3-2-1: The Mystery & Magic of Yearning
This series is inspired by James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter. These messages include 3 short tarot card pulls from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you to muse on. This is a general reading. As always, take what resonates and leave the rest.
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3 tarot cards from me
Written under the CANCER Sun 🌞 and VIRGO Moon 🌝The Well of the Sapphire Realm, Chess Board with a Tree Ally, and The Harp
In a version of ‘Thomas the Rhymer,’ the story begins with Thomas noticing a deep yearning that eludes him.
He sits beneath a Faery tree (Chess Board) and calls out (The Harp) to the otherworlds (The Well of the Sapphire Realm). Who answers him is the Faery Queen, herself. She guides Thomas to a liminal place where a crossroads sits - the powerful place of choice.
Here at the crossroads of Yearning, we’re invited to learn more about this emotion. It’s a place of liminality and portal for change; to yearn is a powerful place to be.
It’s similar to manifestation magic – we’re deep in our imagination and the act of desiring fans our inner flames, drawing what we’re desiring closer to being within our grasp. The experience of feeling our desires privately is sensually rewarding. But being in this place for too long can lead to experiencing illusions, confusion, hungry ghost vibes, undesirable circumstances (ex. unrequited relationships, unrealistic expectations, non-action), and even self-doubt or cynicism. At some point, we need to release the magic, surrender it to Mystery, and not interfere with the process.
The challenge isn’t just the intense pull of yearning itself, but the uncertainty of how to best work with this powerful emotion; the longing for something or someone absent or unattainable can sometimes feel unbearable leading us towards making choices that we truly don’t want to be making.
The flip side is that we’re withholding from yearning because it’s “too fantastical.” We’re reluctant to let ourselves go.
Both circumstances speak to an unalignment or imbalance.
Going back to Thomas the Rhymer, can you guess why it’s someone as formidable as the Faery Queen who answers his call? That’s right, it’s because the call comes from his true voice, ringing with his heart's melodic resonance, amplified by the powerful waves of his yearning. He calls out and then lets it go, like musical notes fading into the ether.
What would it feel like to work with yearning as a gateway consciously? What key ingredients would you throw in if you were concocting ‘yearning’ in a cauldron? How would you be stirring the pot? What does the spoon look like?
These cards invite us to consider our relationship with the magic of yearning and deepen our connection with it. If we choose to accept this invitation, some sort of gift or reward that has to do with clarity, healing, self-awareness, and growth will meet us on the other side. A journey that’s almost always worth the discomfort.
These beautiful cards were created by Portland painter, performance artist, and filmmaker, Pomegranate Doyle. I’m honoured to be one of the 22 recipients who received a copy of this remarkable deck. If you’re hoping to receive a deck one day, feel free to let her know here.
2 quotes from others
“The future isn’t just something that we fight for. The future is something that we nurture into being.”
"Co-creating a collective liberated future is creativity. Creativity… is inherently destroying old patterns to consciously co-create with the universe new patterns that have never existed before.”
1 question for you
What are your signals that you’ve been “in yearning” for too long?
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