How To Be In Control During Uncertain Times

As a highly sensitive person I have noticed in recent months, how collective fears, worries and despair are growing and heavily tangible in the air.

Greetings from the Nine of Swords!

For many, life has become hard due to imposed poverty of corrupt, inept politicians on top of all the other scary developments around the world.

But it is easy to find yourself sucked into this hive anxiety.

The fact is all that is happening is beyond our control, and we can only do little to soften the blows.

And yet, despite all the upheaval, there is joy in the world and in your life right now.

It's time to tap into it and make the best of a lemony situation.

How can you be and feel more in control? Here are some ideas I live by:

1. When you consciously give up control, you actually achieve more control

By accepting possibilities we don't like but cannot influence, life becomes easier.

Amidst all the beauty and wonder of life, it can also be tough sometimes to navigate the setbacks, struggles and existential crises.

It's all part of life.

Adjusting and surrendering to constant change makes you over time more resilient.

2. Good thing, bad thing. Who knows?

The pandemic has been widely regarded as a terrible disaster. And indeed, people died and their loved ones are grieving.

But the pandemic has also resulted in millions of people questioning their career choices, level of consumption and their values.

A revolution in workplaces has taken place, with people quitting and changing their lives, demanding to work from home and taking time off to enhance their work-life balance.

When nobody went to the office during the lockdowns, something new was created. People were waking up from their corporate slumber.

Just think of the Tower in the Tarot - destruction, but new possibilities to rebuild better on firm foundations.

3. We have control of how we perceive our life experiences

While we can easily feel like passive victims of other people's power, we can also choose to feel like survivors, pro-actively dusting ourselves off while not losing sight of what makes us happy and content.

The richest person in the world is the one, who doesn't desire anything, who feels that they have all they need, even if it's not much in terms of money or possessions.

That doesn't mean though that you shouldn't have goals or aspirations.

Set a goal, and then forget about it. Let it work in your unconscious and take meaningful actions over time to achieve that goal.

Don't force the issue, don't fret over it. Let it unfold naturally and allow your goal to evolve as you grow.

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Warmest wishes,

Christiane

When Death Is Your Year Card

When Death is your year card, be prepared for some massive transformation.

I've written about Death in the Tarot many times before, and I have always tried to balance the love n light positive with the inherent uncomfortable aspect of this card.

Now I'm in a position, where I am actually living through a year, in which Death is my annual growth symbol.

The year isn't over yet, so anything can still happen, and I am prepared for whatever crazy and mind-boggling stuff is hurling my way.

But so far, 2022 has already been quite a rollercoaster ride of flux and change.

The pandemic has a lot to answer for. It was the harbinger of my year of Death transformation.

And with the war in Ukraine, I realised that the world as we knew it pre-pandemic, has changed forever.

With the old and established order slowly but surely desintigrating, millions of people are affected by a new sense of insecurity.

There is a lot of evaluation going on in terms of living your best life and making the most of life and the time you have left.

Hence the Great Resignation and massive shift in the way people demand new ways of working, including remote working and the introduction of the 4-day week.

So while the old order is dying, something new is emerging.

On a personal level, I came to a point in February, when I realised that I had been running my tarot biz for more than a decade.

I had noticed for a while that I needed to take a break from it, simply to recharge my batteries, so I could gather new ideas and inspiration.

I decided to put my Patreon on hold, so I no longer needed to post new content every month.

While I never had a break from creating lots of content, the last three months of my Patreon journey started to put pressure on my creative flow.

So I put Patreon on hold.

One of the reasons why I haven't resumed is that I had the urge to return to the commercial world after twenty years of absence.

I am currently working from home for a large retailer serving customers in Europe. God bless the internet, online shopping and the digital nomad revolution.

My current role however is a contract limited until the end of January 2023, but in the meantime, I am already working on transforming my online presence on this website and elsewhere.

You see, while Tarot has been a massive passion of mine for so many years, it has also nudged me into exploring new possibilities.

In recent months, I have virtually abandoned all social media and only post occasionally on Instagram.

I let go of all the toxic social media and the damage it has caused and will cause in time to come.

I'm at a stage in my life, where I no longer need to earn a living from Tarot. I want to continue creating content at my leasure for fun.

That's why I have also put on hold all personal courses and mentoring, but my self-study courses and ebooks are still available.

If you need help with any of these, please don't hesitate to send me a message.

But wait, there is more...😄

A couple of weeks ago, there was a serious health scare in the family.

When a loved one is taken to hospital with a potential life-threatening illness, it's hard to keep focused and cool.

Thankfully, the suspected heart attack has turned out to be "just" an inflammation of the heart, which was caused by Covid, and with the current medication has the chance to be healed.

It's still serious, and it has again made me think about life, what is important to me and what I want to do.

As you can see, I am in transition on a road to somewhere.

The metamorphosis is in progress. It feels uncomfortable, but at the same time there are rays of light and illumination.

When Death is your year card, be prepared for anything.

But watch this space. Endings bring new beginnings.

“You have to die a few times before you can really live.”
- Charles Bukowski

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

Connect with me on:

Substack - Live more Magic

Medium - Simplify your Life

Ko-Fi - Creative Tarot Journaling

On Keeping Calm And Carrying On

There used to be a time, when Ukraine and Russia fought each other with silly songs at the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Today, I am struggling to accept the loss of this naff decatent triviality, which was light-hearted fun rather than a tsunami of blood, death and tears.

I am struggling to come to terms with the enormity of what is currently happening in Europe.

Unless you are a master of ignoring the signs of the insane possibility of World War III breaking out, you are probably struggling, too.

But after the initial shock we know that the best we can do is keeping calm and carrying on.

Keeping calm, because

• life goes on, at least for now
• being consumed by fear prevents us from making the most of the time we have left
• it helps to make rational and sensible choices rather than getting sucked into the conspiracy rabbit holes
• we cannot choose the times we are living in
• we have to accept what we cannot change

Carrying on

helping - loving - creating - planning - dreaming - enjoying - doing your best - showing kindness, compassion, courage

After years of division and polarisation, perhaps this is the time when we all get back together again.

To be strong in unity against the menacing bully in the East.

For freedom, peace, democracy and our liberal values we have to fight even though we don't want to fight. But it has to be done.

There is no more I can say, except

May you be safe. May you be supported. May you be strong.

Be prepared for all possibilities.

Despite the dark storm approaching on the horizon, don't lose your sense of humour.

Remember to embrace moments of joy and simple pleasures.

Know that you are loved. Always.

⭐gET INspIrEd⭐

Please meet and support Ana, Siberia Inside, a wonderful YouTube channel about minimalism, mindfulness and creativity

My current favourite graphic novel Promethea, which takes you on a trippy journey through the magical cosmos

Can't get this song out of my head:

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

Connect with me on:

Substack - Live more Magic

Medium - Simplify your Life

Ko-Fi - Creative Tarot Journaling

Independence - The Joy of Being Alone

One of the harsh lessons the pandemic has taught us is that learning to embrace being alone contributes to our wellbeing and resilience.

When you begin to discover the joy of being alone, magical things start to happen:

1. You become more creative

Being on your own means that you have to fill your time with interesting activities. 

2. You are getting out of your comfort zone

Don't want to be home alone? You decide to go to a cafe or go on holiday anyway. You learn there is no point in missing out only because you don't have someone else joining you.

3. You can relax and recharge

There is no need to compromise, keeping other people happy, and you have the big bed all for yourself.

4. You get to know yourself

Reflect on your needs and aspirations, your strengths and weaknesses and give yourself the space to fall in love with yourself.

5. You learn to enjoy your own company

When you focus on the positive aspects of being alone, you begin to thrive and enjoy life.

6. You no longer feel lonely

Being alone doesn't mean you are lonely. You know that you can reach out to people and cultivate a small circle of true friends to connect with.

7. You can be yourself

No need to apologise for not meeting someone else's expectations, or seek approval by how you look, what you wear, or even how much you fulfil the other person's needs.

8. You have the chance to fulfil your dreams

Relationships can be stifling, and it is easy to get stuck in routines. 

Being on your own helps to be more mindful about exploring and pursuing your goals and dreams. 

You can be more adventurous without having to explain yourself.

9. You feel you are in charge of your life

You have control over your finances, work, where you want to live, your sex life, travel destinations, and the company you want to keep and when. 

10. You no longer are desperate to be in a relationship

This is one of the most magical effects. So many people embark on a new relationship only because they don't want to be alone. 

They stay in the wrong relationship, because they are scared of feeling lonely, if they leave.

Being at ease in your own company, being your own best friend means that you no longer engage in or put up with drama. You become discerning and choose your company wisely. 

Once we have discovered the joy of being alone, we no longer get caught up in making bad decisions about relationships. We no longer neglect friendships for the sake of a relationship.

It is time to shed the idea that being alone - as opposed to being in a relationship - is a weakness or even tragedy in one's life.

The true tragedy is not being able to be alone, unable to be solitary and enjoying it, not knowing that you are enough.

It is time to embrace being alone - alonement - as a gift to live a fulfilled life.

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

⭐gET INspIrEd⭐

A movie that recently moved me: Portrait of a Lady on Fire - it brought tears to my eyes not because it was sad, but because it was so incredibly beautiful and emotionally powerful

A book I'm currently hooked on: The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck - witty, entertaining, and so incredibly wise. Life-changing stuff

My latest Musical Muse: Wanderlust - my personal song collection on Spotify for day-dreams and mind-travel