Pisces season (February 18th - March 21st) asks us to examine how we’ve been holding back or denying our true emotional realities. The ultimate goal of this water sign is elevation and connecting us to our highest selves. This emotional landscape could have you exploring the depths of your intuition or struggling to stay afloat.
Self-compassion is a life-saving and learnable skill that’s been an ongoing practice for me.
When I first started meditating in my 20s, I worked with a talented psychotherapist who showed me the benefits of meditation. At that time, my goal was to go off the medication I was taking for panic attacks to support a second pregnancy. I gained a greater sense of self-trust and awareness through dedicated meditation practice and her support.
People talk about meditation as if it were a relaxing process. In truth, it can be excruciating, especially in the beginning. It was at the beginning of my practice that I began to notice the unkind and judgemental voice I sometimes spoke to myself with.
You observe your inner voice in the first few minutes of meditation. You have insight into your own thoughts, feelings, and actions without trying to suppress or deny them. Over time, interrupting this unkind voice with a self-compassionate one can change how you speak to yourself and how you feel about yourself.
Studies show that those who practice self-compassion are more likely to be happy, resilient, and optimistic about the future and experience better mental health.
The world is a much more comfortable place to be when you speak to yourself kindly and with compassion.
If you’re seeking to begin a self-compassion practice, I highly recommend these free self-compassion mediations by Dr. Kristen Neff.
I could not do what I do without compassion. Part of being human means experiencing loss. Often clients come to me in distress - in the throes of grief, longing for peace. Living through the passing of our most loved ones can cause a tremendous amount of suffering. A huge part of what I do is to ease that suffering as best I can. I also believe self-compassion is deeply important. This is something I practice, too, so I can show up fully for my clients as powerfully as possible.
When we show ourselves compassion, it is transformative.
This tarot spread is meant to support you as deeper truths are revealed.
You can use any deck for this spread (tarot or oracle cards are fine), or if you don’t work with a deck, journaling on these questions can bring you some guidance as well.
Card 1:What can I call in to support myself in this season?
Card 2: What stories from my past are ready to be let go of?
Card 3: What is my secret superpower that I’m unaware of?
Card 4: Where can I turn to for loving support?
Card 5: Bonus message Spirit, how is Spirit supporting me right now?
In case you missed it, I wrote this blessing for Pisces Season:
May Pisces season take you on a daring deep dive into the emotional realm, where creativity, dreams, and intuitive downloads abound.
With imagination taking center stage, it can be challenging to keep both feet on the ground with your head in the clouds.
May you be fortified with the courage to defend your relationship to creativity and flow and protect your right to dream without having all the answers.
What do the seeds of your dreams look like now? What did they look like before they were born, and what will they become?
Take care to nurture each part of your plans. There is no room for anything superfluous.
Plant only what you intend to harvest and commit to your visions. Your imagination is a gift and a burden; holding space for multiple realities will drain you.
Wishing you a cozy and peaceful last few weeks of winter.
Thanks for being here,
Sheryl