Welcome to the Winter Solstice Blog Hop. This go round our wrangler, Joanne Sprott, asked us to explore the concept of cozy. For me, the first word I think of when I think about cozy is Hygge. For those of you not familiar with the concept, Hygge is a Danish concept that roughly translates to enjoying the cozy contentment and well being through enjoying the simple things of life. For me hygge is about snuggling in, lighting candles, and just being.
In the spirit of Yule and my own efforts to bring more hygge into my life, I've put together a spread to reflect on various components of hygge. I chose to use the Druidcraft Deck for this spread because it is a Celtic deck and it reminds me of the outdoors and of a simpler time. It is also the first Tarot deck I every worked with so it brings a lot of history to the table and a lot of knowledge of who I am and what is important to me in terms of cozy.
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Hope for me is central to the concept of hygge because when I feel hopeful, I'm able to let go of distractions and be present in the moment. When I'm worried about the future and feeling as if the world is closing in on me, it's hard for me to relax and be in the moment. When I asked the cards, how I can keep hope alive, I pulled the Six of Pentacles which is a reminder to give to others and to help when you can. This card is a reminder that life can be harsh and cruel, but that everyone has something to give. Some of us have money to give, some have time, and others may only have a smile, but if everyone gives what we can, we will all be better off.
The Six of Pentacles also reminds us to give with an open heart. The flip side of giving is receiving and the Six of Pentacles is also a reminder to receive with an open heart. I struggle to receive with an open heart and this card is a reminder that receiving is as important as giving. This is a reminder I need right now because I'm feeling overwhelmed and overburdened and a lot of it is because I am not opening up and asking for the help that I need.
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Yuletide is a season of hope and joy that should be innocent and kind, but all too often we get caught up in the commercialism and the competitiveness of having to buy the biggest and best presents. When I asked the cards how I could honor the spirit of yule, the Seven of Pentacles told me to take a break and be grateful for what I had. The cards told me to let go and trust that I'd done my job and that I didn't have to be a super star in all areas of my life.
This resonated so much with where I'm at with my life as in the past, I've always fully decorated my house for the holidays. I've had at least one tree, lots of Santas, and a host of other decorations. However, I had an opportunity to travel right before the holidays to see some old friends and I realized that if I wanted to be fully engaged with my friends, I couldn't decorate the way I usually did. I decided that I'd scale back this year with lots of candles and greenery and less stuff. I'm heading into the week feeling relaxed and at peace.
I'm finally realizing that I am enough just as I am and that I don't have to continually prove myself over and over and over. I can just be.
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Gratitude is another important component of hygge in my life. When I am feeling grateful, I feel peace right down to my bones. Being grateful helps me to remember that even though life might not always be perfect and that there are a lot of bad things that happen in our lives, there are also a lot of amazing things in our lives. As cliched as it sounds, I write a gratitude list every day and I've found that when I take time to consciously think about the good things in life, my outlook on life is a lot rosier.
The cards have a sense of humor and when I asked what I had to be grateful for, the ten of pentacles showed up to remind me that I have people in my life to love me, I have material goods, I have a house that keeps me warm and cozy, and I have a couple of big dogs in my life to bring me laughter and joy.
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Grace as unmerited and unconditional love and support is a concept I was introduced to after my divorce. I was a mess and was incredibly needing and I emotionally vomited over any one who was close to me. I was incredibly fortunate in that I had a best friend who was totally there for me. He listened to me rant, gave me a shoulder to cry on, and reminded me that I was worth loving. He was the first human that ever truly gave me unconditional love. However, since then I've realized that I've always had unconditional love in my life because I've always had dogs who were there with a snuggle and love no matter what was going on in my life.
When I asked the cards how I could show grace, I pulled the eight of pentacles which was very ironic in a way as my best friend was also my mentor at work. The eight of pentacles tells me that grace is a skill that I need to work on and develop as I'm often quick to judge other people, especially when I am stressed and overwhelmed. The cards are telling me that I also need to show grace and love myself even when I'm not perfect at unconditional love.
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Embracing cozy is something I struggle with as I always feel like I should be doing something productive instead of sitting on the couch sipping hot chocolate and enjoying my scented candles. A lot of us have been brought up in an environment that equates just being and relaxing with being lazy and slothful. The advice the cards gave me when I asked how to embrace cozy was interesting as the Ace of Swords showed up to tell me to cut away all things that no longer matter. It's time to let go of emotions, people, and things that no longer serve me.
Pulling this card was serendipitous as one of my words for the year was shedding and I have been working all year long on letting go of things that no longer serve me. I've limited relationships with people who trigger me, I've gotten rid of stuff I know longer need, and I've worked to set boundaries. This card was both an affirmation and a reminder that there is always more to shed.
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I have to confess that when I turned these cards over I very nearly put them back and reshuffled because they seemed too perfect and they had me wondering if my deck had actually gotten shuffled. However, this is a deck I've been using for a while so I know it's been shuffled and the cards are what they are. Sometimes, you just have to laugh at how perfectly they fall.
I hope everyone has an amazing Yule.
This resonated so much with where I'm at with my life as in the past, I've always fully decorated my house for the holidays. I've had at least one tree, lots of Santas, and a host of other decorations. However, I had an opportunity to travel right before the holidays to see some old friends and I realized that if I wanted to be fully engaged with my friends, I couldn't decorate the way I usually did. I decided that I'd scale back this year with lots of candles and greenery and less stuff. I'm heading into the week feeling relaxed and at peace.
I'm finally realizing that I am enough just as I am and that I don't have to continually prove myself over and over and over. I can just be.
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The cards have a sense of humor and when I asked what I had to be grateful for, the ten of pentacles showed up to remind me that I have people in my life to love me, I have material goods, I have a house that keeps me warm and cozy, and I have a couple of big dogs in my life to bring me laughter and joy.
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When I asked the cards how I could show grace, I pulled the eight of pentacles which was very ironic in a way as my best friend was also my mentor at work. The eight of pentacles tells me that grace is a skill that I need to work on and develop as I'm often quick to judge other people, especially when I am stressed and overwhelmed. The cards are telling me that I also need to show grace and love myself even when I'm not perfect at unconditional love.
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Pulling this card was serendipitous as one of my words for the year was shedding and I have been working all year long on letting go of things that no longer serve me. I've limited relationships with people who trigger me, I've gotten rid of stuff I know longer need, and I've worked to set boundaries. This card was both an affirmation and a reminder that there is always more to shed.
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I have to confess that when I turned these cards over I very nearly put them back and reshuffled because they seemed too perfect and they had me wondering if my deck had actually gotten shuffled. However, this is a deck I've been using for a while so I know it's been shuffled and the cards are what they are. Sometimes, you just have to laugh at how perfectly they fall.
I hope everyone has an amazing Yule.
Laughing at the "wanted to put them back in." I've had the urge a lot in my years. :D It's a lovely COZY reading!
ReplyDeleteI really love the last photo. That makes me feel warm and cozy with the candle, holly, and cards laid on it. Nice spread!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I actually drew that :)
DeleteYour feelings of not being enough and your reminder about seeing the cozy within your Self really resonated with me. Your whole post made me think deeply, and was something I really needed to hear. Thank you, Cozy Raine!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteWondrous! I love the Druid Craft deck, although it's gotten lost in my use of more recent acquisitions. You have inspired me to make more time for it. I love hygge, too, as a concept. It flowed so nicely into your cards' messages!
ReplyDeleteOh, Raine, I needed all of these reminders. I'm glad you decided not to put the cards back. Thank you so much for sharing the messages and your personal experiences with them. A lovely drawing you made too. Happy yule!
ReplyDelete