Managing Your Inner World in Times of Collective Upheaval
It’s human to feel anxious, frustrated, or disappointed when the world feels out of control. But at the end of the day, it’s your job to manage your reactions and find your center.
When the shelter that’s supposed to protect you starts falling apart, you experience an overwhelming loss of control. I’ve been there—standing in my own home as walls of water poured from the ceiling, pipes exploded, and pieces of the roof came crashing down, carrying cinder blocks and metal. You watch things you’ve treasured disappear in minutes. The repair process that follows isn’t much easier: loud noises, strangers coming and going, and daily routines shattered. It’s a suffocating feeling, like wanting to scream and yet feeling too paralyzed to move.
In those moments, the only way I could reclaim a sense of control was by finding my ground—literally. I kept myself away from the chaos, headphones on, and turned to active engagement, not passive distraction. Gaming, resistance band training, yoga, and calisthenics brought me back into my body, reminding me that I could still do something, no matter how small. Grounding movements with my feet on the floor and my hands engaged helped me pull away from the noise and the mess outside. It’s about taking action, even if that action is just moving, and finding my center within myself.
When life feels overwhelming, grounding is your anchor. That’s the kind of energy we need now, after events that have stirred up everyone’s nerves. Grounding isn’t just a way to survive chaos; it’s a way to remember that, while we can’t control the world outside, we can reclaim our own peace and stability.
Practical Grounding: Movement, Mindfulness, and Tarot
Grounding Through Movement
Grounding through movement became my lifeline during chaotic times. Engaging in resistance band training, yoga, and other forms of physical activity allowed me to reconnect with my body and regain a sense of stability. Each movement grounded me in the present, providing a much-needed sense of control.
The Active Escape: How Gaming Helps Grounding
Another unexpected tool for grounding was gaming. Unlike passive entertainment like TV, gaming offers an active escape. You’re making choices, strategizing, and often fighting for something, which keeps your mind engaged and gives you a sense of control. Interactive entertainment lets you dive into another world while staying mentally active, offering a break from reality without numbing yourself.
Reclaiming Your Center with Journaling
During times of high stress, journaling can be a powerful way to make sense of everything swirling inside. Writing allows you to release heavy emotions and gain clarity. My journal was created with moments like these in mind, offering structured prompts to help you untangle complex feelings and find your center. If you’re looking for guidance through reflection, it’s there as a supportive tool on this journey.
Gaining Insight with Tarot
Whether through movement, mindful gaming, or journaling, these practices help you find a steady center amidst uncertainty. But sometimes, we need a bit more insight to understand what’s happening beneath the surface. That’s where tarot can offer a deeper perspective, helping you uncover hidden emotions and guide you back to balance:
Card 1 – "What is this event inflicting upon me?"
Purpose: This card reveals what feelings or energies the situation is pressing upon you, helping you understand the emotional or mental load you're carrying. It can bring clarity if you’re feeling something complex, like anger disguised as sadness or fear masked by frustration.
Card 2 – "How is my nervous system responding?"
Purpose: This card gives insight into your body’s reaction to the situation. Maybe it’s triggering stress, causing fatigue, or making you feel restless. Understanding your body’s response helps you connect with how deeply the situation is affecting you.
Card 3 – "What do I need to release that is weighing me down unnecessarily?"
Purpose: This card identifies any emotions, expectations, or thoughts that may be creating more weight than necessary. It guides you to let go of things that aren’t contributing to your stability and resilience.
Card 4 – "What can I do to bring my whole self back into balance?"
Purpose: This card offers an actionable step for re-centering. Whether it’s a mindset shift, a self-care action, or a small practice, this step helps bring you back to yourself and fosters a sense of grounded clarity.
This tarot spread offers a pathway to deeper self-awareness, guiding you through the layers of your emotions and helping you release what no longer serves. As you move through each card, allow yourself to reconnect with your inner strength and clarity.
Remember, grounding is a multi-faceted process. Alongside tarot, there are other practical ways to re-center and reclaim stability in uncertain times.
Saturn’s Influence: Finding Balance Between Light and Dark
Why Saturn?
The election took place on Saturn night—a fitting backdrop for a moment that brings up both hope and uncertainty. Saturn’s energy is often misunderstood, but its influence during times like these is profound. Saturn embodies the reality of limitations, the necessity of structure, and the wisdom found in resilience. As we process the outcome and collective emotions surrounding the election, Saturn invites us to respect both light and dark, to find stability in the contrast.
Understanding Saturn’s Role
Saturn is more than just a planet of hardship and restriction. It embodies the wisdom and resilience that come from facing life’s challenges. Saturn teaches us that life requires both joy and struggle, and that true stability comes from honoring both sides. To live a balanced life, we need to embrace Saturn’s lessons, which may include grief, disappointment, or the discipline of boundaries.
Saturn’s Qualities and Key Significations
Element: Very cold and dry – Saturn embodies the grounding, sobering qualities that bring us back to reality.
Sect: Diurnal – Saturn aligns with daytime energy, offering clarity and structure, often seen as the planet of maturity.
Key Significations: Limitation, Structure, Isolation, Separation, Hardship, Challenge, Wisdom, Maturity, Coldness, Discipline, Justice, and Retribution.
Saturn governs the themes that bring us face-to-face with our limits—whether through hardship, discipline, or the natural process of aging and maturity. It teaches us that stability isn’t about eliminating discomfort but rather learning to coexist with it. Like the cold and dry elements it embodies, Saturn strips away excess, revealing the bare essentials needed to thrive.
Personal Reflection on Saturn’s Influence
I’ve faced moments in my life where Saturn’s energy was unmistakable—where I was forced to confront limitations and work within boundaries I couldn’t escape. One example was the period when my living space, my home, fell apart around me. The ceiling literally came crashing down, and I had to accept the reality that I was not in control of my environment. Rather than resisting or becoming lost in frustration, I leaned into Saturn’s qualities of structure and discipline. I created routines, focused on grounding exercises, and accepted that stability would come from within, not from the walls around me. Saturn taught me to find balance by embracing both light and dark, finding resilience in adversity and wisdom in limitation.
Saturn’s Reminder for Us All
Saturn shows us that life is filled with contrasts, and resilience is built through respecting both sides. When faced with limitations, it’s not about overcoming or escaping them—it’s about finding balance within them. Saturn’s wisdom reminds us that boundaries and challenges are not punishments but paths to growth. By accepting the light and the dark, the joy and the hardship, we build an unshakeable core.
As we navigate times of uncertainty and upheaval, Saturn’s influence reminds us that balance is found in accepting and working within our limits. With this grounding mindset, let’s look at the practical tools available to reclaim stability and stay centered.
Acknowledge Collective Conflict and Encourage Sharing
Reflecting on Collective Tension
Elections bring out powerful emotions, and sometimes, they create deep divides in our lives. I’ve lost friends I’ve known since elementary school because I didn’t vote for ‘their team.’ I’ve watched my own family argue, my parents debating fiercely from opposite sides of the voting booth. I’ve seen it. I’ve been there. And I know how painful it can be to feel that these differences, which may only arise every few years, have the power to break connections we thought were unshakeable.
These events can create fissures in our communities, families, friend groups, and workplaces. But while we may not always agree with those around us, it’s crucial to reconnect with people we value, to remember the bonds that existed long before election season. If family or friend conversations become too divisive, seek support from those who can provide a sense of grounding and stability, even if they hold different views. We are not defined by a single vote or election season, and the relationships that truly matter are those that can withstand the passing of these moments.
Encouraging Connection and Sharing
During times of tension, we need one another more than ever. If this post has helped you feel a little more grounded, please share it with anyone who might need reassurance or support. For those who want extra guidance on the week’s energies, I encourage you to check out my weekly tarotscope—it offers insight and clarity for navigating these uncertain days.
Conclusion: Finding Your Center Amidst Collective Change
After every election, regardless of the outcome, we’re left to process not only the result but the changes and shifts it brings to our personal lives, relationships, and communities. It’s easy to feel lost in the tension and uncertainty, but remember: your power lies in how you choose to respond. By grounding yourself through practices like movement, journaling, and seeking guidance from tools like tarot, you have the ability to find stability within, even when the world feels chaotic.
Saturn’s influence reminds us that balance isn’t about eliminating discomfort; it’s about learning to live with contrasts, finding wisdom in both light and dark. During these times, reconnect with the people who support you, seek peace where you can, and allow yourself to feel whatever arises without judgment. This journey isn’t always easy, but it’s one of growth, resilience, and ultimately, self-discovery.
If this post has offered you a moment of grounding, I encourage you to share it with those who might need it. And if you’re looking for further insights, check out my weekly tarotscope to help you navigate the energies of the days ahead. Together, we can hold space for growth, compassion, and understanding in times of collective upheaval.
