Avoiding Burnout with Tarot (and H + H helper cards!)

One of the tarot readers I follow is The Tarot Lady, whom I have found to be awesomely chill, funny, intelligent, and inspiring.  She occasionally "test drives" different spreads, and her latest, "Jessi Huntenburg's Avoid Burnout Spread" did not disappoint!  In case you're curious on how to use traditional tarot alongside the H + H Oracle Cards, here's a reading I did for myself last night.

Card positions:

1. What must be done in order for me to be healthy and thrive?
2. Which pursuit or spiritual practice helps me to be the best version of myself?
3. What prevents me from doing what I need to do in order to be happy, healthy, and balanced?
4. What goal/pursuit can I release to help me feel more energetic and renewed?

​
​Using Doreen Virtue's Angel Tarot Cards and H + H Oracle Cards, here's what I pulled: 

...and here's my interpretation:

1. Six of Earth (or Coins or Pentacles) represents a gift of some sort, either giving or receiving one. For me, it represented both!  In order to be healthy and thrive, I am being reminded to give generously, without expectation for reciprocation, but also to accept gifts given to me with gratitude and appreciation.  As a "helper" card, Zinnia reminds me to approach this piece of advice from the universe with childlike wonder.  My 33rd birthday is just around the corner, and a party in my honor is being planned by the most creative 4-year-old I've ever met. I can't wait to celebrate with sharks and lasers this weekend, and it appears that the cosmos is getting psyched for my party as well!
2. Two of Water (or Cups or Vessels) represents harmonious relationships, romantic or otherwise, and a possible reconciliation.  Recently, I had a disagreement with a family member, and felt that it would be more destructive than constructive to address the situation.  Despite my angst, I had the opportunity to spend some time with this person, and I took it.  In her presence, all hurt feelings seemed to melt away.  Once we got to laughing (position 2's helper card), an unspoken reconciliation began to take shape, and now our relationship feels stronger and better than before our brief squabble.  What a great reminder to stop taking things so seriously, welcome harmony into my life, and when it seems too big a task, send in the clowns.
3. Six of Air (or Swords) in reverse represents stagnation.  In the three position, "what prevents me from being happy, healthy, and balanced," this makes total sense to me.  I have been feeling this stagnation quite acutely in my abdomen--no matter what I eat or how active I am, food seems to sit in my belly for hours, causing distention and cramping. It's pretty freakin' awful.  As a helper card, chamomile suggests addressing the tension in my belly by calming my nerves and effectively managing my stress.  Perhaps this stagnation has its roots in my constant worry, rather than anything I'm doing to my body physically.  I'll certainly have a cuppa chamomile this afternoon to help me unwind and start energetically moving.  Thanks for the suggestion, universe. *wink*
4. Three of Earth represents creativity that can lead to abundance.  In answer to the question, "what can I release right now to help me feel more energetic and renewed?" it's pretty appropriate that this card wandered into my spread.  Lately, I've been burning the midnight oil to overhaul my website and rebrand myself in preparation for my new career trajectory/practice model, and have been feeling like garbage physically as a result.  I'm pretty sure my ancestors and angels are trying to tell me to cool my jets and stop forcing creativity to come right now--it'll wander into my life at its leisure. With the helper card of Rest Easy, I'm getting the message loud and clear, guys. It's high time I get a good night's sleep.

To summarize: how can I avoid burnout right now? Appreciate the special people in my life and the gifts they give me--and be generous with my time and talent, too. Don't waste time fighting with those I love; reconcile and use laughter to lubricate any residual friction. Avoid stagnation and get things moving! And finally, stop forcing the creative flow now. Recharge with good sleep, and let it all come naturally.
​
See how easy it was to commune with a higher power through tarot and oracle cards?!  The whole practice of pulling, meditating, and soul searching that these spreads inspires has revolutionized how I treat myself and others.  I hope you find value in it, too, and hey, if you're struggling with interpretation, I'm only a FaceTime call away!