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Hey, friend.

When my friend and I check in, with a sweet morning voicenote or quick before-bed text, she often asks: “wondering where you’ve landed after [this fun/challenging/sad thing]”.

I so appreciate that phrasing, the invitation to pause and look around, that sense of ‘landing’ somewhere, even if just for a moment. A space to take a breath.

Friend – I’m wondering where you landed after the ride that was 2020? How you’ve arrived into this cold, dark January, with its promises and its limitations. How you’re facing up to a new year, a different year, as the light slowly returns.

How you’re landing on this, the first full moon of the year.

It’s Imbolc – the first day of spring! – on Monday. How are you landing here, at this page-turn of the season, as life begins to stir in the soil? Did you set new year’s intentions? Did you pull a card for this year? How are those things feeling now, now we’ve lived through this first month?

Me? I’ve moved slowly into the year. I’d love to call it ‘easing in’, but in truth it’s been more like a stuckness. I feel hyper-sensitive to more than the gentlest of to-do lists, easily overwhelmed, and noticing a ton of resistance to everyday tasks. (An example: I’ve been trying to write this newsletter for at least three weeks.)

My intention, my prayer for this year, is:

I do less, so I can love more.

It’s about intentionality. It’s about listening. It’s about getting into right-relationship.

So I’m taking a six-week sabbatical.

This will run from Monday 8th February til late March.

It’s time – perhaps way past time – to step back from the day-to-day. Time to get some perspective. Time to get honest about what’s going on, untangling hopes and dreams from stories and fears. I want to see clearly where the love is …and where it isn’t. I want to see where I can bring my whole self to this work, where I can be of joyful, loving service. I want to listen to what’s wanting to emerge, and acknowledge what’s standing in the way.

I want to absolutely fucking love this work …or not do it at all.

This will be my first real break since the shop opened seven years ago (workaholic, moi? Blame my Capricorn moon or, ya know, capitalist culture.) 2020 was a wild ride for most of us, and Little Red Tarot did not escape the rollercoaster. I spent the first half of the year trying to keep up with tumbling, ambitious, radical schemes as my business grew… and the second half climbing back down, knackered and dropping all my balls in the process, then sliding into a silent shame-cave. Blegh! Then I remembered: I am allowed to take breaks. I get to make those calls. In fact – I have to. So now the busy season of Christmas and new year is done, I’m claiming some time for myself to log off and rest, so I can find my way back to right relationship to this project I love so dearly.

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So – what does this mean for you?

The shop will close on Monday 8th Feb, so after this date you won’t be able to place new orders until we re-open in late March.

(Have you pre-ordered the Gentle Tarot? Don’t worry – your deck will ship. We’re actually expecting them tomorrow, yay!)

The Alternative Tarot Course remains open to existing students; new students will still be able to register and start the course during this time.

Hele will be around to offer customer service and answer pressing questions

I’ll send another email out when I have a definite re-opening date, and another on the day we re-open to let you know – so you won’t miss anything.

And when we return, late March-ish… well the whole point of the sabbatical is, I don’t know what LRT will look like then! I can feel myself wanting to make promises, offer reassurances, come out with comforting, definite statements. But I will resist. Time will tell. Time and space and breath.

I do less, so I can love more. And I have so much love to give this little tarot shop.

Stay safe and well, beautiful one.

Beth x