Journal

January 1, 2021

A new year has arrived. May it be at least no worse than 2020. The last days have been somewhat draining. I’ve decided to have a break from social media during January. There is much to do outside of social media, but this is not the reason. I feel I just need to step out of the (information) stream and take some time off from the constant interaction with the outside world.

A couple of days ago, we had a full Moon in Cancer. Looking outside the window and seeing her rising, I decided to use the moment and smudge my cards. I have never done this before, but the cards have been reversed for the last couple of weeks, and I felt that something might be off here. As I learned from Benebell’s course, some people cleanse their cards regularly with incense. I haven’t been doing any regular cleansing with my deck.

In my home country, we burn incense during Christmas time. This is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas tradition and something I am always looking forward to with childlike anticipation. However, this year I wasn’t able to visit my family due to the restrictions relating to Covid-19. Fortunately, on a past visit there, I took some incense with me. The black cones from Crottendorfer are my favorites.

After smudging the deck, I felt like drawing cards for the first month of the new year. I picked three cards, which were surprisingly all upright! That moment spent with intention seems to have worked. Looking at the cards, I felt a sense of affirmation about my decision to retreat.

Especially the High Priestess indicates that this is a suitable time for looking inward. Being still and waiting is what I feel I should do, although my mind keeps telling me to use the time to be productive and get some sh***t done. The Judgement card is about renewal, which the Ace of Wands, with its indication of a new opportunity, confirms.