empoweredmysticalharmony

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✨Sunday, January 19

✨Daily Passage: “Joy: Learning Life’s Lessons with a Light Heart” 

✨Daily Tarot: Five of Wands

✨Would you rather be right or happy? It’s a very simple question, yet oftentimes a very complicated matter. To the victor go the spoils, but is dropping that clever comment to win the argument worth the cost of your partner’s feelings?

✨In my last post, I mentioned that Aquarius is an Air Sign, which is associated with Swords. Air & Swords are associated with communication & intellect. The shadow side can include using witty words to really hurt someone’s feelings. Is the lesson you hope to teach worth the suffering it might cause?

✨“From deep within there comes a longing to give up the path of struggle as a way to learn life’s lessons. Finally we are ready to embrace the path of joy.” –Simple Abundance

✨“Many of us unconsciously create dramas in our minds . . . Inadvertently, we become authors of our own misfortune. . . . bruised & battered by circumstances without realizing that we always have a choice.” –Simple Abundance

✨“Isn’t it possible that you could write new chapters in your life with happy endings? . . . After all, what have you got to lose but misery & lack?” –Simple Abundance

✨Five of Swords: “Upright: Selfishness, tension, betrayal, entitlement” –Ethereal Visions

✨Traditional RWS: Arguments, bullying, intimidation, winning at any cost

✨This passage reminds us that we always have a choice & if we want to be happy, we have to choose it over the other option. Even during times when there are no good choices & we’re just trying to survive the lesser of two evils, if you decide on the lesser, you are actively putting yourself on a path that will lead you closer to joy over one that will take you further from it.

✨I believe today’s tarot card is an invitation from Spirit to choose kindness over conflict. Aquarius Season is about building community & working for the greater good. That doesn’t mean we always have to agree, but we should choose what unites us over what divides us.

✨How can you choose kindness over conflict this Aquarius Season? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to know how you plan to apply this in your life.

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💫Welcome to Aquarius Season! ♒️

💫Aquarius Season encourages us to connect with like-minded souls, think outside the box, & dream up a better future. 

💫Keywords: Community, Freedom, Innovation, Uniqueness, & Visionary Thinking

💫Even though Aquarius is depicted as the “water bearer” & its glyph is two waves, Aquarius is actually an AIR sign, not a water sign. ♒️

💫The Element of Air represents Communication, Ideas, & Intellect.

💫Air is associated with the Suit of Swords in Tarot, which is often thought to represent the mind. Swords can represent Virtuous aspects such as Curiosity, Fairness, Logic, Morality, & Swiftness. Swords can also represent Shadowy aspects such as Aggression, Bullying, Coldness, Confusion, & Ruthlessness.

💫Aquarius is associated with The Star, which is a card that reminds us to embrace hope & our divine purpose. 🌟

💫In Astrology, the Sign of Aquarius is associated with the 11th House, which is the house of Community & Progress. In my signature coaching program, The 12 Houses of Holistic Healing, Aquarius & the 11th House are associated with Environmental Wellness.

💫In my 12 Houses of Holistic Healing coaching program, this area of wellness revolves around how we interact with our environment. Aquarius is a very socially conscious sign, so we will use this energy to explore how to not only improve our relationship to Mother Nature & our stewardship of the planet’s resources, but also how we interact with our local & global communities.

💫3 Affirmations: 🌟"My unique perspective is a gift that inspires positive change in the world."  🌟"I embrace innovation and collaboration to create a brighter future for all."  🌟"I act with intention, balancing my needs with the needs of the collective."

💫How are you embracing Aquarius energy this season? Let me know in the comments! I’d love for us to inspire & support each other! 🌟✨💖💕💫♒️💛

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨Saturday, January 18

✨Daily Passage: “Beauty: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty That Surrounds Us”

✨Daily Tarot: Ace of Wands 🌟 Bonus: Knight of Swords

✨Much like cultivating an attitude of gratitude for all things, appreciating the beauty that’s all around us & inside us is a practice that we can intentionally nurture. We will see that splendor abounds if we hold space for it.

✨“Suddenly one day we feel very much alive & desire more beauty in our personal quest. We come to a deep awareness that creating a beautiful life is our highest calling.” –Simple Abundance

✨“Let your eyes drink in the beauty that surrounds you. . . . It is in the details of life that beauty is revealed, sustained, & nurtured.” –Simple Abundance

✨Ace of Wands: “Upright: Inspiration, potential, creation, enthusiasm” –Ethereal Visions

✨Knight of Swords: “Upright: Stubborn, determined, brash, overbearing” –Ethereal Visions

✨Traditional RWS: 🎴Ace of Wands: creative spark, energetic, inspired. 🎴Knight of Swords: ambitious, daring, focused.

✨In the context of today’s passage from Simple Abundance, I believe Spirit could be bringing us a couple of different messages with these cards.

✨On one hand, Spirit could be reminding us how quickly our lives will improve if we begin to focus on the positive. Actively choosing to hold space for the good & beautiful things in your life actually rewires your brain to find more of those splendid things to focus on.

✨Another interpretation could be that there’s a creative or beautification project that you’ve been dreaming up . . . & if that’s the case, Spirit is encouraging you to go for it! This is your reminder that holding space for yourself & the beauty that you bring into the world is just as important as honoring the splendor that exists outside of you.

✨What’s your biggest takeaway from today’s reading? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear what’s coming up for you!

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨Friday, January 17, 2025

✨Daily Passage: “Harmony: Achieving Balance in Our Lives” ✨Daily Tarot: 2 of Pentacles 🌟 Bonus Tarot: Reversed 6 of Swords

✨Spirit seems to have made my fingers extra buttery lately, lol. The last three days, I have ended up with a bonus card popping out from the shuffle.

✨Juggling priorities & finding balance amidst life’s demands may feel especially challenging when we’re stuck in old patterns & feeling overwhelmed. When you release what no longer serves you, life’s responsibilities get a little bit easier to manage.

✨“Harmony is the inner cadence of contentment we feel when the melody of life is in tune. . . . Perhaps this explains why we often hear only a cacophony of dissonant demands that drown out the symphonies our souls long to compose.” –Simple Abundance

✨“Usually, when the distractions of daily life deplete our energy, the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need the most: quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, time to think, time to contemplate what’s working and what’s not, so that we can make changes for the better.” –Simple Abundance

✨“With harmony as your guide, trust that your everyday moments will soon begin to resonate in a rhapsody of fulfillment.” –Simple Abundance

✨2 of Pentacles: “Sometimes it is the hardest thing to accomplish, to find balance between the magic and the tangible. The tangible offers a firm grounding in the world, a sense of security. The magic calls to the deeper parts of the soul and offers a connection to universe. This card signifies that you certainly feel the push & pull; it is simply a matter of balancing the two lives together in perfect harmony.” –Guardian Tarot

✨R 6 of Swords: “As a reverse card, you need time to process the losses you have had through your life. Allow yourself time, it is okay.” –Guardian Tarot

✨Traditional Rider Waite Smith: 🎴 2 of Pentacles: adaptable, balance, flexibility, resourcefulness. 🎴 R 6 of Swords: avoidance, carrying baggage, feeling trapped, stuck in the past.

✨What are you holding onto that no longer serves you? What’s one thing that you could release right now that would restore a sense of harmony in your life? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hold space for you to reflect on this! ✨💖💕💫🤎💛

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

Thursday, January 16, 2025

✨Daily Passage: “A Sense of Order: Cultivating Contentment” ✨Daily Tarot: Temperance 🌟 Bonus Tarot: Reversed Ace of Cups

✨ If you’re feeling emotionally & creatively drained, you might find comfort & inspiration in organization & compassionate self-discipline (i.e., redefine structure + restore balance = refill your cup).

✨ “There is an immediate emotional & psychological payoff to getting our [literal & metaphorical] houses in order. We might not be able to control what’s happening externally in our lives, but we can learn to look to our own inner resources for a sense of comfort that nurtures & sustains.” –Simple Abundance

✨ “If you feel constantly adrift but don’t know why, be willing to explore the role that order–or the lack of it–plays in your life. . . . Begin to think of order not as a straight-jacket of ‘shoulds’ . . . but as a shape–the foundation–for the beautiful new life you are creating.” –Simple Abundance

✨ “There is a Divine Order . . . We can tap into this powerful source of creative energy when we are willing to gradually cultivate a sense of order as to how we conduct our daily affairs.” –Simple Abundance

✨ Temperance: “When this card appears, it shows that we have some life lessons coming our way. Prepare & be aware of these lessons, & visualize who you want to be in the end. Make your choices accordingly.” –Guardian Tarot ✨ R Ace of Cups: “As a reversed card, this can indicate that you can achieve your own spiritual growth that will flourish & grow with the sun.” –Guardian Tarot

✨ Traditional RWS. Temperance: alchemizing, balancing, harmonizing, healing, moderation, transmutation. R Ace of Cups: blocks, inauthentic self-expression, lack of trust & confidence, inability to give & receive.

✨ I know that many of us (me included) have a complicated relationship with discipline, order, & structure. But the truth is that compassionate self-discipline (good habits, routines & rituals) allows us to create a sense of safety & support for ourselves. Plus, an organized & tidy physical space supports feelings of holistic wellbeing.

✨ Tell me, what’s your relationship with self-discipline like? How do you give yourself the gift of safety & support? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hold space for a dialogue about this! ✨💖💕🤎💛💫

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨Wednesday, January 15, 2025✨

✨ Daily Passage: “Simple Gifts: Embracing Simplicity”

✨ Daily Tarot: The Fool

   🌟  Bonus Tarot: 8 of Wands

🌟 After I read the daily passage, I began shuffling my deck to pull the daily card. Before I knew it, a single card had shuffled out. Whenever that happens, I still pull my own card, but I always include the “bonus” card in the reading because I know the message must be important.

✨ When you simplify, life gains momentum and Spirit opens doors. For instance, the new habits that tend to make the biggest impact are those that are simple to start and maintain.

✨“Once we take stock of our lives and let gratitude begin its transformative work, the next step on the path unfolds naturally. When we appreciate how much we have, we feel the urge to pare down, get back to basics, and learn what is essential for our happiness.” –Simple Abundance

✨ “Many people believe simplicity implies doing without. On the contrary. True simplicity as a conscious life choice illuminates our lives from within. True simplicity is both buoyant and bountiful . . . [It] can elevate ordinary moments . . . from the mundane to the transcendent.” –Simple Abundance

✨ “Trust that through the balm of simplicity your frazzled and weary soul can discover the place where you ought to be.” –Simple Abundance

✨“The Fool is the spirit of innocence in all of us as we begin our journey. This card may be at the beginning (birth) or the end (transformation) of our path. Each position marks the start of new beginnings where we are free to be creative, have boundless faith, and freely embrace opportunities. Upright: Potential, new beginnings, opportunity, adventure.” –Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot

🌟 Yesterday, we talked about cultivating a daily gratitude practice. Expressing gratitude daily is one of the simplest ways to raise your vibration and get in alignment with what you desire to call in.

🌟 Today, take a moment to slow down, appreciate what you already have, acknowledge the progress you’ve already made, and trust the unfolding of your path. How does that feel?

✨ If this type of content lights you up, please make sure to follow for more! Visit this link to sign up for my email list, and be the first to know about new updates! ✨💖💕💫🤎💛

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

Our brains want us to survive. Changes, even good ones, make us feel threatened because of all of the unknowns. Even if we intellectually and intuitively understand that we made the right choice to make the change, it can still make us feel threatened because our brains had figured out how to survive in that old situation. We weren't comfortable or happy, but we knew how to survive. It might take some time, but if you continue to trust that you made the right choice, you will eventually know how to thrive.

Please, keep going! ✨💖💕

Remember that even good changes can make us feel depressed, because, as creatures of habit, we're resistant to change. That doesn't mean that it wasn't the right choice.

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨Tuesday, January 14, 2025✨

🌟 Daily Passage: “The Gratitude Journal”

🌟 Daily Tarot: The Sun

🌟 If you’ve been thinking about starting a daily gratitude practice, consider this your sign to get into the habit of having an attitude of gratitude!

🌟 “Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only survive but surmount our difficulties.” –Simple Abundance

🌟 “The Sun card shines down confidence and awakening upon you. It is a time to embrace the joys in life and leave the darkness and confusion behind. Upright: Positivity, success, joy, optimism.” –Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot

🌟 Keywords for The Sun in the traditional Rider Waite Smith:

 ✨ Abundance

 ✨ Confidence

 ✨ Happiness

🌟 What 3 things are you most grateful for today? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear what’s bringing you joy right now!

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On the Full Moon in Cancer, with today’s passage from Simple Abundance, plus the Four of Wands, Spirit is offering us a beautiful reminder that gratitude and celebration are just as powerful as release and letting go.

“My heart began to overflow with gratefulness. . . . Each day began to offer me authentic moments of pleasure and contentment. But hadn’t they before? The difference was that I was now noticing and appreciating each day’s gifts. The power of gratefulness caught me by surprise.” -Simple Abundance

“When I surrendered my desire for security and sought serenity instead, I looked at my life with open eyes. I saw that I had much for which to be grateful. I felt humbled by my riches and regretted that I took for granted the abundance that already existed in my life. How could I expect more from the Universe when I didn’t appreciate what I already had?” -Simple Abundance

Four of Wands: “Keywords: Joy, stability, blessings. Meaning: Celebration. This is a time of manifesting happiness and you are on the right path to achieve your goals. This card signifies blessings as your angels are talking to you. . . . You are at peace as your mind, body, and soul are aligned. . . . Star Message: The universe and the angels are blessing you.” -The Moon & Stars Tarot

Remember, celebrating your wins and being present with your joy is just as transformative as letting go of what no longer serves you.

Read full blog post here: https://medium.com/@empoweredmysticalharmony/illuminating-alignment-full-moon-reflections-f16c94649fa1

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨ Monday, January 13, 2025 ✨

🌟 Moon: Full 🌕, Cancer 🦀♋️

🌟 Tarot: Four of Wands, “Celebration” 🪄🪄🪄🪄

🌟 Message: Gratitude 🙏🙌🤩

✨ I have so much more to say on this.

✨ Stay tuned! ✨💖💕🤎💫

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨ kintsugi (keen-su-gee) = “golden joinery” ✨

✨ Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken vessels with lacquer mixed with powdered gold.

✨ This technique for repairing broken pottery can also be thought of as an empowering philosophy that we can apply to our human experience.

✨ Rather than trying to hide the cracks, or the fact that the piece had ever been broken, the seams are conspicuously gilded, which results in something even more unique and more beautiful than before.

✨ This shows us that our imperfections don't make us any less worthy or whole. Instead, it allows us to honor them as an integral part of our story. It reminds us that we can hold space for all pieces of ourselves.

✨ Instead of trying to conceal your cracks, what if you embraced them as evidence of your resilience and growth? When was the last time you paused to honor the beauty in your journey? Can I invite you to take a moment to do that now? 🤎✨💖💕💫

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"Both can coexist."

Yes, and. Honor your truth. Hold space for all parts of your story.

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Maybe the person you need to be the most gentle with is yourself. People don't realize how self-deprecating they can really be when thinking about themselves. Consider trying to stop calling yourself all those words you wouldn't say to a friend. After all, you are the longest companion you will have for your whole life, you shouldn't spend it hating yourself so much. You can't outrun yourself, but you can change the way you feel about who you are.

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

✨ 111 Manifestation Portal ✨

✨ January 11, 2025 ✨

✨ The January 11th (1.11) portal is a powerful time for new beginnings, alignment with your higher purpose, and manifestation.

✨ The number 1 is associated with leadership, independence, and creation. When repeated as 11, it amplifies those qualities, bringing in a higher vibration of intuition, illumination, and spiritual growth. The "11" is often called a "master number," symbolizing a channel between the Earthly and Spiritual Realms.

✨ Supportive Practices for connecting with the energy of this portal:

⭐️ Guided Meditations

⭐️ Reflective Journaling

⭐️ Declaring Intentions

⭐️ Repeating Affirmations

✨ Three Powerful Affirmations for harnessing the energy of this portal:

⭐️ 1.) "I trust in the guidance of my intuition to manifest my highest purpose."

⭐️ 2.) "I am aligned with my creativity and taking action toward my goals."

⭐️ 3.) "I am open to receiving all that is in alignment with my soul's purpose."

🤩 What are YOU manifesting today with support from the 111 Manifestation Portal's potent energy? I invite you to declare your intentions in the comments. I'd love to hold space for you and everything that you are calling in!

[empoweredmysticalharmony]

“You’ve gotta get comfortable with cooking that first scoop of batter to make your first shitty pancake . . . Or else you risk never getting to enjoy a whole stack of your best pancakes.”

When I first drafted this copy, I originally wrote, “a whole stack of perfect pancakes.”

Even though I am working intentionally to honor the idea that, “writing is not editing, and editing is not writing,” as soon as I typed out those words, I immediately deleted them in order to prepare to write something that felt more aligned.

I’ve been doing a lot of inner work to release my perfectionism. My Sun and Moon are both in Leo, and my Ascendant is in Virgo. If you know anything about astrology and analyzing birth charts, then I’m sure you can appreciate that these placements can be a recipe for quite a spicy internal struggle. If you don’t know much astrology, suffice it to say that these placements can bring out one another’s bitterest flavors when not properly integrated. As such, I have been doing a lot of shadow work around this. I digress, though, because that’s a whole different conversation. The point here is that I thought I had gotten a handle on my perfectionism. Until I realized that I had only re-labeled it as “optimization.”

It’s a lot easier said than done to truly get comfortable with the reality that you’re probably going to have to face at least one shitty pancake before you get to the good ones. I do have to commend myself, though, for the growth that it took in order to get to a place where I could at least try to be okay with not being “perfect.” And yet, I also have to acknowledge that, although I was able to be a little more self-compassionate, I was still stifling myself with this need to be “optimal.” I realized that even though I had changed the word I was using, I hadn’t actually changed how I was treating myself.

I was still getting stuck in analysis paralysis. I was still procrastinating on things that I wanted to start and/or finish. Why was I still frozen? I didn’t self-identify as a perfectionist anymore. How was I still self-sabotaging? Because, as it turned out, me waiting until the “optimal” moment, or until the plan of action felt “optimized,” was effectively me still stalling for perfection.

I can hear people on all sides of the perfection vs. optimization argument. And I’ve been on different sides of the argument myself. You might be thinking that the nuances between these two concepts are too subtle or just semantic, so the words can and should be used interchangeably. I no longer subscribe to that. I don’t think that serves anyone. These two concepts are fundamentally different, so when used with intention, they have the power to convey very different messages.

When I switched my language from “perfect” to “optimal,” I thought I was practicing temperance and offering myself grace. And if I would have been using that word as intentionally as I do now, that would have been the case. However, it wasn’t until I finally listened to what was still coming up for me, and acknowledged how I was indeed still holding myself to unrealistic standards, that I was able to tap into what optimization really means. And what self-compassion and authenticity truly feel like.

I was already making the effort to ban the word “perfect” from my vocabulary. Even in the context of something as innocuous as these metaphorical pancakes. Now, not only am I being even more intentional about not using that word, I am using “optimize” and “optimal” with the utmost intentionality, and in a way that feels so much more aligned and supportive. Because there really is a massive difference between desiring to do something to the best of your ability, and desiring to do something perfectly.

Perfection is flawlessness. Optimization, on the other hand, is making the best or most of something.

As a soul who has been sewn up into a meat sack, i.e., a human being, I have to acknowledge that no human is perfect. No human is without flaws. I mean, even the most carefully crafted and well-planned systems and constructs are not flawless, so how could we ever reasonably expect flawlessness out of these meat sacks? What I am endeavoring to expect from myself is simply my “best” and/or my “most.” And honoring the fact that those words are superlative adjectives, which means that they compare three or more things on a spectrum.

I simply can’t continue to operate in an all-or-nothing, 0% or 100%, “immaculately perfect — or — flawed failure” dichotomy. In fact, that type of thinking is actually a cognitive distortion, which is an irrational thought that negatively warps how reality is perceived. Reality is not black or white, but is a spectrum with many shade variations between the two extremes. I do not think it is irrational to expect the best out of myself. Especially when I honor the fact that, because “good, better, best,” is a spectrum, we have to hold space for the idea that our best can and will look different depending on the context. And that’s good enough. That’s authenticity. That’s reality.

I could go on here about how authenticity is much more valuable than flawlessness, but for now I want to get us back to the topic of pancakes, and the concept of the “first pancake.”

When you’re preparing a stack of pancakes, that first pancake will undoubtedly not be your best pancake. Even if it’s not “that bad,” it’s still not “the best.” Why? Because it wasn’t prepared in the most optimal conditions. But you can’t know that until you take the first step, i.e., cook that first scoop of batter. Once you make that first pancake, and you get a sense of what you’re working with, then you can make the necessary adjustments for optimization. You can turn your heat up or down. You can add a little more butter or oil to your pan, or wipe some of it up. You can add a little more liquid or flour to your batter. You can pace yourself better and wait a little bit longer before you flip.

I mean, the only thing we’re trying to do here is make pancakes, and yet here’s all these little factors that can be adjusted to affect the outcome. How do you know what adjustments to make in order to create your most optimal conditions? How do you know what your best is going to look like under these conditions? Well, you kind of just have to start, don’t you? You can’t know anything about how that bowl full of batter is going to come out if you don’t cook that first scoop. You won’t ever get to sit down with a plate of your best pancakes if you don’t make that first pancake.

Why is normalizing this so important? Because it can be applied to anything in life. You don’t know what you don’t know. You can make assumptions and educated guesses, but you don’t actually know anything until you start. Perfectionism often stops you from even starting.

The fear that someone is going to see that first not-so-great pancake and judge you for it keeps you from making any pancakes at all. You go the whole rest of your life without ever enjoying your best pancakes because you’re too afraid of what might happen with that one imperfect pancake. Even though you know that first pancake has to be made. Even though you know that first pancake might not even turn out that bad. Even though you know that even if that first pancake is super shitty, you still have the opportunity to troubleshoot and try again.

Seriously, replace “pancake” with literally anything, and this concept still tracks. All you have to do is give yourself the grace to start. You have to meet yourself where you are, or you’ll end up never going anywhere else. You have to have the self-compassion to allow yourself to make mistakes and corrections, or you’ll never learn and grow. You can’t let perfectionism keep you stuck. You can’t let perfectionism stifle your authentic self-expression. You can’t let perfectionism stop you from doing your best.

That’s why I called this “The Pancake Post.” It’s my first post. I don’t know how it will turn out, but I do know that I can’t possibly write my best post without writing my first post. Just like you can’t make your best pancake without making your first pancake.Is there a plate of pancakes you’ve been meaning to make? If so, I invite you to heat up your griddle and give it a go. When you do, I’d love for you to connect with me to share how your first pancake turns out! And please remember, even if that first pancake isn’t flawless, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good cook. It means you’re a human being who is showing up and doing their best. And that is enough. You are enough. 🥞🎉💖🌟✨💫🥞🎉💖🌟✨💫