I love this deck. They serve a function beyond mere oracle cards. I do use them for short readings because I often sense when a client needs a push toward surrender. These clients are energetically burdened and usually as readings wind down I will pull one. At minimum, they confirm something they already know or motivate them to actively engage in whatever type of surrender they need. Each card resonates to us in some way and Surrender to Play is no different.
Talk about burdensome. I don’t think I have ever lived through a period of time that has weighted me down more than the past year or so. The world is a mess. There seem to be crises everywhere we turn. As the world opens up, people have become even more worried and frightened, suspicious. Between worrying about our jobs, how we are going to pay our bills, finish school successfully, protect our families, keep ourselves healthy…. where is the time, the place, to just do something fun? To be honest, I think the idea of play is slowly becoming alien to us as we navigate all of …. this. We have become more serious as a people, more angry, more fearful… and I don’t think the pandemic suddenly made us all like this- we were already embracing these unfortunate emotions and behaviors as a society- pandemics and politics have just amplified that. Now what? Well, now we set aside some of those stressful emotions and we play.
How do you play? Do you even remember? I remember playing tag and jail break in the city streets as a kid. As a teenager, we played board games and then drinking games, hell even a little spin the bottle, though I daresay playing spin the bottle would not be in society’s best interests right now, but you get my meaning. When I became a parent, I regressed to my childhood days in play with my children. As an adult, hanging out with other friends and family, watching movies, hiking, doing puzzles, singing karaoke, and yeah, often some more drinking- but thankfully no more spin the bottle! All of these are avenues of play where we can set aside our worries, our struggles, our frustrations, and just be who we are.
Maybe you aren’t an outdoors person…. put down your laptop, shut down zoom, take a half day, and play Call of Duty or Minecraft or Madden. Whatever. If it’s been a while since you went out to shoot some hoops- do it. If your bowling alley is open- go bowl; play mini golf at an outside mini golf course and grab some ice cream! You don’t even need a partner or buddy though I highly recommend grabbing one if possible. Human beings were not meant to isolate and the sociologist, psychologists, and anthropologists are going to be swimming in data as they review the cost of human isolation over the past year. Of course- you do not need to play in big groups, or put yourself in danger in anyway. Just play. Even if it’s over the internet, it is vitally important to take some time out from everything and enjoy the physical and psychological benefits from playing, doing something fun, enjoying the moment.
I need to keep this in mind for myself. I get so focused on my goals that I lose myself and then wonder why I feel so imbalanced. I understand the anxiety that comes with the very idea of taking a break from it all. I think, “I don’t have the time,” or “In a few weeks, this will be complete and I will have two weeks before my next project.” I know better, I know nothing is guaranteed, yet I do it anyway. So yeah, I may achieve my goals but at what cost? My life will have been less fun, less interactive, and I will have fewer memories to comfort me as I get older. I will not have really lived my life to the fullest and I will regret not taking the time to play. So will you.
SO whatever it is you do to unwind, to play, to enjoy the moment- do it. Do it today, tomorrow… whenever but do it soon! And see if there is any way to weave play time into this crazy life. You will be happier for it.