Joyful Intuition
Plus fire & flowers // 4.27.26
Monday Mettā
Mettā: Loving friendliness, goodwill, and kindness directed both inward and outward.
May my heart be at ease. May my body be at ease. May I feel at ease. May all beings be at ease.
A wish and a prayer for all. This mettā works well when you can gently place your hands on your heart. Physical touch, even your own, feels good. If you’ve ever come to a yoga class of mine, there’s a strong possibility you’ll hear me tell you to “hug yourself” or “give yourself a kiss.” I believe in it! Wrap your own arms around you.
With hands on your heart, you can repeat these words. A release for the body, a release for the spirit, and a gift for others. When you send mettā out in the world, it reaches people. I promise.
✨
So glad you’re here.
Intuitive Tarot Card Reading
Use your intuition to guide you to a specific card below. Choose the card with the crystal on it that calls to you. At the end of this newsletter, you’ll see the cards flipped over, with a reading for each one. The card that you choose here will have your reading for the week.
Choose your card, then scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter for the reveal!
Card 1: Green Aventurine Choose this card for a message on opportunity.
Card 2: Strawberry Quartz Choose this card for a message on joy.
Card 3: Blue Calcite Choose this card if you’ve been under some stress.
Joyful Intuition
Being in a state of imagination and intuition is natural for all of us.
Last week, I was invited to a space called Joyful to share a workshop on imaginative intuition. It was a beautiful and nourishing event. About 15 of us gathered for an evening of great food, deep connection, and intuitive empowerment. By the end of the night, everyone had become psychics, using the skills from the workshop to read for each other. Although I teach this regularly, I am always amazed when I see someone accurately tapping into and expressing their intuitive senses for the very first time. They were amazed, too! It was like magic.
What does this look like in practice? We spent some time learning about what intuition is, where it lives in (and out) of the body, how to notice it, and how imagination plays a role in intuitive knowledge. We talked about symbols, colors, memories, signals, and other ways intuition shares information with us. I describe intuition as a best friend that I have utmost trust in, and encouraged others nurture their relationship with their own “best friend” through daily practice and through play.
The next day, I set up shop and met with people individually, sharing my own intuitive skills with them to help them make their most aligned and connected choices. It was, truly, a joyful experience, and I was wistful when it ended.
Fire, Flowers, and a Full Moon
On Friday, May 1st, we celebrate the Celtic seasonal festival of Beltane (May Day)! Although it feels like we were just celebrating the beginning of Spring, May Day is the halfway point between spring and summer.
Also on Friday, May’s first full moon (the second occurs on the 31st and is a “blue moon”—a name for the second full moon in one month’s time). May’s first full moon is often called the Flower Moon. How appropriate, because May Day is full of flowers.
Throughout Europe, there are many different folklores and celebrations associated with Beltane, including using ritual bonfires to ward off misfortune and flower making ceremonies to bring in beauty and blossoming.
For Fire: Light a small candle for the duration of the day and even burn small notes with your fears or worries written on them. Let whatever flame you light bring a little May magic into your home.
For Flowers: Notice, touch, and even pick the flowers that start to pop up around you. Lay some out in a well-ventilated area to dry. Once dried, hang them on your wall or pop them into a vase for the season.
Loving-Kindness through Books
When I was little, I often read a book a day, and kept almost every book I ever read. By the age of seven my bedroom walls were lined with books. I would lend them out to my friends, recording each loaned book in a small notebook. My own library.
My reading habits haven’t changed much. I often have four or five books open at a time: one is for the bath, one is for long drives, one is often for a class I’m taking, and one is for pure pleasure. In lieu of inviting you all to my own personal library, I offer you my most authentic way of showing loving-kindness: book recommendations and current reads.
🌻Workshops, Classes, and Ways to Connect
Miraval Berkshires
You can find me in real life at Miraval Berkshires. I teach weekly in-person workshops and hold private sessions on tarot, the energy of money, learning intuition, and a Thursday evening class on the soul. I’d love to see you there! Respond to learn more.
Would You Like to Listen to Me Instead of Read Me? If you’re looking to hear more from me, here are a couple of podcasts to check out:
With Gratitude,
As part of my loving-kindness community, here are three beautiful ways you can support this newsletter:
🌱Make a micro-donation or become a paying member of this Substack. Subscribe to pay for this newsletter for $5/month or $50/year. Paying subscribers have access to my entire archive.
(Alternatively, donate any amount below.)
🌻Book an intuitive or tarot reading with me or learn more at alignedandawake.com
💌Forward this newsletter on to anyone who might want a little love! Ask them to subscribe! Tell them you love them!
Thank you thank you!
Much love and gratitude,
Rachel xo
PS! I make a great gift! Interested in gifting a tarot or an intuitive soul reading to a friend? Simply respond to this newsletter!
Your Tarot Reading, Revealed!
Card 1: Green Aventurine // Eight of Wands
Oh! Opportunity is coming, and it’s coming fast. Make sure you’re ready. This will be swift. Within that swiftness, however, will be a “one step at a time” approach. It won’t happen all at once. It will happen in phases.
Card 2: Strawberry Quartz // Wheel of Fortune
This is a message about choice. The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that throughout our lives (and even our day!), we experience ups and downs, joy and pain. This is the natural state of things. So, choose joy when you can. When things feel down, know that they will go up. When things feel up, recognize the joy around you.
Card 3: Blue Calcite // King of Pentacles
Is it possible your stress is manufactured… by you? You have everything you need! You are swimming in abundance! You are sitting in your garden of beauty! Perhaps you need to pause, become present, and appreciate. Or, take the card literally, and go sit in a garden surrounded by plants. Scientifically proven to reduce stress!
Rachel Barker’s role as writer and intuitive is to facilitate the reader’s introspection, awareness, and reflection. Whether to make a particular choice or take a particular action is entirely the responsibility of the reader.