I try to be a mindful person, and meditation is one channel for that. I’ve dived into guided meditation apps and have also just sat there in silence—all to varying degrees of success.
And when I say success, I just mean doing it every day for the allotted amount of time I committed to. Some days it’s an ambitious 30 minutes, and some days five minutes is the most I can give.
Lately, I’ve struggled to hit my minimum 5 minutes before impatience or impulse pulls me away. But I resolved to keep trying, because I’d come to believe that sitting in silence with my eyes closed taking steady breaths was the most tried and true way to reach daily inner peace.
But it just wasn’t working for me. My thoughts were too scrambled, hurried, and distracting for me to comfortably observe them. And it seemed like the more I tried to “make it work,” the less it did. I needed something to capture my undivided attention.
This week, that something came to me like a quiet invitation. I’d purchased a beautiful black and gold tarot deck after a friend had shown hers to me, and now it was tucked away in a cabinet. I hadn’t touched it in over a year. I remembered the times friends had given me readings, how it had helped me put parts of my life into perspective, and how much fun I’d had learning about the art.
So I’ve been reacquainting myself with the cards. I’ve been studying them in the mornings and mulling over their universal meanings throughout my day. The illustrations are a visual anchor for my wandering attention.
Tarot, as mystical as it sounds, is just another tool to summon focus, intent, and reflection. A calming space for the inner world. A daily practice as mysterious as the mind. A deep meditation for the inquisitive soul.
Some days, sitting quietly guides me into that meditative state. Other days it’s journaling, or cooking, or singing, or taking long walks.
But sometimes, it’s a little magic.