DECK:  Wisdom of the Shadow Oracle Deck

             Author: Jessica Ricchetti;  Artist: Jenny Hahn 

CARD:  IDENTITY 

READER:  Pamela Shook  

Each of us is a gift to the world, a unique combination of elements, ancestry, viewpoints and expression that cannot be duplicated. Among your multiple lifetimes, this is your one chance to be the person you are this time.   

As humans, we want to belong, and showcase traits we hope invite love and approval. But taken too far, approval-seeking costs our ability to set boundaries, speak our truth, and trust our intuition. Conversely, total rebellion keeps us focused against what is instead of envisioning, exploring and collaborating on what could be.  

One effect of the pandemic was isolation from our group identities: for months, most of us did not work, attend school, network or socialize. We were left to find who we are without those labels and habits. We have lost people to Covid, to relocating, to clashing politics. We grieve these losses while carving new pathways professionally, socially, romantically. It’s a bit like building the plane as it taxis down the runway.   

We have been changed forever in ways we are just beginning to grasp. But real evolution begins with unearthing and updating the ingrained beliefs that hold us back.     

What parts of you feel too “strange” to be accepted? Too “normal” to be interesting? Do you fear rejection if your dreams fail? Or jealousy if you are wildly successful? Often what we hold back is exactly the gift our soul most needs to express.    

So during this season of giving, give yourself the gift of self-expression: a beginner’s mind, a curious heart and the courage to step into a new story. If the “what if’s” attack (and they will), be sure to add one more: “What if it all worked out?” On the other side
of that question lies freedom.