You Didn't Hear it Here First

But it's still a good message

Tarot Tuesday

Keepers of the Light Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray. Artwork by Lily Moses.

It’s a busy week. I’m not referring to the usual seasonal holiday refrain, although that energy certainly contributes to the frenetic atmosphere. In addition to the holiday buzz, today Jupiter enters Aries, tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, and Thursday brings this month’s New Moon. Whew!

The significance of these astrological events is well documented on the internet, so suffice it to say…get ready for change. The calendar is telling us that too. As next week rolls in and we’re feeling ready for a cosmic break, we slip into a new year. The astrological events for 2023 portend big shake ups, but that’s not the message for today’s post.

We live in the now and this present moment is the only “time” we can have effect. And who knows? What we practice and embody today may very well affect future outcomes in a positive way…if we take the advice of today’s Card for the Collective. It’s a good recommendation any day of the year.

I had posed this query as I cleansed, blessed, and shuffled the cards: “What does the Collective need to know for the highest good of all?”

I almost giggled when I turned the card. Who will believe me that this was truly a sign from the Universe? Yet Master Jesus showed up for the Jewish girl from the Bronx with the wisdom we all need. I interpret this pull as proof positive that we are all one despite any labels we choose to affix to ourselves and others. That’s meaning No. 1 of the reading.

The larger message is to remind us to be kind to others but to begin with ourselves. Forgiveness is an act of kindness, and when directed within it can manifest in the form of inner peace.

Peace on Earth is the season’s oft-repeated phrase. Peace, like forgiveness, begins with each individual. “As above, so below. As within, so without.”

There’s no cutting corners, skipping steps, or exclusions. Perhaps the most powerful and meaningful action you can take toward Peace on Earth is to love and forgive yourself.

Did you know that the faults or shortcomings you see in another or in the world are likely to be connected to what you believe about yourself? Sounds crazy, but many behavior modification programs, like the Twelve Steps, will advise sitting next to the person in the room that most annoys you for this reason.

So it follows that what you forgive in yourself, you can forgive in others. Forgiveness doesn’t change or excuse wrongful acts, but it offers peace of mind. Since we’re all connected, a peaceful inner you projects the vibration of forgiveness and acceptance outward into the world.

And perhaps one daily act of kindness, forgiveness, or support is the most important action we can ever take.

Forgiveness. One day at a time. One Mind, One Love, One World. Peace on Earth is possible.

It’s not a new message. But it is worth heeding.