Making Space for You
Before pursuing an intentional, magical life, I felt like I was in a car going too fast on the freeway. My hands had to remain tightly on the wheel or I’d spin out of control. And I didn’t know how to operate the brakes. During that period of my life, I frequently had dreams of driving my car off the road. There were many possible solutions to regain control, but I needed a drastic solution to shake me out of my skewed perceptions. I stepped out of my twelve-year relationship and onto the highway, only to realize that I’d never been in a speeding car at all. I was just on a path, winding and as busy as I made it. Since then, I’ve decided how fast I want to go.
The biggest weight on the gas pedal for me was poor boundaries. Accepting all the invitations. Offering to help every time someone asked for it. Taking on more projects than I could handle. Time seemed to be eaten up, leaving no room for me. That led to burnout, resentment, and frustration. The first thing I had to learn was that taking care of myself made me a better partner, friend, and family member. When I took time for myself, I had more to give.
I wasn’t sure what to do with me time, though. I was a runner, so going for a run or hike was always a safe option. But something was missing. I enjoyed the physical accomplishment and being away from other people for a while, but I didn’t feel recharged. I needed to find activities that filled my mind, body, and soul. That’s when I discovered tarot and mindful, witchy activities. I had wanted to get into meditation for some time, and this was an invitation that made sense to me. When I had some time before work, I would pull three cards, read about their meanings, and meditate for a few minutes on their relevance to my life. They were easy enough routines to incorporate into my life.
That was only the beginning. Three years later, I take mindful showers, stir my tea with intention, do walking meditations, practice magical yoga, interpret my dreams, and yes, I still read my tarot every day. Magic is part of my everyday life because I am open to experiencing it in the most mundane tasks. Not only am I open to magic, I make it a priority - I make me a priority. I feel overwhelmed every once in a while, but now I have so many ways to recharge and fill myself up again, I don’t stay in that headspace for long.
Making space for yourself is the most personal journey you can go on. I have found it more worthwhile than any endeavor I’ve ever put my energy into. It hasn’t been a perfectly straight path toward enlightenment, and I don’t have such a lofty endpoint in mind. I’ll just keep walking on my path, the farther away from the highway, the better.
