How To Navigate the Holiday Season without Losing your Mind
Welcome to Seven Weeks of Winter Magic — a gentle tarot series to help you move through the holidays with intention. Each week brings one card for reflection, a simple grounding practice, and small inspirations for savoring the season on your own terms. A quiet companion for a bright, busy time.
Your Values Light the Way
What do you want to give and receive in these holiday weeks? Knowing yourself, your values, and what you want to give and receive in these weeks will help you avoid overwhelm while connecting with the people and events you want to experience. Let the season uplift you, not overwhelm you.
Interdependence
Sometimes you need to be generous and give to others. Other times you need to be able to receive the generosity offered by others. Receiving can often be the more difficult of the two. Actively help others and consciously accept help yourself. The holidays can be busy. People are running around like crazy. There are ample opportunities to give to others and to receive help from others when you need it.
We Should Owe Everyone
One reason people do not accept help from others is that they don’t want to owe anyone. But we should owe everyone. We are all interdependent and the more we owe each other the more connected and collaborative we become.
Card: 6 of Stones
The Six of Stones card represents the importance of giving and receiving. It reminds us that sometimes we need to be generous with others, and at other times, receiving the generosity offered is the harder but necessary act. This interdependence is a basic human need.
Activity: Giving and Receiving
List your values for the holiday on a piece of paper. (Using pen and paper activates a different part of the brain than typing, so use the paper!) What do you want to give and what do you want to receive? Hang up your list somewhere where you can refer back to it during the season.
Using your values as a guide, seek out chances to relieve someone’s burden, or feel and express gratitude for that relief yourself. Do you need to give or receive? If it is give, make a plan to treat someone special, a neighbor, friend or even someone in need.
If it is receiving, practice accepting gifts gracefully and fully, and feeling the intent of the giver. After all, when you give to someone, you are excited about it and want the other person to feel happy too! Ironically, both giving and receiving can be difficult this time of year, as we become busy and sometimes overwhelmed.
For example: Most moms need help with their kids at this time of year. You can take children to play or for an activity to give a mom some time. If you are a mom and need some holiday planning time, ask a friend to help you with the kids. Listen to your friends and see what they might need. Many people won’t ask, so cultivate awareness and offer help where you see it’s needed.
Conversely, if you even feel a little bit tired or overwhelmed, stop and ask yourself who you can enlist to help you. It is OK to owe everyone!