Seven of Cups - Flights of Fancy and Castle in the Air

I'm an imaginative person I know that, as a creative. I love stories of emotion, imagination, fantasy and myth that teach life lessons.

The card of the Seven of Cups indicates the combination of faith, emotion, illusion, fantasy and imagination, all qualities that are useful to artists and all human beings. However if we can't balance these with reality, that's when it can become problematic, leading us to deluding ourselves with pipe dreams and good intentions that somehow don't materialize or come to fruition perhaps, we loose our way, running from reality and life, causing a complexity of confusion.

There was a time that I ran from reality through the use and abuse of alcohol, that I became addicted to, and left me unable to distinguish reality from fantasy by times. I thank the God of my understanding I no longer need to live my life this way, and have 24 years of contented sobriety, one day at a time, which was something that did not came easy. It was rather like the tasks presented to Psyche by Aphrodite. Psyche had to work hard at facing the challenge of choosing and acting in realistic terms to make those potentials manifest.

I'm so very grateful I have chosen to live an uncomplicated life, grounded in reality. I get great satisfaction from the simple pleasures from a life of balance, paying attention to what makes me feel openhearted and alive, celebrating and connecting with quality of life, not in quantity, every day in a Hygge kind of way.

Today I celebrated by enjoying my fresh ground French Dark coffee beans for breakfast, some home made whole wheat buns and an Italian Frittata for supper. Perfection!

 My very Hygge cat Rusty is impressed!

Two of Swords - Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

There are 85 days left before Spring, according to my Farmer's Almanac.

In spite of not being a fan of Winter, without it I know it just wouldn't be right if we had no the snow and the changing of seasons. It all makes so much sense to me, being all part of the cyclical nature of earth and the life cycle.

We all have our own favourite seasons. Spring is definitely mine. I admit I can hardly wait for the Winter Solstice, and for Christmas to come and go, because it brings Spring closer and closer with each passing day and increasing sunlight.

The duality, being of two minds, and opposing forces is what is presented in the Two of Swords. and the reflection of tension, where an unpleasant reality must be faced. Acceptance is the key to whatever situation I find myself in. It's necessary in order to enjoy and to move forward in life.

I can't spend my energy projecting into the future, or wishing things where different, and I have to make a choice in attitude. Oh I could easily spend energy, complaining about the weather, the cold, on and on etc., but I know I'll just feel worse not better about Winter.

If I don't take on life including Winter with a positive attitude I'm stuck in the problem.

The Two of Swords that I drew this morning reminds me of how I'm conflicted in my mind, but I choose to make the most of it and find some comforting creative ways to face the cold and avoid accumulating icicles on my butt.

The practice of Hygge helps me immeasurably, lifting my spirits, especially during the Christmas season and in the dead of Winter. But Hygge is good anytime, anywhere.

 Making a big mug of  hot chocolate with lots of marsh mellows in my very special, French Cafe, hot chocolate maker, or a lovely pot of loose Darjeeling tea in my traditional Brown Betty teapot, both of these special treasures I got for Christmas!

Time for a big bowl of slow-cooked, homemade turkey soup, and then some hot chocolate!