29/10/2026
// One painful thing, three symbolic lenses //
Some people close to me don’t understand what I’m doing. They mean well. And they don’t have to understand, but I’m grieving.
My work, my creativity and my interests have always gone together. This is personal, all the way through.
Today I used three symbolic lenses to work with that grief.
Astrology gave me a question. Through the symbolism of my Chiron return, I’m looking at the vulnerability of becoming more fully myself while still longing for understanding and companionship. Can I trust my own judgement and keep going, carrying that longing with me?
Then I asked my guides, my higher self: what do I need to know?
The World hit me straight in the chest. Remember how big this is. A circle I’ve spent 50 years completing – and I’m not quite there yet, but this deserves more patience than I’ve been giving it.
With my own Runes from the Edge of the Arctic, I asked: what can I do now?
Perdhra. The lynx looking straight at me. I cannot know everything or control everything. There are things still hidden here. Some frighten me; some are what I’m longing for. Keep moving.
Psychology gives me language for how I understand this process: narrative meaning-making and self-distancing. Connecting an experience to a story I can understand. Stepping back enough to look at what I feel.
The symbols give me something to look at. I can look at my fear. I can look at my grief. Find compassion for myself, a little strength to keep going.
♥ Has a symbol, image or story ever helped you put words to something you were living through? ♥
𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 Johanna Hallin 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.
Decks: Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle + Runes from the Edge of the Arctic by me.
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