Presence.
Presence. Practicing presence will absolutely change your life. Choosing to be in tune with each moment is no easy task, hence the ‘practicing.’ But the results are worth the effort. Anxiety, worry, fear, guilt, despair all mostly come from worrying about the future or the past. And while that is sometimes necessary and our emotions deserve to be acknowledged, that does not mean these negative feelings/thought patterns must rule or color most of our days or that we must be trapped within them. By practicing presence, we have the power to start telling ourselves a different story when those mental wheels start running toward negativity.
This is something the lovers, the buffalo, and the star all deeply understand. The lovers is more than just a couple card, it is a card about choice and ideologies. It is a card that asks us to analyze how we think, what thoughts guide us, and if we truly believe in them. It reminds us of our own ability to CHOOSE to follow what we truly believe. The star of course, is full of hope, faith, and positivity. This card trusts in the universe and says the universe trusts in you. We are reminded of the power of belief, the power of gratitude and faith. It is a reminder to be grateful for all that you have (I guarantee there is a lot), for being alive and on this planet, here and now. It reminds us to trust that all will work out as it is meant to be, if we follow our paths with an open heart and an open mind, if we listen to our higher selves and the signs the universe presents us with.
And thank goodness, we have the buffalo to ground us. The buffalo looks at every hardship or challenge as an opportunity for further enlightenment. Presence and mindfulness are not about pretending everything is fine or ignoring your feelings. Not at all. It’s about acknowledging those feelings and choosing to work with them, instead of allowing our minds to use them against us. Hard things happen in life, it is a simple fact of our world. And thank goodness, because the greatest lessons come through facing and healing our pain. This animal reminds us to practice faith that the universe will not throw us anything that we cannot handle. We must remember to trust in ourselves, in the universe, and tell ourselves the stories we deserve to hear. The stories that will get us through the hard times. The stories that build us up instead of tear us down. The stories that embolden us instead of push us into fear. The stories of love and hope. The stories of truth and justice. The stories of revolution and redemption.
There is much more to say on this topic. It may have to become a blogpost in the future.
Blessed be.