wherever you are in the world,whether you end up listening to
this episode on election day orin the days to come, please know
that I'm sending you so muchlove, so many wishes for safety
and power, and I am gratefulthat you're here listening to
these words.
Please continue to invest inyour own community.
Please continue to show up forone another.
(17:14):
Please continue to extendcompassion and generosity with
one another.
Please don't be afraid ofconflict or disagreements.
Conflict is not abuse.
Conflict is not the enemy.
There are going to be a lot ofvoices out there offering
insights and advice and waysforward, regardless of who wins
the presidential election, andso I would encourage you to just
(17:35):
continue to stay local and toinvest in the people that are
around you, your neighbors, bothdigitally and physically.
That is all I have for youtoday, but, as always, thank you
so much for spending this timewith me, sending you a lot of
love and strength, and I will beback again soon with more Card
Talk.
Card Talk episodes are alwaysfree for everyone to enjoy, so
(17:59):
if you love what you hear,please consider supporting the
podcast by subscribing,recommending Card Talk to a
friend or two or donating tohelp with production costs.
You can find episodetranscripts.
Learn more about me and join mysignature Tarot Conservatory
membership program through mywebsite, 3amtarotcom.
Thanks for listening and seeyou next time.
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