“You’re so brave, to have hair that color,” the old woman says to me, stopping me in the grocery store. “It’s bold!”
I smile big and thank her, the same way I always do when somebody calls me “brave” for having pink hair.
As if it wasn’t just hair. As if it would never grow back. As if pink hair color was poison or a dirty look from somebody’s grandpa would knock me over, dead.
“Do you think I could do that?” she asked, a little sheepishly.
“Well of course you could! With your gray, it would take great!”
“I’m seventy. Do you think it’s okay for a seventy-year-old to have pink hair?”
“Well, I’m going to when I’m seventy! I don’t see why not. You’re an adult! You can do what you want!”
A peculiarity of my life is being an outsider. It’s all over my astrology. It doesn’t matter what I do or how hard I try. One way or another, I’m not going to fit in.
So I don’t try.
It took me a while to get adjusted to the idea, but I’m comfortable enough with it now that I can embrace it. I do embrace it! I know how old I am–and it’s old enough to wear my hair however I damn well please.
It’s tremendously freeing, not to worry about what other people think. It can take some effort, sure.
Even more effort is required to stop trying to control what other people think, about you or anything else. But I think it’s the most difficult of all to overcome what YOU think about yourself…that’s why some of the “fixers” can get so far under your skin.
[bctt tweet=”The hardest perceptions to manage are self-perceptions. #fixyourself”]
This week’s forecast looks like a description of a transition, potentially clouded by self-perceptions. Because we’re in entirely working in the minor arcana, I expect even the more challenging of these energies to be transient, not long lasting. I get the feeling of being tired, worn out, limping with weak knees but trying to walk up the last hill to get home.
And you know how it is, when you’re pushing to finish something difficult or unpleasant, how you go about it, both physically and psychologically, makes a huge difference in the overall experience?
Yeah. That.
Monday, Find Balance – Two of Pentacles: The message here is pretty self-explanatory. Look for balance, compromise, and dividing attention rationally. Understand you only have so much energy to go around and cannot always run in deficit. Prioritize and decide what’s “must do” and what’s “let go.”
Tuesday, Opportunity Beckons – Four of Cups: If you’re feeling discontented, you can make changes. Look to articulate what you actually want. Disquiet is an invitation to reevaluate. Compare what you are doing with what you’d like to be and then begin steps in the “like to be” direction.
Wednesday, Spread Your Wings – Two of Wands: You see the flow we’re in this week? It’s about identifying and adjusting, over and over. Those little bits of discontent are gifts! The allow you to see the dirt, the messes in your life you’d like to clean up.
Thursday, Healing Begins – Six of Swords: This is the transition we started earlier in the week. Periods of change and growth are without fail difficult. But they are generally worth it. Expect an easing.
Friday, Coming Together – Two of Cups: [Note – We had the same card, for the same day, last week.] And I’m going to give you the same advice I did then: choose love! Choose love, love, love. Twos are choices. Realize, loving and being together, or doing what another wants are very different. Sometimes the most loving thing to do is let go. But whether you hold on or let go, always do it with LOVE.
Saturday, Moving On – Eight of Cups and Sunday, Refusal to See – Two of Swords: Flare up! Growing pains, right here. Letting go and leaving something behind you, are you really looking at the whole picture? It’s like after a breakup, sometimes folks see ONLY the good from what they left, or ONLY the dark parts. Every situation will have some of both, although one may well outweigh the other, sometimes dramatically. Just be gentle with yourself and let the progress you’ve fought for over the week integrate, okay? Naps are always appropriate!
Overview/Advice, Joy & Stability – Four of Wands: When one’s world feels in flux, certain things are very helpful. Routines are a great support. Surrounding oneself with positive messages and people help. Taking good care of the body and the mind go a long way to regain stability. You know what lifts you up versus what drags you further down. Care for yourself this week by continuing to lift yourself up.
Affirmation: I can change my life by changing my thoughts. I will not attempt to control others’ experiences. Because the two came out together. My thoughts, my life, and my experiences are the point here. Not who agrees or who doesn’t. Obviously, not everything goes all sunshine up just because you reach for a more positive perspective. Some parts of life hurt, some things suck, and there is some struggle inherent in the human condition. But that being said, how you view it can always make it better, easier, less painful, less struggle. And that, my friends, is very much worth the effort.
Also notice how both these thoughts go hand in hand? We own our own life path, not that of anyone else. This is kind of a big issue for me personally, because I’ve spent most of my life surrounded to some extent with people quite determined I’m horribly broken.
And you know? I’m okay with that. I need to be okay with that, with people who see me as broken, because I only own my personal percpetions.
What I’m not okay with is people insisting on “fixing” what they see as broken in me. That mission will get you booted from my world.
Don’t be that guy (or gal), that pushes for the fix for others. It’s not your life, not your right. Just fix yourself.
Do people try to “fix” you?
If you enjoy these forecasts, you’d probably like Dixie’s book, Everyday Tarot Archives. This week features the Psychic Heart Tarot Oracle and Abraham-Hicks affirmation cards. Get yourself a personalized consultation here.
I’ve always wanted pink hair. Always. But right now I’m in such a “simplify” mode, no hair color, no makeup, no jewelry, pixie cut, black leggings and a tank top, done. It reduces anxiety. This reading is so cool, I am pushing to finish something difficult and unpleasant. Today I will be mopping a basement, and would rather be above ground. This is a basement that has been emptied over the past year, and we are coming to completion! The basement has been simplified… totally empty baby, woo-hoo!
Well, the pink hair will be there if you ever opt for it, sophie. CONGRATS on the basement clean! It’s exhilarating to see the results of so much effort, I know. YAY!