December 15, 2025 • 11 mins
In today's episode, we explore how “Transform Your Thoughts” moves from image to practice, using cognitive reappraisal to turn mental noise into clarity and calm. Symbols, psychology, and simple steps show how to respond rather than react, and how to tend the mind like a living garden.
Deck: Dream Song Oracle
For a closer look at the cards, follow me on Instagram @the_cardcast. For more about mental wellness and psychology, sign up for my newsletter at www.natashasheyenne.com.
Thanks for listening!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi there, and welcome to the Cardcast.
I'm Natasha, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Together, we explore the art ofnoticing, the symbols, stories,
and quiet patterns that surroundus every day, and how they
connect to our mental health andwell-being.
I do this through the lens ofOracle cards, using the cards as
(00:22):
a mirror for reflection andgrounding.
Each card becomes a step alongthat path, an invitation to
reflect, and to anchor yourselfmore deeply in your own
unfolding story.
So take a deep breath, settlein, and let's see what today's
card has to offer.
(00:47):
Today's card is Transform YourThoughts from the Dream Song
Oracle.
And we have a woman who sits inquiet reverence, her eyes
closed.
From her head, or from her mind,really, these butterflies lift
and scatter towards a pale sky.
Each one is a fragment of athought that's been freed.
(01:12):
And this is not just a prettyimage.
It really reminds me of a map ofmental alchemy.
It asks, what would it mean toturn the noise inside your mind
into flight?
So let's step into the landscapeof this card and explore its
psychology and symbolism that isreally highlighting the
(01:32):
transformation waiting within usall.
The butterfly is an ancientemblem of change, but not all
change is graceful.
Before a butterfly has wings, itexperiences confinement.
And before it has all thosevivid colors, there's darkness.
Transformation begins not withthe soaring, but with surrender.
(01:57):
And the woman on this card isnot forcing her thoughts away.
She's releasing them.
Her posture of soft shouldersand eyes closed tells us that
the transformation begins notwith control, but with trust.
And there's a light, and itisn't coming from outside, it
(02:18):
emanates from within her.
And the blue gradient behind hershifts from depth to brightness,
as if her inner clarity isexpanding outward.
And back to those butterflies,there are dozens, perhaps
hundreds of butterflies risingfrom her crown.
Each one is a thought that'sbeen softened by understanding,
(02:42):
turned over in the light, andallowed to evolve.
Psychologically, this cardmirrors the process of cognitive
reappraisal, which is theability to shift how we perceive
something so its emotionalimpact changes.
Most of us go through lifeassuming that how we feel is
(03:02):
simply the truth.
If we feel embarrassed, we musthave messed up.
If we feel anxious, somethingterrible must be happening.
If we feel sad, we must befailing at life.
But emotions are not facts,they're signals, and sometimes
they get the message wrong.
(03:22):
Cognitive reappraisal is apsychological tool that can help
us challenge that automatic jumpfrom feeling to conclusion.
It asks us to slow down longenough to check if our initial
interpretation holds up.
And what I'm saying, I know itsounds really simple, like look
at the situation differently tofeel differently.
But in practice, I know as wellas anybody that it takes
(03:47):
patience and a willingness topause before reacting.
So here's what this actuallylooks like in daily life.
You get critical feedback atwork.
And instead of assuming you'reseen as incompetent, you
consider that someone wants tohelp you grow.
Another example is your frienddoesn't text back.
(04:08):
And instead of spiraling intothey're mad at me, you remember
that they might just be busy.
Another one is you slip up on ahabit, which I have been trying
to build some new habitsrecently, and that is a
challenge.
So I know I've been slipping up.
But instead of labeling myselfor labeling ourselves as lazy,
(04:29):
you remind yourself thatprogress includes imperfection.
We're trying these differentthings to get to the other side
of it.
So reappraisal doesn't mean youignore what's real, it means
that you recognize that thereare multiple ways to understand
and experience.
And some interpretations willsupport your mental health more
than others.
(04:50):
The paradox is that this skillis incredibly powerful and
incredibly quiet.
No one sees you activelyreframing a thought.
There's no applause, there's nomilestone badge.
It's mental work that happensentirely behind the scenes.
(05:11):
But that invisible work canreshape a day or even a life.
It reduces the intensity ofpainful emotions so they don't
take over.
And it interpretscatastrophizing before it turns
into a spiral, giving you thatmoment of choice where there was
once only a reaction.
(05:34):
Over time, cognitive reappraisalbuilds psychological
flexibility, which is a keyingredient of resilience.
Instead of assuming theseworst-case scenarios and that
they're the true one, you learnto weigh possibility against
evidence.
You start trusting yourselfmore.
(05:55):
You recover faster from stress.
You feel less helpless when lifethrows something unexpected at
you.
Mental health isn't the absenceof negative emotion.
It's the ability to navigatethose emotions without believing
that they define you or dictateyour future.
And that's what cognitivereappraisal gives us: the
(06:17):
ability to respond instead ofreact, the ability to question
fear before it rules the moment,and the ability to choose a
story that doesn't harm us.
So, like I said, it's not aboutpretending everything is fine,
it's about recognizing that ourfirst thought isn't always the
truest one, and giving ourselvespermission to find a version
(06:41):
that helps us move forward.
And that's not denial, it'stransformation.
Just as that caterpillardissolves into fluid before
reforming, our rigid thoughtscan dissolve into something new
when met with compassion andcuriosity and patience.
To transform your thoughts is tomake peace with your mind's own
(07:04):
weather, to stop chasing thestorm, and instead learn to read
the clouds.
In psychology, our thoughts arenot just ideas, they're
instructions.
Each one tells the body how tofeel, how to prepare, and how to
respond.
When you think I'm not safe,your body obeys.
(07:25):
And when you think I can't dothis, your nervous system
tightens.
But when you think I can learnthis or this moment will pass,
your body exhales.
That's the alchemy, theinvisible bridge between thought
and physiology.
We feel what we believe.
Transforming your thoughts isn'tabout this forced positivity,
(07:48):
it's about conscious authorship.
You don't have to believe everystory your mind tells.
You can edit and rewrite and orrelease it entirely.
The butterflies in this card arethat process made visible, the
physical release of innernarratives that no longer serve.
(08:08):
And in neuroscience, this alignswith the plasticity of the
brain.
Our neural pathways are liketrails through a forest.
The more we walk one, the easierit becomes to travel again.
Transforming your thoughts isabout carving a new path through
that forest, one that leads topeace rather than panic,
compassion rather thancriticism.
(08:32):
And I'll be honest, it at firstit's awkward.
The branches will snag, theground feels uneven, but with
repetition, that new pathbecomes a natural way home.
So this card is whispering,you're not your thoughts, you're
the space that they passthrough.
And when you remember that, youstop fighting the butterflies
(08:55):
and you just let them fly.
So let's pause here.
You might want to close youreyes for a moment if it is safe
to do so, and take a deep breathin and out.
And now ask yourself gently,without judgment, what thought
(09:18):
has been looping in my mindlately?
And what emotion does it carry?
What story about myself feelsold, rehearsed, and and maybe
even inherited?
And what new story wants tobegin?
If I could speak to my mind as afriend, what would I say to calm
(09:42):
it?
Each of these questions is anopening, not to erase your
thoughts, but to befriend them.
Transformation happens whenawareness replaces autopilot.
So the woman on this card isn'tescaping her mind.
She's tending to it.
She knows that thoughts arealive, like creatures that need
(10:05):
air.
And when she releases them, theydon't vanish, they change shape.
And maybe that's what this cardis asking of us to stop treating
our minds as an enemy and starttreating it as a garden.
Pull the weeds when you can,water the ideas that bring you
closer to light.
And when a thought has run itscourse, let it go.
(10:27):
Let it take its wings and leave.
And sometimes it sounds like thegentle flutter of something
leaving you, not in anger, butin peace.
So even here, in the messy,uncertain middle of your own
(10:49):
becoming, you are transforming.
You're allowed to release thethoughts that no longer serve
you, and you're allowed to rise.
Thank you for spending this timewith me today.
For more reflections and acloser look at the cards
themselves, you can find me onInstagram at the underscore
(11:10):
cardcast or novel Natasha onSubstack.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Hi there, and welcome to the Cardcast.
I'm Natasha, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Together, we explore the art ofnoticing, the symbols, stories,
and quiet patterns that surroundus every day, and how they
connect to our mental health andwell-being.
I do this through the lens ofOracle cards, using the cards as
(00:22):
a mirror for reflection andgrounding.
Each card becomes a step alongthat path, an invitation to
reflect, and to anchor yourselfmore deeply in your own
unfolding story.
So take a deep breath, settlein, and let's see what today's
card has to offer.
(00:47):
Today's card is Transform YourThoughts from the Dream Song
Oracle.
And we have a woman who sits inquiet reverence, her eyes
closed.
From her head, or from her mind,really, these butterflies lift
and scatter towards a pale sky.
Each one is a fragment of athought that's been freed.
(01:12):
And this is not just a prettyimage.
It really reminds me of a map ofmental alchemy.
It asks, what would it mean toturn the noise inside your mind
into flight?
So let's step into the landscapeof this card and explore its
psychology and symbolism that isreally highlighting the
(01:32):
transformation waiting within usall.
The butterfly is an ancientemblem of change, but not all
change is graceful.
Before a butterfly has wings, itexperiences confinement.
And before it has all thosevivid colors, there's darkness.
Transformation begins not withthe soaring, but with surrender.
(01:57):
And the woman on this card isnot forcing her thoughts away.
She's releasing them.
Her posture of soft shouldersand eyes closed tells us that
the transformation begins notwith control, but with trust.
And there's a light, and itisn't coming from outside, it
(02:18):
emanates from within her.
And the blue gradient behind hershifts from depth to brightness,
as if her inner clarity isexpanding outward.
And back to those butterflies,there are dozens, perhaps
hundreds of butterflies risingfrom her crown.
Each one is a thought that'sbeen softened by understanding,
(02:42):
turned over in the light, andallowed to evolve.
Psychologically, this cardmirrors the process of cognitive
reappraisal, which is theability to shift how we perceive
something so its emotionalimpact changes.
Most of us go through lifeassuming that how we feel is
(03:02):
simply the truth.
If we feel embarrassed, we musthave messed up.
If we feel anxious, somethingterrible must be happening.
If we feel sad, we must befailing at life.
But emotions are not facts,they're signals, and sometimes
they get the message wrong.
(03:22):
Cognitive reappraisal is apsychological tool that can help
us challenge that automatic jumpfrom feeling to conclusion.
It asks us to slow down longenough to check if our initial
interpretation holds up.
And what I'm saying, I know itsounds really simple, like look
at the situation differently tofeel differently.
But in practice, I know as wellas anybody that it takes
(03:47):
patience and a willingness topause before reacting.
So here's what this actuallylooks like in daily life.
You get critical feedback atwork.
And instead of assuming you'reseen as incompetent, you
consider that someone wants tohelp you grow.
Another example is your frienddoesn't text back.
(04:08):
And instead of spiraling intothey're mad at me, you remember
that they might just be busy.
Another one is you slip up on ahabit, which I have been trying
to build some new habitsrecently, and that is a
challenge.
So I know I've been slipping up.
But instead of labeling myselfor labeling ourselves as lazy,
(04:29):
you remind yourself thatprogress includes imperfection.
We're trying these differentthings to get to the other side
of it.
So reappraisal doesn't mean youignore what's real, it means
that you recognize that thereare multiple ways to understand
and experience.
And some interpretations willsupport your mental health more
than others.
(04:50):
The paradox is that this skillis incredibly powerful and
incredibly quiet.
No one sees you activelyreframing a thought.
There's no applause, there's nomilestone badge.
It's mental work that happensentirely behind the scenes.
(05:11):
But that invisible work canreshape a day or even a life.
It reduces the intensity ofpainful emotions so they don't
take over.
And it interpretscatastrophizing before it turns
into a spiral, giving you thatmoment of choice where there was
once only a reaction.
(05:34):
Over time, cognitive reappraisalbuilds psychological
flexibility, which is a keyingredient of resilience.
Instead of assuming theseworst-case scenarios and that
they're the true one, you learnto weigh possibility against
evidence.
You start trusting yourselfmore.
(05:55):
You recover faster from stress.
You feel less helpless when lifethrows something unexpected at
you.
Mental health isn't the absenceof negative emotion.
It's the ability to navigatethose emotions without believing
that they define you or dictateyour future.
And that's what cognitivereappraisal gives us: the
(06:17):
ability to respond instead ofreact, the ability to question
fear before it rules the moment,and the ability to choose a
story that doesn't harm us.
So, like I said, it's not aboutpretending everything is fine,
it's about recognizing that ourfirst thought isn't always the
truest one, and giving ourselvespermission to find a version
(06:41):
that helps us move forward.
And that's not denial, it'stransformation.
Just as that caterpillardissolves into fluid before
reforming, our rigid thoughtscan dissolve into something new
when met with compassion andcuriosity and patience.
To transform your thoughts is tomake peace with your mind's own
(07:04):
weather, to stop chasing thestorm, and instead learn to read
the clouds.
In psychology, our thoughts arenot just ideas, they're
instructions.
Each one tells the body how tofeel, how to prepare, and how to
respond.
When you think I'm not safe,your body obeys.
(07:25):
And when you think I can't dothis, your nervous system
tightens.
But when you think I can learnthis or this moment will pass,
your body exhales.
That's the alchemy, theinvisible bridge between thought
and physiology.
We feel what we believe.
Transforming your thoughts isn'tabout this forced positivity,
(07:48):
it's about conscious authorship.
You don't have to believe everystory your mind tells.
You can edit and rewrite and orrelease it entirely.
The butterflies in this card arethat process made visible, the
physical release of innernarratives that no longer serve.
(08:08):
And in neuroscience, this alignswith the plasticity of the
brain.
Our neural pathways are liketrails through a forest.
The more we walk one, the easierit becomes to travel again.
Transforming your thoughts isabout carving a new path through
that forest, one that leads topeace rather than panic,
compassion rather thancriticism.
(08:32):
And I'll be honest, it at firstit's awkward.
The branches will snag, theground feels uneven, but with
repetition, that new pathbecomes a natural way home.
So this card is whispering,you're not your thoughts, you're
the space that they passthrough.
And when you remember that, youstop fighting the butterflies
(08:55):
and you just let them fly.
So let's pause here.
You might want to close youreyes for a moment if it is safe
to do so, and take a deep breathin and out.
And now ask yourself gently,without judgment, what thought
(09:18):
has been looping in my mindlately?
And what emotion does it carry?
What story about myself feelsold, rehearsed, and and maybe
even inherited?
And what new story wants tobegin?
If I could speak to my mind as afriend, what would I say to calm
(09:42):
it?
Each of these questions is anopening, not to erase your
thoughts, but to befriend them.
Transformation happens whenawareness replaces autopilot.
So the woman on this card isn'tescaping her mind.
She's tending to it.
She knows that thoughts arealive, like creatures that need
(10:05):
air.
And when she releases them, theydon't vanish, they change shape.
And maybe that's what this cardis asking of us to stop treating
our minds as an enemy and starttreating it as a garden.
Pull the weeds when you can,water the ideas that bring you
closer to light.
And when a thought has run itscourse, let it go.
(10:27):
Let it take its wings and leave.
And sometimes it sounds like thegentle flutter of something
leaving you, not in anger, butin peace.
So even here, in the messy,uncertain middle of your own
(10:49):
becoming, you are transforming.
You're allowed to release thethoughts that no longer serve
you, and you're allowed to rise.
Thank you for spending this timewith me today.
For more reflections and acloser look at the cards
themselves, you can find me onInstagram at the underscore
(11:10):
cardcast or novel Natasha onSubstack.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
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