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How to Navigate the Pandemic Pandemonium

How to Navigate the Pandemic Pandemonium

Last updated on: September 29, 2022 at 10:19 am by Jessica Jascha

How to Navigate the Pandemic Pandemonium 2022-09-29T10:19:47-06:00 Jessica Jascha

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Right now with the pandemic we are facing there is a collective consciousness and culture of fear permeating the world. We don’t have to contribute to it, nor do we have to be oppressed by it.

It would be an understatement to refer to what is happening in the world as a “tower” moment, to use tarot speak (If you’re not familiar with tarot, the tower is the card of breakdowns that lead to breakthroughs). Saturn is about to enter Aquarius, so the social structures that are not working or benefiting the whole are coming under deep scrutiny, and it is a time of reordering. It is also a time to consider how we can nurture the humanitarian virtues of Aquarius in our individual lives and communities.

It has been easy for us to become rugged individualists under the existing structure, to forget how deeply connected we are to each other and to this earth. Now we are faced with the truth that all we do affects not only us, but others, for better or for worse. We are also seeing matriarchal values begin to shine: caretaking, support, thought for others, ways we can contribute to making everyone’s lives better instead of just our own or our immediate families’. These are the values that are essential for thriving, and it is worth considering how we can continue to implement them on a large scale as time goes on.

That’s the most input I’m going to give on what’s happening from a celestial or spiritual standpoint, because though it can be eye opening, it does little to comfort those who are in the thick of suffering. When it comes to suffering, “why?” Is never the most helpful question. “Why?” is only helpful when it’s about finding actionable solutions. So in this case, “how can I best take care of myself and my community?” is the most helpful question we can ask.

Witness Each Other

To begin, platitudes and explanations of a deeper meaning are an affront that create an even wider chasm between those who are suffering and those who are asked to witness the suffering. We cannot fix another’s pain. We can only be present for it, validating how much it sucks, providing support by making space to listen, setting aside our discomfort to witness the raw truth of another, and taking actions to show our support and care. Maybe that looks like not panic buying beyond what you actually need. Maybe that looks like asking what is needed, and if you have it to give, giving it.

Beware Charlatans

Right now the people who will take advantage of the fear are coming out of the woodwork left and right. What you need to know is that there are no herbal cures for this pandemic and anyone who says otherwise is lying. Remove “cure” from your mindset and focus on supporting your immune system instead. Healing is an energy that flows through the us, the body and spirit knows how to heal and how to be healthy. We need to know how to support ourselves in doing so.

Nurture Your Immune System

Follow the guidelines given and wash your hands, don’t touch your eyes or nose or face. Sleep and rest, exercise your body and keep your energy moving. Eat nutrient rich foods, consider adding raw garlic to your diet if it’s not already part of it. Ensure you have adequate vitamin D. Reduce stress, and relax your nervous system.

There are also many herbs that will support your immune system. You should take precautions when using any of them. Just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Some herbs will interact badly with allopathic medicines. You should not take any herbal remedies without having consulted your herbalist or doctor, and this post does not constitute medical advice.

Grounding and Centering

Everyone will benefit from grounding and centering at this time. Those who are clairsentient or empathic need to take extra care to ground and center, multiple times a day, because this energy can be entirely disorienting. It is easy to lose yourself entirely in this kind of energy otherwise.

If you’re not sure how, it can be as simple as putting your feet firmly on the ground and imagining roots extending from your feet deep into the earth. See yourself as a tree, feel the energy of the earth surge up through your body and out the top of your head. To center, pull your awareness to your solar plexus and feel/see the light of your energy forming a ball there- this energy is you-, extending tendrils of light up toward the heavens and down through your feet, rooting into the earth.

Cultivate Life & Create

It’s incredibly important to focus on life-giving and life-affirming experiences at times like this. Plant flowers, start seeds. Learn the wisdom of the plants. Nurture your connection to the earth.

Make something with your hands. It doesn’t matter what it is, but give yourself to the experience without attachment to the result. You’re utilizing your sacral energy when you do so, which is where the joy of living springs from. It’s incredibly important to remember the joy of living at a time like this.

Look to Your Ancestors

Many of our ancestors have faced situations like this before, but with different diseases. Though it is new to most of us, it is not new to the world. We can draw strength and hope from the wisdom of our ancestors, as well as their compassion and resilience. They adapted, and we are also now adapting. Whatever comes, whatever we face, they stand behind us and beside us as our protectors and as our guides, and we ourselves are evidence that life goes on. We can take hope from that.

About the Author

Jessica Jascha is a Clinical Herbalist, Intuitive Consultant and writer in Minnesota. She also writes for Witch Way Magazine. She owns Jascha Botanicals and Owl in the Oak Tarot where she gives readings, teaches ritual, and provides holistic consultations. You can find her on Facebook.

Featured image via pixabay

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About Jessica Ripley

Jessica Ripley is a spiritual advisor, priestess of Hekate, and writer with a lifetime of spirit work, spiritual study, divination, and psychic experience. She has devoted her life to the study, practice, and teaching of the esoteric. You can read more about the author here.

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