Week 5 - Cultivating Gratitude

I have a long standing aversion to the overused concept of practicing gratitude. That’s probably a topic for another time, but I do want to spend some time talking about how to cultivate it as something other than a sign to put on your wall (physical or social media).

It’s Thanksgiving weekend in the US and for many, this means practicing family traditions, ritual meals and foods, and time spent with people we love. For others, these days can bring financial stress, family drama, and bring unresolved issues to the surface. In either case, gratitude can be the furthest thing from the front of our minds, even though, ironically, it’s supposed to be at the center of this holiday.

One of the primary reasons is that there’s simply too much packed into a four-day weekend. We’re overfed, sleep deprived, maybe jetlagged, and have probably stretched, if not completely broken, our budget. As an added bonus, we get to do a version of it again in less than four weeks!

If nothing else, we can be grateful that nothing lasts forever, including the ‘good’ things.

 
Mantra: In gratitude, I also find peace in this moment.

Meditation exercise: List three things you are thankful for, silently or aloud. Spend a few minutes in appreciation of these gifts, no matter how small because size doesn’t equal significance.

Draw a random card from a tarot deck you know well. Considering either the assigned meaning, or the image on the card, think about a time when you wanted what you have now. Nostalgia can be deceiving, so allow yourself to feel the struggles as well as the contentment you experienced during that part of your life. Look at your life both then, and now, as if you’re watching someone else’s life through two windows. What do you think was lacking in the ‘then’ window? Did it truly satisfy, or solve the problems of the ‘now’ window? What new issues have come to take the place of the resolved ones? Can you see a pattern? You don’t have to ‘do’ anything. Just observe and note what tugs inside your chest.

I drew the Four of Swords. What I have now is time to contemplate. Big issues, small annoyances, and the myriad rabbit holes that exist in the universe. This is a luxury I have craved throughout my corporate career. Now that I’m retired, I sometimes think I should be doing more. I should build a business, keep a schedule, get more done (remember last week’s post about Wu Wei?).

The time to contemplate the mysteries of the universe is a gift. I treasure this and I’m grateful.

Comfortably seated with your feet on the floor, take a few rounds of four-square breathing, paying attention to how this exercise is beginning to feel familiar. By now, you may even engage in this simple process when you feel stressed, tired, or anxious, to bring yourself back to a more calm and centered state. If so, congratulations! Be grateful for the connection between your body and mind.

I am grateful for each of you. Thank you for indulging my words of nonsense.

Until next week,
Mary

If you would like to know more about my ancestral connection work, my Daoist path, or my other offerings such as tarot readings and classes, spiritual guidance, and mindset mentoring, you can find more detailed information by using the drop-down menu on my website:  https://the-mystics-parlour.ghost.io.

In January, I’ll be contributing to the TABI Midwinter Conference with a presentation entitled: Less is More – Complete Readings in Three Cards. The conference is free to TABI Members and you can join at https://tabi.org.uk – dues are approximately $30US per year.

This coming February, I’m presenting a workshop for the Tarot Association of British and International members (TABI). The topic is: Romantic Archetypes of the Tarot. The fee is very reasonable, with a recording of the workshop if you can’t attend the live session and all proceeds will be donated to the animal sanctuary The Misfits Coven in Pennsylvania. More information will be available on the TABI website soon and you learn about the work they're doing at Misfits Coven here: https://misfitscoven.org/

I’m also one of the 2026 WitchCon Online presenters, offering my talk on Tarot for Ancestral Connection. No special divination kits or tools are needed. Just your favorite ‘go to’ tarot deck! Register here for over 120 presentations with unlimited rewatch capabilities: https://www.witchcon.com/presenter.php?presenter=mary-du-plessis

You can also contact me via email at themysticsparlour@gmail.com and I’m @themysticsparlour.bsky.social on Bluesky and @the.mystics.parlour on Instagram.

I appreciate your continued support and encouragement.