Table of contents
I created this spread for the Gemini full moon, but it's useful for doing work around sending love to the parts of yourself you've labelled as unwanted or unworthy.
I invite you to pull a card for each prompt below and reflect on what comes up for you.
If you don't read tarot, no worries. These cards are perfect for regular degular journaling prompts. Tarot is an INCREDIBLE tool, but it's not the only way to connect with your soul, so just grab a notebook and start writing, trusting that whatever comes up is sacred communication.
The Cards
Card 1: Persona
The description above reads, "How you choose to present yourself in different scenarios; personality traits that you project or emphasize; the roles you adopt."
The persona is the identity we want other people to see us as (or even how we want to see ourselves!) If we pride ourselves on our intelligence, we might hide all the parts of us that negate that identity. So we might always try to appear like we have all the answers, or we might not want people to see us struggle, or we might feel uncomfortable asking for help.
If we pride ourselves on being kind and nurturing and conflict-free, we might bury the parts of ourselves that experience anger, that want to speak out against injustice and unfair treatment, or that have an opinion that goes against the group.
You get the idea.
Personas are an integral part of our functioning because we can't walk around with our full selves constantly on display. We don't want to be the person who dumps all their trauma on a stranger five minutes after meeting them. We need the ability to filter and select what parts of ourselves to share with others, depending on the scenario. What we share with our friends is radically different from what we share with our employer, for example.
The issue comes in when we over-identify with our persona. When we're not sure who we are anymore without it. When the mask becomes so fused to our skin, that we disappear underneath it.
Think of someone who's always prided themselves on figuring things out on their own. What happens when this person is found in a situation where they have to depend on others to take care of them, when they have to let people in and show their vulnerable side? If their real Self got lost under the weight of their persona, it might require a lot of internal work to find out, and reconnect with who they truly are.
Card 2: Shame
These are all the parts of us that are pushed aside because they don't fit in with the image we've crafted as our persona.
The description above reads, "What do you dislike & reject within yourself? What makes you feel unworthy, unwanted and unloved? What is causing you to judge yourself as 'bad' and unredeemable? What burdens do you carry in your soul?"
If the unloved parts of you could express themselves, what would they say?
Card 3: Wholeness
The description reads, "How do you ensure that you feel seen & heard? What is the part of you that feels separate and disconnected from love right now? What is already whole within you? How can you create a sense of wholeness within yourself right now?"
Wholeness happens when we can integrate who we want to be seen as + who we naturally are. When we can embrace both light and shadow in ourselves, understanding that all of them come together to make us us.
What people, places, or things give you that feeling of wholeness? Where do you feel accepted as you are, without needing to pretend to be something different?
Conversely, where do you feel like you have to be something different; that you would be rejected if you were to be truly yourself?
What box have you been trying to fit in, and what is the cost of conforming? Is the cost worth it?