Self-Service

 From the Cosmic Tarot, the Ace of Cups; from the L'Oeil de Lotus, Interdictment:

Self-care isn’t being selfish, it’s a public service. When you fill your own cup,

you’ve got more to give to others. ~Melissa Goodwin

How do we keep our cup full to overflowing when we are in the middle of millions of acres burning, hurricanes, a national leader interested in only himself, and a pandemic? It's tempting to try to do it with the stuff we buy or the ways we seek to have others stroke our ego. But those small sparks of pleasure don't last and certainly don't fill the void in our hearts. Melissa Goodwin suggests six ideas:

1. Take time out - make it a priority to schedule some self-care time.
2. Question your standards of perfection - the world won't stop spinning if things aren't just 'so.'
3. Take care of your health - get enough sleep, eat good food, exercise (you know this already, but probably don't do it).
4. Feel good by looking good and finding what's wonderful  - get out of those PJs, take a shower, and find something beautiful to appreciate.
5. Use your spiritual tools - if you don't have any, now is the time to investigate some.
6. Connect with others - talk with others who make you laugh and make you feel like you belong.

Interdiction (the act of prohibiting movement) is a warning about how we often empty our cup without taking a sip of it ourselves - by trying to fix or save others. That is a Sisyphean task that will drain us dry every time.