After a night of restless, broken sleep and a weekend of hard work and hard decisions, I was not ready for Monday. The day felt like a curse. To-do line-items piled up. Missed opportunities and commitments flooded my attention. The laundry needed doing, the house tidying. All activities by which I'm typically unperturbed... but today, I lacked the capacity.

When I could take no more, I shut my laptop and prayed for reprieve. I drew my belated weekly self-care (Sunday) bath. To help guide my mind to relaxation, I brought my Pythia Botanical Oracle cards to set an intention for my space.

I lit a candle and shuffled my deck, thinking to myself,

How might I find peace and grace in this mental discomfort?

For anyone experiencing mental chaos or discomfort today, I invite you to join me in following this reading's intentions.

I pull three cards.

How to be with myself.
How to be with others.
How to be in the moment.

How to be with myself.

Sanctuary, Queen Anne's Lace

How fitting to have drawn a bath, in which I sit as I take in this message. To be with oneself in a time of emotional and mental turmoil is to be willing sit in the eye of the storm.

It's an ages-old addage for a reason - before we take care of others, we must first take care of ourselves.

How does your sanctuary appear?

Wit a warm cup of tea
In a long, hot salt bath
On a leisurely stroll
Nestled in a corner seat in the cafe
Listening to a delightful playlist
Enjoying a gentle stretch
Savoring a favorite treat
Stealing a snuggle with a pet
Lighting a sweet-scented candle
Re-reading a worn-in novel
Taking few deep breaths
Lost in a daydream

I invite you to take the rest of your day from your sanctuary. Be gentle, move slowly, remind yourself that wherever you are, you are home.

How to be with others.

Ancient Sight, Sage

I am not always presently engaging with every social grace, inherent compassionate response, or deep empathetic connection I've collected in my years. Some days, others are a gift. Some days, others are a tax. Yet, to be with others is the greatest joy of humanity, for we are endowed with the sight to know others.

We have the tools we need within us and close at hand. To be with others, bring to the front of your mind the kindness, acceptance, and wisdom you have learned.

Close your eyes, breathe. Who has taught you kindness? Who has taught you to hold space for others? What gifts are you endowed with that you may bestow upon those in your company?

To do for others in a time of strife is the antidote to all suffering.

How to be in the moment.

Hawthorn, Forgo

Mindfulness is no trend, despite the racket. To be in the moment is to remove one foot from the future and one foot from the past, ending the stretch and strain and rooting comfortably in one place.

To be present, we must forgo the worries of the past and the concern for the future. We must surrender to the place our human form occupies; for wherever the brain may drift to, so stays our body wherever it stands.

*Surrender to the reality that the past is unchanging. The future is merely conceptual. The infinite time only exists for you as you exist in the present. Forgo the impulse to ruminate. Instead, create.

The Pythia Botanical Oracle provides gentle but direct, applicable guidance when my mind begins to wear tread lines in the same harried paths. I've never shared a reading this way before, but I hope this brings you some peace if you find yourself struggling to be today.

How do you cope when your day runs amok and you feel completely out of control?

Always grateful for your comments and conversation. Thank you for joining me today!

To learn more about the Pythia Botanical Oracle Deck, please check out the Leila + Olive website.

Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.

I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. You might have found me through the Ladies of Steemit curation initiative, showcasing the female voices on the Steemit platform. Each week, I post on a smattering of topics, but mainly about women, herbalism + tea, fun facts and challenges, and my Curie curation journals. Every other week, I share my experience through the Steemit Beginner's Series. I'm also known to throw down a mean five-minute freewrite once in a while. To learn more about me, check out my introduction post, get up-to-date on my school bus tiny house conversion, and get to know me a little bit more!