Intention and Reflection
Or, looking back at what was and stepping forward to what will be
Intention (noun): a thing intended; an aim or plan
Reflection (noun): 1. The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat or sound with out absorbing it. 2. Serious thought or consideration.
Both of these concepts feature heavily this time of year, as we head into the new year after ringing out the old. Everywhere you look, you see "intention setting" this, "goal setting" that, and "reflections of 2024".
I took inspiration from one of the Substack authors I follow (Beth Kempton, her newsletter Soulstack) and decided to do an intention reading for the new year. She used oracle cards, but the tarot set I used is very close to that, and was very insightful for offering insight both into this past year and how I can take those lessons and forge ahead.
I plan to include a segment on each card throughout the year, on the first of the month. I believe they are lessons that everyone could benefit from or apply to their own life/career.
Beth did two drawings, one for her personal life and one for her professional life. She did a Wheel of the Year type spread, I selected the cards that called to me for particular months throughout my deck. For this, I used the Spiritsong Tarot deck by Paulina Fae (I think I got this one from a website called Tamed Wild, makes really nice monthly box kits).
This deck is shamanic in nature, and features animal totems alongside or in place of the typical Rider-Waite style figures. It works very well as an oracle type.
Question: What intentions should I keep in mind in the coming year for my personal life?
Main Intention (overarching theme): Strength, upright - the Elephant, courage and endurance. Elephant's source of strength is love; she uses that love to keep others from overpowering her while respecting her own strength and tempering it with others. Her strength is seen in her compassion, her self-esteem, and her levels of endurance; her faith in herself keeps her resilient. Remember your life's motivation and use it to fuel your drive and inner-strength to pursue it.
January's Intention: 7 of Feathers (replaces Swords), reversed - the Cheetah, preparation and resourcefulness. Cheetah's foresight and quick thinking encourages you to spot patterns and realize when things aren't working that it is time to switch tactics. Be daring, but cautious, and don't be afraid to switch tactics when needed.
Question: What intentions should I keep in mind in the coming year for my work/professional life?
Main Intention: 2 of Shells (replaces Cups), upright - Dove, union and harmony. A difficult one for professional life, but Dove reminds us to bring love into every interaction. By bringing love in, you encourage meaningful relationships and partnerships, by letting others see your vulnerability and encouraging like from them. In a professional capacity, this can show as being genuine to clients and your audience - be the person you want to be, be genuine and authentic, and you will go far in your endeavors. Dove also reminds us to be compassionate and loving to ourselves; we are allowed to receive as much as we give and shouldn't feel guilt or shame for receiving the same love and adoration we give out.
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January's Intention: Shadow, reversed - Jackal, self-empowerment and ambition. Jackal in reverse tells us that we don't need to stay in unhealthy situations; that it is ok to leave and break free from those constricting thoughts or environments that are holding us back.
Overall, these were interesting drawings. They both seem to reflect each other, which I guess is fair. I've never been good at truly separating work life from home life; it's one reason I went so hard into burnout this past year. But the positive messages I got for the coming year are reminders that even "problems" can be steps to something greater. I received a lot of signs of discipline, determination, patience from these drawings. I knew that starting on this path toward personal and professional freedom would be difficult. But the reminders of "stop, breathe, reassess, move again" were good to see.
I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of these monthly intentions and reflections with you over this next year.
What do you think - do you do a yearly review or intention setting? Even journaling or writing things into a template is a type of ritual; is it one that gives you closure for the year behind and a better look at what is to come?
Thanks for sticking with me!
For anyone interested, I have a second newsletter now geared toward homeschooling for busy moms - bonus if you're looking to start a side gig or already pushing into a life of more flexibility for yourself or your family! It's a monthly newsletter delivering some tips and tricks that I use to help with starting homeschooling, and some ideas (and maybe links) for free resources (and no affiliates, I'm mostly doing this to keep myself on track and accountable at this point).
Please let me know if anything resonated - drop me a comment, DM, or an email if you want to discuss??
K. Mace