Dear Ones,

I owe the inspiration for this week’s theme to Bruder Gerhard.

He asked me yesterday during our first communion of the year about a summary of our recent family trip to Malaysia. I couldn’t provide a meaningful answer on the spot, fogged that I was in the vapors of jet lag and enjoying a dire lack of sleep.

Yet, sleep usually brings ‘gentle answers’ and last night was no exception.

The answer to Bruder Gerhard’s question was crystal clear this morning, summed up in five [important] words.

The Importance of Loving Oneself.

Over the course of the past few weeks, I have witnessed, from a distance, much anxiety, fear, paranoia, mental immobility, hypocrisy and criticism. The root cause, as if informing the way we live and breathe, is indisputable. I understand it so clearly now, in hindsight.

Two questions surge, very naturally.

What is self-love?

How do we love ourselves?

I will keep the latter one for the sake of our January 9^th communion.

As to the first question, it has to do with how we conceive of—and therefore treat—ourselves. Consciously, yes, but most importantly unconsciously.

Our actions and words speak for where we are in life, spiritually speaking, and so many of us do not realize that (or are not conscious of the consequences of what they say and do), when it is so evident to those who witness our actions or hear our words.

I remember a blogpost I read some years ago where the author described an experience that he placed under the umbrella of self-love.

He (the author of the blog) was at the Philadelphia airport and had bought a cup of coffee for himself—a fancy one, the type that Starbucks sells.

As he sat to enjoy his beverage, someone bumped into his table and his cup of coffee fell on the ground. He thought for a few seconds, decided to love himself and bought another cup of coffee.

How many of us, in similar circumstances, would have gone back to the counter and ordered another cup of coffee?

This may not be the most poignant example of self-love, yet it is the beginning of an answer; one that perhaps puts us on the right track.

As we know, the Universe generously sprinkle Its pebbles on our path, through these incredible moments we call synchronicity. I was already mulling this theme of self-love for about an hour when I decided to pick my three tarot cards for the day.

The first one that popped up was the Ten of Cups.

Here is part of the explanation that I found for the card on the Labyrinthos website:

“To see the Ten of cups is to indicate a true emotional fulfillment—one where the lonely self-satisfaction of the Nine of Cups is shared with others to create a true sense of community and family. It is the crystallization of the innocent will of the Ace of Cups. After learning how to love oneself, the Nine of Cups matures into the Ten of Cups which, at its core, is about how true happiness stems from forging authentic bonds and connections with others.”

I will see you on Thursday, dear Ones, well into the new year!

Here is the link to the Facebook invitation:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2435846596632043/