January 2019 Self-Care Tarot: We Don’t Have to Like Everything.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL. Here’s hoping I finally learn to post shit on time in 2019. Expect some new posts, more Therapy Thursday’s on my IG, and a few published pieces out in the world this year. See you soon.

Check out what Cassandra and her cards have to say about this new year!

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The Page of Swords is all about sudden realizations, brash insight, and the unsettling feeling that these epiphanies just might change your life. As a new year rolls in this makes perfect sense regardless of our mental health status. Suddenly we are focused on what we want to do and where we want to go in 2019. Old dreams are released as new ones take shape. A lot of us are spending time analyzing what went right and what went wrong in 2018 and the answers to what we’ve learned and where we’ve been are likely to surprise even the most self-aware of us. The Page of Swords brings this insight kindly, if not peacefully, and with a reminder that anything that we cut out or that changes us now is for a long-term benefit that we’ll be grateful for later.

For those of us struggling to stay afloat because of mental health, the Page of Swords does show a rougher January. Change is sometimes harder on us than the general population, and January is no different where that’s concerned. The insights and realizations we get can cause radical mood swings or sudden upheavals in our moods. While deep down we might know this is part of our long-term life plan it does not feel good, and we do not like it this month. That’s okay. We don’t have to like everything. The self-care piece of this card says to do it anyway. Struggle through if you need to but do the inner work and listen to those moments when clarity drowns out the self-loathing clamor.

A Page of Swords can be taken incredibly straightforward too. January may be a month for new meds, a new therapist, or even a totally new mental illness emerging. These changes are easier for us, so just try to document how you’re feeling and what’s working so you can stay on top of your health. We all think we’re going to start the most nuanced journal practice ever in the New Year but go easy on yourself if you’re not a writer or journaler by nature. Start the year by adding a mood tracker (digital or paper) to your daily routine and look back at the past couple of weeks every week. If that goes well or goes well but isn’t enough, then we can add in other facets of journaling. The great thing about a mood tracker is it can be artistic or written, digital or paper, and it has the same effect: allowing us to trace the patterns of our mental health rollercoaster so we can make better decisions about our health moving forward. The Swords love patterns, and they love order. The Court Cards are mostly very concerned with autonomy. This simple practice meets both of these facets and helps you start off the New Year with some hope and excitement.

For more info on Cassandra and to book your own card reading, click HERE!

December 2018 Self-Care Tarot: Close That Damn Door, Beeb!

Hi from my busy ass that can’t even remember to post on December 1st. As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been a little absent from my blog (aside from these epic tarotscopes from Cassandra) and social media. There’s no reason other than the fact that I’m still trying to learn to make time for this side of my life in addition to my work during the day. If any of you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments below or send me a message. Let’s see what Cassandra and her cards had to say about what’s in store for our brains this month.

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The World is about endings, and it is a very predictable December reading regardless of context. In the context of mental illness and self-care, The World speaks directly to what’s next for our healing and the ability to maintain our mental health. This year had a lot of ups and downs, and now we’re here at the end wondering what 2019 will bring. It’s natural that this kind and affirming end-of-chapter card would show up, but it’s not coming without bringing us some homework.

The World is specifically interpreted as coming to a successful ending or close, and it’s often discussed that for this ending to truly be successful you’ve got to go through and track and learn the lessons that life and the tarot were trying to teach you throughout 2018. Specifically, where our mental illness is concerned, this is a card of thinking through the tools in our toolkits that did and did not work this year. As we think about the effect our mental health has on the rest of our life, we need to think through what we learned about ourselves as employees or employers, as friends, as partners, as our parent’s children, as our cat’s mom, or any other role we fulfill in this life. What made us able to bring our best self-even at our worst-into a situation or relationship? What was NOT successful? I hate asking you all to relive ugly times from the past year, but it’s crucial as we do move ahead and move forward to review where we might have gone awry or if there were certain triggers or times in the year where our mental illness was not manageable. Once you have those answers, you can go into 2019 confidently.

The World is also sometimes incredibly literal. If your depression makes you isolate or poverty trauma makes you hesitant to travel, this card wants us to spend some of December breaking out of our shell and getting out into the literal world. Even if you’re broke, there are cheap and free things to do in your city or township, most likely, and getting out is the most important thing. This is especially true as SAD kicks in for the year as it does for so many people who are already struggling with their mental illness. It’s so tempting just to stay home because we’re low energy, but that’s almost never the right thing to do when it’s the season change that’s messing with those energy levels.

What I love about The World from this particular deck is that the person in the photo is sitting on top of the world, smug as can be. This person has lived through all of the advice I just walked you through and knows there are great things in the coming year if we can but learn and close the current chapters successfully. We don’t know what 2019 will hold and if we’ve had an unpredictable 2018 that’s probably making us as nervous as anything. This card promises that there are happy surprises and intriguing mysteries along the way. This month we should be prepping to embrace the best life, and The World have to offer, even if we know we’ll still hit significant speed bumps along the way. -Cassandra Snow

For more info on Cassandra and to book your own card reading, click HERE!

November 2018 Self-Care Tarot: Finally Some Goddam Stability

Me being stable as fuck in Bogota, Colombia

I have no idea how people balance their passions with a day job. That being said, my lack of understanding of this concept is the reason this is 6 days late. Here’s what Cassandra and her cards have to say about this month.

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I was very surprised to see the King of Coins pop up for our self-care tarot this November. Everything feels like it’s falling apart right now for me and so many people, and that includes my own mental health. I have felt underresourced and undercared for so much this year, and I know I’m not alone. The King of Coins promises a reprieve from all of that scarcity and pain as abundance and generosity move into our lives. This King is COMFORTABLE and knows how blessed he is, and that is the energy we are supposed to absorb and project throughout November. This card also promises financial success, forward movement in our careers, and lots of quality nesting time at home.

In terms of mental health, things should feel relatively stable this month and you should use that to build on your current treatment and self-care plans. It’s tempting to wait until things are bad to take those next steps towards trauma recovery or mental illness management but it’s actually the best time to do it because you’re thinking clearly and know what your long-term goals are. As your career advances and your pockets are more full, this might even be a good time to invest in yourself and your long-term health.

 This month still does call for the discipline required to manage said mental illnesses, because often times when things are stable we don’t want to think about our healing. We want to go blow a bunch of money on fun or pretty things and have fun with our friends. While it’s fine to do those things this month, we need to keep our feet on the ground and keep going on our emotional and mental journey, doing the hard work that’s required for long term growth (on top of spoiling ourselves a little).

 The King of Coins is a strong message to remember that we deserve success and comfort no matter what. With mental illness often comes low self-esteem and strained relationships, but this King knows who he is and has learned to work with it. Use the good energy this month to nurture those positive relationships with people who accept you just as you are. This energy can also be used to carve out space for comfort and relaxation in your home, which is always a critical self-care step that a lot of us skip over when times are tough. You’ve been working really hard to get better for a long time, and as mentioned earlier, this month promises a reprieve. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, and you can envision how beautiful things can be in your next stages. Remember that you’ve worked for this and earned this, and you owe it to yourself to enjoy it. -Cassandra Snow

For more info on Cassandra and to book your own card reading, click HERE!

Self-Care Tarot October 2018: Balance, Moderation, & Peace

Let’s get right into it and hear what Cassandra and her cards have to say about self-care this month.

Hello all! I am so sorry for the delay in your monthly self-care tarot. If I’m being 100% honest, I got really overwhelmed in September and forgot about a slew of important tasks, including getting this together. I’m back though, and ready to sling cards and see to whatever else October has in store for me.

For October we pulled the Temperance card from the Major Arcana to guide us through the month. I thought this was an interesting choice from the cards. October is usually all Death and endings or cards that connect us to deities and spiritual allies. Instead, I pulled a card of balance, moderation, and peace. Temperance is one of my favorite cards in the tarot for that reason though. Every time I feel like I’m barely treading water, Temperance shows up to remind me that I might be making things harder than they are. Sure, I might be stuck out in the middle of a metaphorical lake, but I don’t need to tread the whole time. Humans can float, and it’s totally acceptable this month to just stop pressing and urging and just trust life to carry you where it needs you to go.

Furthermore, if we’re still hanging out to this lake metaphor, I know how to swim. For some reason, I just choose not to sometimes-usually the times I need to the most. In other words, I am doing “work” (on myself, on my mental health, in my spiritual life, actual work that people pay me for) that is just busy work. I’m not actually getting anywhere or doing anything. I’m lighting candles and calling it witchcraft with no intention put it into it. I’m complaining on Twitter about the lack of writing gigs and only sending out a couple of pitches a week (if that). I’m journaling about what I did that day but not connecting it to my emotional journey. None of that is very useful. If anything, I’m making it harder on myself than it needs to be.

Temperance shows up this month to tell us to STOP treading. Stop making things harder than they need to be. Either give up, float, enjoy being surrounded by water and wait for something or someone to come help you or crack your knuckles and get down to the dirty work you’ve been putting off. Either option is going to be a million times better for your mental health this month.

Remember the key words of this card: balance, peace, moderation. Further self-care regarding your mental health includes not overindulging but not depriving yourself, hence the “moderation.” Balance and peace are present now, but it takes work to keep them steady. Meditation, pulling your own tarot cards, or just sitting by a nice lake for a while if you get extra depressed or anxious should pull you back to reality.

Blessed be, Y'all!

-Cassandra Snow

For more info on Cassandra and to book your own card reading, click HERE!

Self-Care Tarot September 2018: Wade Through the Depths

My bad for posting this one day late. Happy Labor Day/September! Let's see what Cassandra and her cards have to say about self-care this month. xo! 

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I asked the tarot to give us anything that wasn’t a Wands card this time. I’m a Double Pisces with a Cancer rising, and I’ve taken about as much fire as I can handle lately, especially where my own mental health is concerned. Luckily the tarot delivered in a big way with the Ten of Cups, but while this card is rife with messages of joy and fulfillment, tarot and mental health can be both be double-edged. 

On the surface, the Ten of Cups says we should expect a placid and calm September. Expect get-togethers with soulmate-friends and cuddle sessions with romantic partners as we start our slow and peaceful descent into Autumn. For a lot of us who deal with mental illness, you can take this at face value and expect a September where your mood is regulated and your emotions are stable. This allows us to really grow and thrive in all areas of our life, but remember that your illness is most likely cyclical so soak up those sunny days while you can, but don’t be discouraged if you relapse at any point throughout the month. 

Digging deeper the Ten of Cups talks about love, emotions, and transformation. In a perfect world, we aren’t supposed to rely on others for our happiness, and all of our joy is supposed to come from within. In the real world, it is often our partners, siblings, and best friends who stabilize us and make us see the best parts of ourselves. That’s transformation. That’s love. Take the month to really appreciate the people in your life and the effect they have on your long-term mental health goals. That will probably have you feeling all grateful and misty-eyed, so take the time to send a quick thank you or buy your favorite co-worker a muffin while you have the capacity to do so. 

The Ten of Cups ultimately drives us to peak contentment and peak happiness. The darker side of the card recognizes that for those of us with trauma, we have to be willing to wade through our own depths and dig deep into our subconscious to heal. Depressive episodes and deep dives into trauma should also be expected this September then, but the energy is a little different this time because it feels like it’s really going to lead you to a new place in your healing and emotional journey. Allow your emotional journey to take you on the ride it needs to, and strive for healing with every step. 

The past two months have been about fighting and strength, but Cups want you to give in to the softer side of yourself. It’s okay to be sad. It’s good to be sensitive in a world that can be really callous. That might mean your Ten of Cups September is a lot of tears, but as long as you recognize the goodness and kindness in those around you who are holding space for your struggles, you’re going to have a much better September than you did August. Allow yourself space for that happiness. You deserve it. -Cassandra Snow

For more info on Cassandra Snow, or to schedule a reading of your own, CLICK HERE. 

Self-Care Tarot August 2018: Fight For Your Joy

The bad news: it's August, and I still haven't started my new year's resolution of going to the gym (i'm a fucking cliche, I know). The good news is Cassandra, our awesome tarot reader, says August is going to be passionate and exciting, which means maybe I'll lower my cholesterol burning calories from all the looming anxiety attacks I'm sure to have. Let's see what else the cards have to say this month. Also, unrelated update: pardon the temporary dead links and unfinished pages on my blog right now. Still giving it a wee makeover. xoxo

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"The Tarot is still very tuned into Wands & fire energy. Fire continues to oversee our August, just like it did our July, but this month it’s a little bit easier to stay in the driver’s seat. While passion and excitement will at times consume us if we can turn that energy into something productive we’re in for a good month.

Knights are fighters, and Wands energy can bring us outbursts of joy and excitement. A life lesson sits at the heart of it for those of us who are mentally ill: we need to learn to fight for those moments of joy when we can. Your moods will still be swinging, and your anxiety will still be singing this August, but there will be moments of lucid clarity where you stun even yourself with what you’re able to accomplish and entire days to laugh with our loved ones. Hold on to those times, especially as summer winds down and the days start getting shorter soon. 

For those who deal with manic depression, this card can characterize mania showing up this month. We might see extra anxiety flare-ups and heightened energy in the most unlikely of scenarios. While you can’t change your brain chemistry, this Knight does offer us the hope that if we can take that heightened energy and use it productively while still doing all of our other self-care in this time, we might be able to get on top of it for now. That might mean improving your sleep hygiene or forcing yourself to rest for eight hours a night even if you can’t sleep, and that’s never how we want to spend our time. Setting up good habits now though allows us to flourish later on.

The Knight of Wands in this deck sees a determination and pride that you are being called to this August, no matter what. It will be hard to keep any chronic illness under control, but with a good foundation and determination, we can do it. Get ahead of things this month--don’t let them snowball.  Focus on passion projects, friends who make you excited to see them, and fighting for the joy you do find on good days. Fire can turn into something beautiful and warm and affirming, but if we’re not careful, it can become a wildfire beyond our control or burn out completely. Let’s try to keep ourselves evenly warm this month." -Cassandra Snow

For more on Cassandra, head over to her page right HERE.

Self-Care Tarot July 2018: Are You a Doormat? Read This

Happy July! How are you, habibi? Have you brushed your teeth yet? Did you drink any water? Have you left the house today? If not, put this on pause while you go do those things. I'll be here when you get back, I prom. If you're good to go, let's get into it. You're being asked to perform a special kind of self-care this summer that goes beyond SPF and smoothies. Our resident tarot reader Cassandra Snow dives into the importance of setting boundaries so you don't end up trampled like a shoe-squished Skittle on the Santa Monica Pier. Check the reading below to see what the hell I'm talking about. And, if you missed last months Self-Care Tarot, click HERE to read. 

-Dom

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"The Seven of Wands came practically screaming out of my tarot deck when I started shuffling for this month’s column. I stuffed it back in, kept shuffling, and when I pulled the card--there it was again. This is one of my least favorite cards in the tarot deck, truth be told. This card urges us to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. In a global sense, this is a time to fight for the things we believe in, and I’m usually pretty good at that. That messages obviously still stands. There is a LOT going on, and we want to be on the right side of history (whatever that means to us). Most of us are fired up for those fights though. We almost don’t need that message. We know to stay alert and stay active now more than ever. 

What we might be less prepared to do is stand up for ourselves in our personal or medical lives, which is also a core message of the Seven of Wands. Personally, I have Avoidant Personality Disorder, and while I can overcome that to march in the street, I am often unable to tell my doctor when meds aren’t working or enforce boundaries with certain family members. Regardless of your own mental illness, your capacity for making your needs known and enforcing that will be tested this month. A Cancer sun makes us emotional, crabby, and protective but there are people in our lives who push our buttons or situations we can’t just escape from. The Seven of Wands urges us to be adults and have these hard conversations. It wants us to put our needs first in those relationships and not allow people to be walked on. 

The silly thing about putting up boundaries is that most of the time the offending party had no idea they were doing anything wrong. It's terrifying to say “hey, I actually don’t want alcohol in the house since I’m trying to stay sober” or “That phrase you use is really triggering for me, do you mind stopping?” Nine times out of ten though the person in question will immediately apologize and acquiesce. While we need to put up and enforce boundaries for obvious reasons and as part of our ongoing treatment plans this month, it’s important to remember the payoff of standing up for yourself. It gets easier every time, and at some point, we’re able to sit back, relax, and know we can trust our support system. Don’t let your fear of confrontation overwhelm the goal right now, because coming to a place of peace is and should be your priority.

Unfortunately, some people will be resistant to change or shows of “force” from you. Think about your long-term treatment and healing goals if that does come up this month. You may need some substantial space from those people or situations, or you may just need to find a way to communicate so that they understand. If all else fails, call on the people you know you can trust and ask them to help you. We are not wading through life alone, and it’s important to recognize when additional support is needed."

-Cassandra Snow
 

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For more on Cassandra, head over to her page right HERE.

June 2018 Self-Care Tarot: Big Moods Brewing

please accept this apology for the above #art

At first glance it may seem like this month is kinnnnda on some bullshit. But it's not. You'll be fine. I swear. On a deeper level, much like literally every day, it's just a time to continue working on yourself and your shit. Let's see what Cassandra and her cards have to say about this month. If you didn't catch Self-Care Tarot from May -you can do so right HERE. xo

-Dom

"Mood swings, poverty trauma, and career panic run amuck this June (yikes!) with the Two of Pentacles. Twos in the Tarot are all about balance and this card specifically shows imbalance coursing through our lives, particularly in areas of the home, work, money, and school. Often this is because in a fit of great mental health we bit off more than we could chew should the pendulum swing backward. Sometimes it’s just because life sucks and now we have to deal with a new pile of crap on top of all of our regular piles of crap.

That keyword of balance does mean it’s not all bad news in all areas of our life. Our home life (and any relationships contained therein) look pretty solid, and our spiritual life stands out as a solid crutch for us to lean on. The Two of Pentacles does regularly indicate depression, anxiety, and PTSD flare-ups, even as some things in our lives are falling perfectly into place though. Focusing on those areas that already have solid foundations is the key to thriving in spite of that this June.

The Pentacles are all about growth and stability, so none of this is insurmountable. If you’re having money problems and it’s increasing poverty trauma, scale back your spending. It’s really that easy sometimes. If your co-workers aren’t getting along, just don’t involve yourself. If your emotions and moods are all over the place, remember your most basic grounding and focus exercises. Sometimes we’re meant to ride our emotions out because they’re telling us something deeper, but that isn’t the case this month. Now we’re meant to find what makes us feel like we are solidly and perfectly in place and stand there for awhile. 

I mentioned career panic earlier and didn’t address it head on yet. This panic can manifest as imposter syndrome, money problems, or just flat out unhappiness in your daily life. Some of us (myself included) are feeling stuck where we are and not able to move forward. Some of us aren’t where we need to be, and some of us are but don’t feel like we deserve to be. In any case, think about what you’re trying to build with your life. All of us are creators, creating the lives we deserve to lead. Spend some time this month being really honest about where you want to be, identifying the obstacles that prevent you from being there, and figuring out what that means for your next steps. Blessed be, y’all! "

-Cassandra Snow
 

For more on Cassandra, head over to her page HERE. 

May 2018 Self-Care Tarot: Expect Lit Days & Shit Days

Epic illustration by the talented Kristen Leigh for Take Your PIlls. Follow her work on Instagram @noholoca HERE! 

Happy Mental Health Month!!! Let's get right into it and see what Cassandra and her cards have to say below. For more on our lovely tarot reader, click here! xo, -Dom

"Ace of Swords Brings Great and Terrible Things This May. Traditionally the Swords overall are my indicators of mental illness in the tarot. As a suit, they see more pitfalls than perks, and this Air suit prizes logic, analysis, and the intellect. It’s not a far jump to mental illness when we’re talking about the brain, especially in those more negative cards. In short, our prediction right now is to expect some curveballs this month. The Ace represents unexpected and often negative news or insights. This is a month when you’ll want your full toolbox at your disposal, and you’ll want to work really hard to be preemptive about change and negative emotions.

However, the Ace isn’t exactly a negative card. It’s a neutral card, and in this deck, that means balance plays an important part. For every bad day, you’ll likely have a good day. Though one or two areas of your life may be falling apart, you’ll likely hear good news from a different area. As this is a mental health blog, this card could be indicative that you uncover a bad memory, receive a new diagnosis, or see your mania, anxiety, or depression manifest in a new way. This too is good news--the more we uncover, the more accurately we can be treated and the easier we can recover. It also means that you might get the aforementioned bad news, but because you took our advice, your toolbox works exceedingly well, and that news doesn’t devastate you the way it would have.

Once when I was talking to my therapist about my low self-esteem, she asked me where the evidence was for my feelings of inadequacy. She asked me to list facts that “proved” that I was ugly/useless/inadequate. I came up with a few, but she then asked me to contrast them with the opposite proof. “What proof do you have that you’re good at your job?” she asked? “What proof do you have that your friends love you?” I listed off probably ten different things each time and realized my “proof” of inadequacy paled in comparison. This is a tool I whip out every time those feelings that I am “bad” return. I bring this up because ultimately this is what the Ace of Swords wants from us this month. What is the evidence that we CAN handle anything that our brain our life does throw at us? Where is the proof that we are loved, vital, and important members of our family, friend group, or community? Those are the things to look for and hold on to this month. It doesn’t mean a swing back into depression won’t suck--but it will give us something to hold on to." -Cassandra Snow

April 2018 Self-Care Tarot: make some damn Me time

That's Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant face wash powder NOT cocaine. Calm the fuck down.  

I spilled a family-sized tub of Wholly Guacamole™ onto our rattan area rug in March so I'm hoping for a better April. If you are too, read what Cassandra and her cards have to say about that. 

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Welcome back to Self-Care Tarot, our monthly check-in, reflection, and one card guidance using Fountain Tarot. For April we are being called to The Hermit, number nine in the Major Arcana. (We’re still on a Majors streak, which means there’s lots of big energy and ideas surrounding us in 2018 so far.) Nines in the tarot are about completion, and this Hermit is no exception. Whatever healing, coping, or self-care processes you’ve been working through, this is the month to stretch for those final goals so you can move on to the next chapter in your epic journey.

Traditionally, The Hermit is about hunkering down for some solo time and retreating from the stresses of the world. While this card can sometimes show up in the negative (like when we’re a little too fond of escaping instead of dealing), usually it shows up to signify that we need some capital-A Alone time. That alone time should be used for deep, powerful work though, not just idly rewatching Gilmore Girls for the ninth time. If you’re spiritual at all, this is time to work on some Big Magic or Prayer, working alone by moonlight to accomplish your goal. Regardless of if that part rings true for you, April is a huge time to work on your relationship with yourself and with solitude.  Spend some time alone processing some of the hardest things you’ve been mulling over for the past couple of months. Know that your inclination to isolate isn’t necessarily a bad thing right now, so long as you use that time well. Know that this time alone should be used for big, important healing, and there’s a reason you’re being called inward.

Negatively aspected, The Hermit could allude to feelings of loneliness with your mental illness journey. We might feel this month like we are the only person going through this, or like we are driving away friends and family by having nontraditional needs. Sometimes we need to sit with loneliness and let it have it’s say so we can find something out about ourselves--but in the artwork of almost any Hermit card, we see the light shining through even in this night we’re supposed to be enjoying. Look for the light. Physically count your blessings, keep your gratitude lists, and remember those times your therapist told you to look for evidence that you’re not alone. Seek company if you need it, but know that it’s there always.  -Cassandra Snow

Isn't Cassandra effing great?! Give her a follow HERE or better yet - set up your own tarot reading with her right HERE!

About the Deck: The Fountain Tarot was created by Jonathon Saiz and designed by Andi Todaro. The book was written by Jason Gruhl. The deck offers fresh, creative, modern perspectives while staying true to the heart of traditional decks like the Rider-Waite Tarot. This is an independently published deck. You can learn more and buy your own here.

A Severely Boring But V Important Disclaimer From Me to Yew: Take-Your-Pills.com is not affiliated with The Fountain Tarot or its makers. I do not receive monetary compensation should you decide to click the link and/or purchase their products. As Cassandra noted in our interview, these monthly tarot card readings, along with the accompanying advice and tips, should NEVER replace medical care. Cassandra and I are NOT medical or mental health professionals. Any self-care tips given by Cassandra, myself, and the cards, are simply opinion and intuition-based, and NOT to be used as a treatment or medical advice for mental or physical illness. The advice/tips in these posts and card readings are NOT the final words on your health, wellness, illness, relationships, existence, fortune, loved ones, misfortune, personality, future, present, past, life, etc. This blog segment is meant purely for the purpose of providing the reader with a fun monthly blog post. Xoxo thank you!

March Self-Care Tarotscope: Get Some Sunscreen, You Golden Stallion

Not #spon but should be

It's 1:20 am on Friday, March 2nd which means this post is officially late. I'll keep this short. Read below to see all the gud shit from Cassandra Snow and her cards. March is going to be just fine, guys.  

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"The Sun from The Fountain Tarot is our March Self-Care tarot. This card follows the Moon (last month’s card) tarot immediately, so I reshuffled and pulled three different times and kept getting The Sun! The card does make sense as we slide into Spring. Anyone dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder over the harsh winter months will see that slip away in coming weeks as The Sun comes out. It also makes sense that if we spent February contemplating our deepest traumas and hurts, that those weeks of processing would lead us to a card as hopeful and positive as The Sun. The Sun is a card that primarily exists so that good omens exist in The Tarot. This card promises success in our family lives and careers and essentially gives us the Midas touch. 

Anything we touch in March has the potential to turn to gold. That’s great, but this is very much a “be careful what you wish for” card. For those whose energy comes and goes in fits and starts, don’t start too many projects right now because when your energy wanes, you won’t be able to keep up with their demands. Instead, focus on one or two projects or areas of your life that feel really healing and good to focus on and pour that energy there. 

Sometimes tarot is very literal, so it’s strongly recommended that we get outside and GET some sun this month. We’re likely to have the energy to jump back into outdoor activities, and the weather is letting up just enough to let us go play. It’s important to remember that while exercise and time outdoors isn’t everything and won’t “fix” your mental health problems, it can be used alongside treatment to amplify that treatment’s effects. 

Overall, March looks to be better overall than February. We’re already working on some pretty big things regarding therapy or introspection, and this is not a time to add to that. Think about using that momentum to push further and heal even more than you ever thought you could. You might have a better month than usual, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your energy sizzling out too soon, and you don’t want to agree to more than you can sustain should you hit a low point again. If all else fails: go outside! You can use that literally or as a metaphor to do anything that feels like self-care that gets you outside of yourself." 

-Cassandra Snow

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SEE WE'RE GUNNA BE FINE, OKAY?! Okay. xo.

About the Deck: The Fountain Tarot was created by Jonathon Saiz and designed by Andi Todaro. The book was written by Jason Gruhl. The deck offers fresh, creative, modern perspectives while staying true to the heart of traditional decks like the Rider-Waite Tarot. This is an independently published deck. You can learn more and buy your own here.

A Severely Boring But V Important Disclaimer From Me to Yew: Take-Your-Pills.com is not affiliated with The Fountain Tarot or its makers. I do not receive monetary compensation should you decide to click the link and/or purchase their products. As Cassandra noted in our interview, these monthly tarot card readings, along with the accompanying advice and tips, should NEVER replace medical care. Cassandra and I are NOT medical or mental health professionals. Any self-care tips given by Cassandra, myself, and the cards, are simply opinion and intuition-based, and NOT to be used as a treatment or medical advice for mental or physical illness. The advice/tips in these posts and card readings are NOT the final words on your health, wellness, illness, relationships, existence, fortune, loved ones, misfortune, personality, future, present, past, life, etc. This blog segment is meant purely for the purpose of providing the reader with a fun monthly blog post. Xoxo thank you!

February Self-Care Tarot: work on your shit

For me, releasing the first installment of Self-Care Tarot is equal in joy to buying a Saint Laurent bag and coming home to discover that it's stuffed with 56 packs of Fun Dip and a blank check signed by avec-mullet Dacre Montgomery. In other words, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Check out what our reader Cassandra Snow has to say about this month.  

-Dom

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A Note From Cassandra: As a professional tarot reader, I do a lot of work with people looking to improve their, spiritual, interpersonal, and work lives. Tarot can offer surprisingly practical and down to Earth information about where you are, where you can go, and how you should get there. As an empathetic, sensitive person with strong ties to communities where almost everyone has some degree of trauma or mental illness, most of what I do is helping people heal, learn more about themselves, and reconnect with their intuition.

February Card - The Moon

It makes sense that our first Tarot for Self-Care pull is The Moon. This is a card that many readers read negatively; deception and secrets often come up. I don’t buy this interpretation for a couple of reasons. For starters, The Moon is frequently aligned with feminine energy and dieties, and the vilification of that energy is needless at best. Furthermore, I don’t always think deception or secrets are a bad thing. We’re human. We’re allowed to have secrets! Sure, there are times when secrets are unhealthy, but [for example], if I’m seeing someone and don’t think my friends will ‘get it,’ I’m allowed to keep it quiet until I’m sure the relationship is for real (so long as they are legitimately kind to me and a good person to boot).

The primary reason I don’t read The Moon as a negative version of secrets and lies is that I’ve almost always seen it mean the client is deceiving or hiding important truths to themselves. The Moon’s function isn’t to rat them out per se, but to encourage you to look deeper into your own soul. The Moon requires digging into our subconscious and allowing repressed or forgotten memories to flood our senses so we can do the job of working through them. The Moon is very much about going deep and healing our pasts and subconsciouses. It’s also very much about trusting our own perceptions based on where we’ve been in our lives. [For example], if you know a job in an office setting leaves you feeling drained and bored for most of your day, keep looking and don’t take that job. It’s so much about actually trusting yourself and seeing through the lies capitalism, etc., tries to shove at us.

Relatedly, this card is also about trusting your own intuition. Maybe you’ve never had an office job, but you just know it isn’t for you. While there are many cards that encourage us to trust our logical mind, our February card promises that our intuition is spot on this month. As we’re working through the old memories and subconscious messages that we see in The Moon, we are very in touch with ourselves. It’s important to trust that.

In terms of what to expect this February, this is a good month to dig deep into trauma or dive into our biggest fears and insecurities to work through them. Doing this is safer with therapy, but there is work you can do on your own. Expect a lot of weird dreams as you do this, as that’s another face of The Moon. This is a great month to trust your intuition along the way and to reconnect with your inner voice. If you have a deck of tarot cards, a pendulum, or you meditate, call on those tools when all the messages swimming around inside of you get confusing. [For those who may not have or believe in those tools], I recommend just sitting in the dark and doing some deep breathing to help you have that mind-body connection and hear your inner voice a little bit better. I further recommend dream journals to keep track of repeated symbols or themes. That will help you untangle it all after a couple of weeks. Journaling, in general, is a great idea this month, and if you’re an extrovert, it’s an important month to make time to talk out old wounds with your most loving pals. Trust that all of this hard work helps you heal in a BIG way. You may even see some of your old issues and insecurities hit the road as a result of this month’s work. 

-Cassandra Snow

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About the Deck: The Fountain Tarot was created by Jonathon Saiz and designed by Andi Todaro. The book was written by Jason Gruhl. The deck offers fresh, creative, modern perspectives while staying true to the heart of traditional decks like the Rider-Waite Tarot. This is an independently published deck. You can learn more and buy your own here.

A Severely Boring But V Important Disclaimer From Me to Yew: Take-Your-Pills.com is not affiliated with The Fountain Tarot or its makers. I do not receive monetary compensation should you decide to click the link and/or purchase their products. As Cassandra noted in our interview, these monthly tarot card readings, along with the accompanying advice and tips, should NEVER replace medical care. Cassandra and I are NOT medical or mental health professionals. Any self-care tips given by Cassandra, myself, and the cards, are simply opinion and intuition-based, and NOT to be used as a treatment or medical advice for mental or physical illness. The advice/tips in these posts and card readings are NOT the final words on your health, wellness, illness, relationships, existence, fortune, loved ones, misfortune, personality, future, present, past, life, etc. This blog segment is meant purely for the purpose of providing the reader with a fun monthly blog post. Xoxo thank you!

Introducing: Monthly Self-Care Tarot With Reader Cassandra Snow!

I'll be pairing up with tarot reader Cassandra Snow for a monthly self-care tarot card reading! Starting Feb. 1st, look for some helpful self-care tips, to accompany the card of the month. Until then, check out the interview I did with Cassandra below to learn about our new segment. Find out more about the relationship between mental health and tarot, interpreting its messages, and how to enjoy this segment even if you think tarot is as legitimate as Gwyneth Paltrow in a lab coat. 

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A Note From Tarot Reader Cassandra Snow:

Thank you so much for bringing me on to Take Your Pills, Dominique. A little bit about me for those reading: in addition to being multi-passionate where my career is concerned, my life and identity has also been eclectic, and has led me and my tarot practice to where we are now. I have PTSD, C-PTSD, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Persistent Depressive Disorder. I'm also physically ill which does not help the depression, let me tell you! I've got Rheumatoid Arthritis, PCOS, a thyroid that has never fully regulated, and a sexual dysfunction that is still super hard for me to discuss. After years of therapy and treatment for my physical ailments, I actually lead a fairly normal life (if you consider being a tarot reader & theatre artist normal, that is!)                                                                                              I'm super queer which means most of my free time is spent reading Autostraddle and glaring at Tinder. I live with my best friend in the whole world, and we share two cats who I regularly sing to instead of doing the work stuff I should be doing.

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-How should we use the advice from these cards to cope with our mental illnesses?

That's really up to you. You can read what energies or situations might arise this month and decide to handle it your own way. Or you might read the whole thing and decide my and/or Dominique’s tips for self-care is best. The big thing is, you can choose to use these tips to supplement any mental health care and self-care you're already doing.

-Can you share one golden nugget of self-care and/or mental health advice that's really been a game changer for you?

I think my entire life changed the day I internalized the idea that I don't actually have to do anything I don't want to or am not comfortable doing. We live in a world where there's so much pressure to do or be so many different things. A good friend/tarot reader/partner/self-help author will tell you that said pressure isn't relevant to you, and that your job is to live your best life the best way you're able to. I don't think I understand that saying no didn't JUST mean I could turn down work if I were too overloaded or that I could put up sexual boundaries. Those things are super important, but so is opting out of holidays that stress you out, turning down food that isn't good for you, sticking to restrictive food plans that aren't good for you, and even agreeing to have coffee with a potential new friend when you're actually not that interested. You can literally say no to anything! It's amazing! But it took a really long time for me to really see or understand that.

-How has your personal health journey affected the way you read cards?

I definitely think I'm much more open-minded of a reader than you might expect or see elsewhere. Some of this is because my queer identity is so integral to who I am, but a lot of it is because I have been through hell and back physically and mentally and I make no presumptions about what a client has or has not been through, and how that may affect their worldview and decision making. I want clients to walk away from a session with me feeling as empowered and confident as they can feel, and that means not casting any kind of judgment on their decisions or lives.                                                                                                                                                       It also has helped me see the cards in new ways; I think any life experience does that. I used to see the cards as more of a prophetic tool, but I can count on one hand the number of times in the past year I've done my own readings looking for answers about my future. Instead, it's made me really focused on what the cards have to say about what I need to work on, where I've already grown, and what I should focus on now. I think these are my strongest readings for clients too. 

-What's the best way for a tarot skeptic/non-believer to use the messages from these cards?

I actually have a couple of close friends and regular clients who are staunch atheists and skeptics. Pulling tarot cards isn't that different from analyzing ink blots or finding meaning in a work of art or piece of entertainment to those clients. Our subconscious brings out the things we need to see and hear, and there are actual psychology and science behind that statement. I think with anything we're skeptical of; it's best to just come in with an open mind and see what hits or doesn't hit for you. Maybe what I say, or what you add doesn't mean anything to a skeptic, but something in the card itself does strike them. That's okay. Just come in looking for advice on self-care and healing, and trust that that's really all I'm trying to provide. I'm not trying to evangelize tarot or my own brand of Paganism on people--in part, because evangelizing doesn't work, and in part because people's beliefs and even their lack of beliefs are important to who they are as a person. I would never try to change that or try to get you to become a different person, especially while you're undergoing a big self-care/self-love/healing process.

-How can consulting the tarot, getting readings, etc., benefit those with mental illness?

First of all, any time spent trying to understand, heal, and build yourself up is time well spent. There's the time aspect alone. I actually stay really busy during the holiday season with clients, not because people are buying sessions as gifts but because people literally need to sit and focus on themselves for an hour with everything out in the world being so hectic. Otherwise, the cards do have a lot to say about protecting, healing, and taking care of yourself. The cards can also provide mantras and spiritual work that do not and should not replace medical care but can certainly help ground you and lift your mood.

-How should we NOT interpret the advice of the cards/these readings?

Nothing I say is set in stone! Also do not ever substitute any spiritual work for the care of your doctors and therapists. You probably need both, but you DEFINITELY need their oversight. Also, my word is not the final law on what these cards can mean. If you know tarot and learned a card differently or see something totally different in the art, trust your own gut. Tarot is basically limitless, so don't feel like this is it.

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Bio: Cassandra Snow (she/her/they/them) is a professional tarot card reader & teacher, writer, and theatre artist living in Minneapolis, MN. She has been reading tarot professionally for nearly a decade and writes about tarot at their blog and at Little Red Tarot. Cassandra focuses her tarot practice on healing and empowerment for marginalized people, trauma survivors, and those struggling with their mental and physical health. She's also GREAT at business mapping and planning out practical steps with the tarot. Cassandra Teaches classes like Tarot 101 for Creatives, Queering the Tarot, and Sex & Tarot as well as coaches new readers one on one. Cassandra recently signed a book deal with Wieser Publishing to publish their work on Queering the Tarot and now spends much of their time drinking coffee and staring at their computer. That book will be out in early 2019.

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A Disclaimer From Meeee: As Cassandra noted in our interview, these monthly tarot card readings, along with the accompanying advice and tips, should NEVER replace medical care. Cassandra and I are NOT medical or mental health professionals. The self-care tips given by Cassandra, myself, and the cards, are simply opinion and intuition-based, and NOT to be used as a treatment or medical advice for mental or physical illness. The advice/tips in these posts and card readings are NOT the final word on your health, wellness, illness, relationships, existence, fortune, loved ones, misfortune, personality, future, present, past, life, etc. This blog segment is meant purely for the purpose of providing the reader with a fun monthly blog post. Xoxo thank you!