Good morning and good Monday!

Today I drew a card that made me roll my eyes and wring my hands. I've drawn this card several times in the past few weeks, since I've switched to using this deck. And every time I've shrugged and shuffled again. I just didn't know what to make of this one.

When I drew the card for our weekly message, it felt like a dead stare from the oracle, like they were daring me to put the card back in and admit I couldn't figure it out.

Obviously, I was not going to admit defeat.

This week's message is.....

The Bread and the Tree

The top half of this card is a tree approaching winter, limbs almost bare and twisty. A man leans against it eating his bread. Using the tree as nothing more than a comfortable back support.

But underneath?

The bottom half of the image shows the swirling, reaching tentacles of the tree's energy - not just it's physical form.

"Don't forget," this card seems to say, "that the tree is not just a physical thing. It's alive, and energetically aware and active. It's roots and bark and every cell stores the energy of the sun."

The extra layer here is that everything in this picture is alive, and has a spirit. Not just the man. Not just the tree. Even the bread has energy and spirit -- coming from the plants it was made from, from the care and energy that went into baking it, and from the fire in which it baked. And that doesn't even touch on the various spirits & deities who have an affinity for breads and those who bake them.

It reminds me of Marie Kondo, world famous tidying-expert, whose step-by-step advice for tidying one's home boils down to the Shinto-based philosophy that your home, and every item in it, has a spirit and an energy that you can and should be interacting with. Before she starts tidying, she greets the home in a ritual, kneeling down and thanking the house for all it does, and asking its help in the tidying process.

If you happen to not be a Tidying Super-fan, and have never wondered if that old blouse in your closet "sparks joy", you might still be familiar with this concept from the Colors of the Wind song in Pocahontas.

How to bring this guidance into your week:

This week the practical is magical.

As you move through your week, be mindful of the energies you are surrounded by. Talk to your plants, your pets, even your coffee.

When you go outside, sit against a tree, or give it a hug, and let yourself sense the energy that almost speaks to you, even if it's a language that you can't easily understand.

And allow yourself to "activate" or call upon the energies you're using without thinking about it. For example, ask your notebook and pen to help you bring your inspiration easily onto the page, or ask your cheeseburger to help nourish your body and ease your hunger. Ask your car to help you get safely home through a rainstorm. Ask your A/C unit to help keep your home cool and pleasant.

One quick note:

It may seem, at first, absolutely ridiculous or even full-on crazy to talk to your water bottle, your coffee cup, your running shoes, etc.

I just want to take this moment to remind you that many civilizations and cultures throughout history have taken it as a given that everything was full of spirits. It's not only the Shinto religion, or indigenous cultures. Ancient romans honored the Lares or spirits who lived in and protected the home. The ancient Celts accepted that the land itself was a living spiritual force.

It's only in the last 500 years or so that Western cultures have pivoted to fully accepting that humans are alive, and everything else is, more or less, not.

I'm not saying you need to keep talking to your plants forever, but do give it a try this week and see how it feels to be surrounded by helpful spirits at every turn, instead of a variety of inanimate objects that barely recognize your existence. I have a hunch you'll like it.