It's Written in the Cards
When the thing to do is to do nothing
The closest thing to a “morning routine” that I have is pulling a card from the Animal Spirit deck and writing a little about what that card stirs within me. I am not consistent, but I have learned that that’s okay (and I can make art in the gaps.)
Drawing a card serves as a simple meditation, a gentle centering, a small flex of the writing muscle. I always feel better after this ritual. And I have come to accept that the cards never lie.
But lately, the cards have been pissing me off.
Well, pissing me off isn’t quite right. Rather, they’ve been challenging me to enter a squishy, ill-defined, shrug-emoji space. In short: they’ve been telling me to pause and play.
Did your inner Type A, eldest-sibling conditioned, blindly productive woman also just cringe in horror? Stick with me.
The cards I’ve pulled this month have been eerily aligned with with a feeling I’ve had lately—an itch, a knowing, and whispering—that there’s something big and wonderful and maybe-scary-in-its-honesty within me that wants to come out.
Oh, but don’t do anything about it just yet, because you need to pause and play.
What?
Cases in point:
The Mouse card came up THREE times this month.1 The Mouse can get lost in the nitty-gritty details and end up fearful and worrisome. The fix? Step back for a moment and think of a big project worthy of your detailed eye.
The Scorpion came up twice. It encourages us to come clean about what’s burned us in the past, to clear the way for us to be our “fiery but fun” selves. It calls for honesty and forgiveness.
The Horse also came up twice. It’s the fully awakened, fully alive, undefeatable master of its energy. Hoo-rah and all that jazz. But this comes to us through a daily practice of honing and collecting our energy.
The Sea Serpent, Tiger, and Crocodile cards all encourage pause: gathering awareness, observing, building energy. Spending time in silence. Supporting us as we learn to express our true natures.
Finally, the Spider card. “Be process-oriented, rather than results-oriented, and soon your ‘work’ becomes like the weaving of a magical, priceless tapestry.” This card reminds us that creativity is everywhere and suggests engaging in creative play.
As someone who has spent the last 20-ish years actively trying to break familial trauma-cycles and re-parent herself, the idea of pausing and playing is just plain frightening. Won’t it all fall apart? Won’t I slide back into those familial patterns and self-destructive tendencies if I’m not constantly vigilant?
Isn’t my level of productivity directly related to my level of purpose? My level of … significance?
Holy fuck.
We interrupt our scheduled writing session to report the following:
My first hummingbird of the season just visited.
I took a break from the keyboard, looked over, and there she was.
This post is no longer a questioning. It is a calling. Hummingbirds are my spirit animals. They ALWAYS, ALWAYS, don’t-even-try-to-convince-me-otherwise mean that whatever I’m doing or thinking about in that moment is the RIGHT path.
So I’m gonna pause and play. And I’m gonna like it.
Pretty slim odds from a 63-card deck, especially since I only pulled cards 18 days this month (I told you I’m inconsistent.)
Enjoyed this read. I've been using the medicine cards since 1988 and it's always fun to find someone else who appreciates looking at the way the natural world might hold wisdom for us.
If you look at my profile, you'll see plenty of hummingbirds. 😀
I relate strongly to all you said! I often refer to my tarot as rude because they are so accurate!