I'm Speaking
A whiplash of a week, and a tarot pull!
Women belong in all places where decisions are being made
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Dear Friends,
I had just returned from celebrating my husband’s birthday at the pirate-themed mini-golf place in Bar Harbor (he won but I learned so much about Blackbeard, so I guess we both won?) when I learned that Biden had dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris. Instantly, so many feelings came up: relief, expansiveness, excitement about a presidential candidate I can 100% get behind, but, most of all, eager anticipation to see the first woman president of the United States. As my puppy Remus likes to say, WooWoooooo!
I’m no political pundit, and politics isn’t a topic I generally discuss in this newsletter, so I won’t say much more. However, I do love that this major shift occurred on a Full Moon. Again, WooWoooooo!
Smaller changes I’m excited about from this past week:
🖤 Jason and I both celebrated our birthdays (6 days apart — Cancers cling together!)
🖤 We upgraded our hipcamp site with a portable toilet so tent and car campers will be more comfortable
🖤 15 new baby chicks hatched, leaving us with a total of, like, 25!? Ummm, does anyone want some chicks? I have no idea where this hen was hiding her nest.
🖤 I finally cleaned off my desk, partly inspired by this interview from Tim Ferriss with James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron
🖤 I fell sick, which, while not exciting in itself, did give me a whole day to lay in bed and watch Schitt’s Creek, which was a big change from my usual routine
Sometime around my birthday, I got the idea to start doing a weekly tarot pull for this newsletter. I think it’ll be fun, and today feels like a great day to start. I also pulled a card from the Shamanic Healing oracle deck my mom got me for Christmas last year.
Let’s get into it!
Temperance and Letting Go
Tarot Card of the Week: Temperance
Temperance is a card of sweet relief, harmony, moderation, and balance. It’s give and take. Being in flow. Finding that delicate balance between pouring your energy into something and knowing when to hold back or rest.
In, Going Beyond the Little White Book, Liz Worth says that Temperance is interesting because it sits between two notoriously challenging cards:
Death — a card of tremendous change
The Devil — a card of feeling stuck, or the illusion of being stuck
This placement emphasizes Temperance as the calm “eye of the storm,” but, as Liz points out, it’s often a narrow and claustrophobic space because of what lies on either side. But that’s because life always gets lifey. Perfect balance isn’t sustainable.
Things change. We grow. We feel stuck again. We die.
But isn’t that all the more reason to enjoy these moments of respite!?
If things have been difficult, or you’ve been going through some trying times, Temperance lets you know that calmer waters lie ahead. I love that the herb associated with this card is Echinacea, known for its immune-boosting properties. Your immune system functions best when your whole body is supported with rest, hydration, nutrition, and peace of mind. This card is an excellent reminder to do all that, in case you’re so caught up in something else that it’s slipped your mind.
Be mindful of where your energy flows this week.
Oracle Card of the Week: Letting Go
This one feels just right given the events of today. I’m going to quote directly from the little black book:
Letting go of a person or situaion can be a challenge. At times, what’s at stake is not just the relationship or situation, it’s the attachment we had for it: the hopes, the dreams, the expectations.
Even if your dreams didn’t involve running for president, they can still be hard to let go of. But still, it’s worth doing if something isn’t working. Often, letting go is the first step in allowing something new and better to fill its place.
Here’s another quote from the book:
Start looking at your expectations. Try not to have any. This will enable you to live in the moment and be mindful of the present.
During the peak of Covid quarantine, I listened to an interview with a solopreneur who was also a single mom raising a toddler. (Respect.) I’ll never forget the key to happiness that she shared: having zero expectations.
Okay, maybe I did forget it. Until now. Now I remember it, and I’m going to totally erase all my expectations and live in the blissful eye of the storm for as long as the gods allow.
And so it is.
I hope you enjoyed that! I had fun doing it. Let me know what you think in the comments or reply to this email. Or contact me some other way. I’m all easy and flowy and Temperanc-y this week. I’m a flowy angel with zero expectations, bro.
Anyway, Jason made a truly decadent lobster gnudi (it’s like gnocchi with ricotta instead of potato) with beurre blanc for dinner and I’m literally sweating butter and cheese curds right now.
As always, thanks for reading! I love you!
Lauren
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