Intuition, as I discuss in more detail here, is the natural guiding system of all beings. Intuition is the dialogue between self and Spirit—information that is received from a transcendental source that we all intrinsically possess. When we listen to our intuition, we move toward psychic wholeness. Each time we ignore the wisdom of our deepest self, we feed internal fragmentation.

From my experience, what it seems many people struggle with when listening to their intuition is the unconscious entanglement we make between intuition and action. Many people believe the acknowledgment of this inner knowing demands immediate action initiated by clarity—that they have to respond with urgency and change their lives as a result of emerging insight.

This is not the case. We are free to listen to our guidance and take our time to understand what this means for us at this particular point in time.

If we feel pressured to do something about the information, we can actually prevent full acknowledgment of what the information is saying. In turn, this can create confusion and misunderstandings that contribute to unfavorable outcomes, especially increased rumination and psychological distress.

While we can be presented with information that requires a shift in behavior or a change of direction, there are two distinct processes that occur when attuning to this guidance:

The first process is receptive, and the second is active. We are first tasked with receiving and metabolizing the information, and over time, we are tasked with doing something about that information through integration.

Sometimes, this process can take years.

The tarot offers a beautiful distinction between these two processes. The Lovers (#6) mirrors the experience of intuitive insight that is spontaneously known through the channel of the body, whereas The Chariot (#7) represents inspired action that occurs as a result of being available to present-moment insight. When you can tolerate being in the truth of an experience long enough, the experience itself holds within it the wisdom necessary to discern what action might need to be taken.

For some, it can be particularly difficult to hold a truth that feels incongruent with their current experience. The pain that certain truths evoke is challenging to hold, especially when we’re not quite sure what it might mean. In other cases, the subtle changes that start to occur as a result of emerging insight (i.e., your feelings toward someone or your focus at work) feel too destabilizing. In moments like this, it can be helpful to create the necessary conditions that would allow you to safely explore your intuitive experience (usually with a trusted professional, mentor, or community) and meet any potential distress that arises.

Whether we feel the pressure to translate the information into behavior or decode its full expression right away, the pressure from our mind can inhibit the clarity of the body. The Lovers card teaches us the power of feeling as a precious resource; and through sustained intimacy with our emotional lives, we befriend the life of the body. Being in contact with the body in a safe way is a profoundly useful practice—tending to the body teaches us how to listen with our full awareness.

The Lovers card also illustrates the real panic we feel in abandoning old worldviews that have kept us connected to certain people and situations. In this card, the individual centered between two women portrays the decision-making process between choosing habit (familiarity) and obligation (approval), or intuition (authentic clarity; integrity). When confronted with new information, we are wired to be vulnerable to threat against attachments, and the possibility of data arising in this way can be disorienting.

If this emerges, we are faced with the decision to be authentic or to be attached. As social creatures, this is deeply tender. Staying anchored in the connections that do feel restorative can be helpful in these moments—whether it’s with community or even a mythic/religious figure you feel a resonance with. Patience is key; and while we can practice tending to ourselves compassionately, healing is relational. We cannot do this work alone.

It is so important to find sources of support that allow you to feel held while you navigate the inquiry of reimagining new potentials for your life.

The key is to choose someone you trust and who creates space for your process without imposing. The safer and more connected we feel, the more likely we are to genuinely engage with our lives and practice a kind of co-creation from this wisdom—what transpersonal theorist Jorge Ferrer names “participatory knowing.”

The Chariot, on the other hand, reflects the effortless momentum that occurs when we drop the addiction of controlling our image and attune to the drive being expressed through us. With The Chariot, we are invited to not interfere with life as we continue metabolizing the insight from The Lovers. I understand this feels very abstract; and while it can be confusing, the more we practice moving with the flow of our experience, the more we are presented with the synchronicity of things unfolding with ease.

In these moments, the right types of support enter our lives, and we are led through the change process into new territory. Where doors begin to close, new ones open. It is at this time in a journey where the individual usually (re)discovers something deeply true about themselves (what they want; what they value; what their purpose is), and their life begins to respond to that acknowledgment.

Oftentimes, this experience reflects a kind of good luck—a state of security, alignment, and grounded wisdom that occurs as a result of yielding to the natural intelligence of life.

As we navigate winter and transition into the new year, I invite you to anchor into the practice of listening to your life:

• What does your body say when your mind begins to soften?

• What is revealed in the spaces between each thought?

• What wisdom is reflected in moments of trust?

If you’d like to deepen the dialogue on intuition, I’ll be offering a course on learning the sacred language of the self. Cultivating Intuition: Foundations is a six-week course focused on strengthening our intuition, allowing us to translate visionary insight into daily life. This course will center creative intuition as a mode of knowing that expands our capacity for elegant co-creation, aligning with our purpose and authentic nature.

The next cohort will begin on Sunday, January 18th from 12–2pm ET and will run for six weeks until Sunday, February 22nd. All sessions will be recorded for those who cannot make the sessions live.

If you’d like to join, feel free to reach out and I’ll share next steps for signing up. I’d love to see you there.

Wishing you all a lovely holiday season and a happy new year.

Xx