A Tarot Practice For Moving On
A Tarot Practice For Moving On
By Sterling Moon
How much energy do we waste stuck in time in our heads while the proverbial grass continues to grow under our feet? When a situation has exhaled its death rattle, it’s time to get going. As we’re headed into the winter and the start of a new calendar year, it’s important that we figure out how to keep moving forward. Most of us ruminate over arguments long past or try to force old relationships into working better than they are designed to. Then there is the special type of liminal space that 2020 has brought us, which is unlike anything any of us have experienced in this lifetime. Usually when I write these pieces for Ritualcravt, I try to offer something that will be applicable no matter when the reader finds it. This month, that goal doesn’t feel authentic. What a year 2020 has been. We’re almost through an entire solar cycle of living with a pandemic. So many people have lost family members, had their source of income stripped from them, and face challenges to both their physical and mental health as a result. There is more collective awareness of racism and systemic oppression than ever before in the United States, where I live. There is also monumental work ahead and the question of whether most folks, particularly my own pale brethren, are up to the challenge of creating lasting change. We’ve just gone through a rather traumatic presidential election that yielded some great things at the state and local levels and drove record voter turnout, but also also highlighted some pretty gross truths about the value systems of many people in this country. To anyone who is reading this from outside the US, I am truly sorry you are all subjected to our news cycle. Please feel free to turn your attention elsewhere while we try to clean up this mess. Add to that the devastation of wildfires and catastrophic weather events related to climate change, the atrocities being committed in immigration detention centers, and military force being used against our own people…just this year alone! Did all of that make your chest seize up a bit? Me, too. It’s no wonder many of us are struggling. It is glaringly obvious that we have a lot of collective work to do, on top of the daily struggles we face, yet many of us are frozen with anxiety, fatigue, or just not knowing where to start. Never forget that we’re in this together, my friends. If you are here reading this, I believe that you are not someone who is afraid to do hard things. We’ve lived through a hell of a year and we are still here. That said, it’s time to turn the page to a new chapter because we have work to do.
This simple practice is meant to help you move past situations where there is nothing left to do or say; to reduce your attachment to the past; and provide some insight on how you can begin moving forward in the best possible way.
Tarot Practice for Moving On
Allow yourself 10-15 uninterrupted minutes to complete this practice. This was created with tarot or oracle cards in mind, but feel free to adapt to whatever divination tool works best for you. You may also want to have a journal and something to write with.
Notice yourself. Take a big breath and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noting how you feel. Observe the quality of air and light in the room. Take notice of your mood and thoughts.
Tune into the situation you want to move past. What does bringing your awareness to this particular issue do to the quality of your breathing or the sensations in your body? How does it impact your mood or thoughts?
Use the breath to let it go. Take a big, four-count breath. Hold at the top for two to four counts. Exhale for four to six counts and hold at the bottom for two-four counts. As you exhale, imagine that the situation you want to release begins misting away, disintegrating the impact on you and carrying it far, far away. Repeat this four times, envisioning that the situation gets smaller with each round until there is nothing left to exhale away. Check in with your body, mind, mood, and thoughts. If you have not experienced a release, repeat until you do.
Time to divine. Hold your tarot deck as you close your eyes and take one or two more gentle breaths to ground you. Envision that you are surrounded by a perfect circle of light, any color that comes to mind. Ask out loud for your guides, ancestors, and highest self to bring you guidance. Thank them in advance for their assistance. When you feel settled, shuffle your cards and begin. Lay the cards out however you wish.
Card 1: What can I learn from this experience?
Card 2: What do I need to let go?
Card 3: What is the next right step as I move forward?
Card 4: May I have one final card to represent what is needed for the highest good? (Note – this may be for you personally, but may also represent something needed in the collective.)
Sit with it. Allow your mind to be quiet as you reflect on your cards. Remember that spirit speaks through your tools. Take note of any additional messages, visions, or insight you receive. If any of the cards trigger a negative reaction, don’t discount it. This could offer insight into a potential silver lining, a suggestion of things to avoid, or an area that you need to switch your thought patterns.
Give thanks and move on. Check back in with the circle of light you created at the beginning. See it gently fall away. Thank your guides, ancestors, and highest self for their guidance. Take a big breath, stretch, and wiggle your body. Put your tools away and get going!
