Today marks the seventh day of being positive for Covid. I feel substantially better, just waiting for that little damn line in the test to disappear so life can carry on. Funny how today's card is a direct reflection of that (and Major Arcana, ugh). Apparently, positive test results can stick around for 10-14 days.
Today's card, The Hanged Man, is a card that basically tells us to hold-the-fuck-up and take a minute. This card is not showing someone being lynched (nor have I ever seen it depicted as such), but it's a person suspended comfortably upside-down, waiting patiently. This is a card of acceptance and acknowledgment that there are things that we simply cannot control.
Message of the Day: When you take a good look at the real world around us, there is actually very little that we can control. We can't control the weather, the stock market, politics, the circulation of illness, fucking mosquitos, or even the actions of those around us. The best we can do to help us feel we have some sense of control is to prepare and pad ourselves to handle the fluctuation of good and bad. Unfortunately, it seems lately that those fluctuations are coming in more extreme (and usually more bad than good).
Losing that sense of control of our personal lives causes anxiety to the nth degree, and when it begins to pile up (financial/economic, weather, health, political), it can have literal physical repercussions on our ability to sustain and cope. That's when we also see choices made in the name of "why the fuck not, it can't get it any worse." But I think we all know that it can, so let's not tempt fate, eh?
The Hanged Man is inviting us to do three things to help us through this:
- Plan ahead and prepare for difficult situations. This is something that takes time and money, of course. You can't suddenly put aside six months of earnings if you're already struggling to make ends meet. Part of this preparation may be seeking advice from others and learning more. It's also about finding places you can make cuts and save. Sometimes a little effort can net big rewards. (Like, have you ever tried going to a brand's website and just asking for coupons or a discount code? They are almost always happy to send you some. Never be afraid to ask for a discount. It's YOUR money, afterall.) It's also committing to the plan and contributing to it routinely, whether that be financial savings, emergency supplies for natural disasters, or buying supplies when they're on sale.
- Accept that you have no control over the situation and release and anger, frustration, and negativity that comes with it. Yes, it really sucks. And yah, it really pisses you off (me too, I swear!). But, at the end of the day, these negative reactions don't actually help things to improve and, if anything, can actually make things feel worse, particularly if others are seeing you go through this. Control what you can, and fall back on your preparations for everything else.
- Be responsible. Don't make rushed decisions because you're angry or emotional. Being upset and sad does not justify you splurging on some luxury that will momentarily make you feel better - especially if it ends up adding to the hurt in the long run.
Decks shown above:
Subscribe to join the discussion.
Please create a free account to become a member and join the discussion.
