Planning our wedding lasted for nearly a year, and the levels of stress were quite high. Rehearsal dinner, travel accommodations and everything in between were part of the process right into the morning of. So much preparation and planning went into what turned out to be a truly magical and lovely evening.

Balancing the planning with my business remained a challenge in itself, so throwing in some existing health stuff on top of the pile created a high intensity load to handle. The weekend before the wedding I was admitted overnight in the hospital for an ongoing issue, and my stress levels were through the roof.

Boundary setting became crucial and the pushback and responses from others gave me pause. The entitlement only further fueled my need to create a period of time for myself where I wasn’t giving to everyone and everything just because I “felt bad.”

Even still, the week after our wedding my body totally crashed. I have been working on healing myself ever since.

Sometimes even when we put up boundaries, take time for ourselves and nurture as best we can, our bodies still need to call a “time-out.” The feeling of extreme frustration sets in.

Sound Familiar?

Leading up to the crash, I was guided to pull a few cards for myself. Out came the Tower, the Ten of Swords and the Ten of Wands.

I drew in a sharp breath and tensed up … “That can’t be good,” I thought.

The next day I pulled some more, and wouldn’t you know it, the same three cards came out. Again and again even up until yesterday, those cards showed up.

I was at rock bottom and burnt out, and denial or brushing it under the rug would only make it worse. I am at a place in my life where I have to face things head on to stay true to myself, even if it totally sucks or is not what I want presented to me.

The Tower

With the Tower, it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under us. All of the structure and safety we had begins to crumble. There is a feeling of chaos, of resistance, of everything tumbling down with a fiery mist all around. What we don’t often remember, though, is that with the Tower comes the opportunity for things to shift, to restructure for the better after the fall.

Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords represents being at absolute rock bottom, feeling as if you can no longer move forward, let alone move at all. You are stuck and feeling betrayed, even if the betrayal is to yourself. With the Ten of Swords, however, we are reminded that we have what it takes to pick ourselves back up and keep going.

Ten of Wands

If ever there were a card to scream “overburdened” the Ten of Wands would be it. This card speaks of carrying too much, taking on more than we should, more than is ours to carry. The Ten of Wands asks us to delegate and give back some of what we have taken on. Only then can we begin to lighten our load and feel ourselves begin to replenish our inner fires.

So I asked my Higher Self, what is on the other side of this? I had been resting almost every day (some not by choice, my body is that burnt out), canceling plans, rearranging my schedule, eating more nourishing foods, connecting with my crystals for healing and playing with the cat. I even went back to my first love, reading, and finished a book. I have not read a whole book in a while and for me that is unusual.

No longer do I ask, “how long?” or “how much longer?” before the down turn passes. If you know me and my spirit guides, they never tell me anyways. They have shown me that all of my Dark Nights, all of my initiations, all of the down-swings need to be met with surrender. To navigate the unknown in the present moment and not fixating on when it will end but rather the medicine that is found in the in-between.

“What can I do this week to help alleviate some of my stress?
How can I nurture and nourish myself so I don’t burn out? ”

— Journal Prompt

I have embraced this latest flare-up as much as possible (in between the bouts of tears and frustration) and decided that I will nurture myself to the best of my abilities and be good and gentle to myself until I come out the other side. (Well, I will keep the “being good to myself” momentum going beyond that, of course).

When I sat with my cards and asked my Higher Self about what comes after this, I pulled the Ace of Cups and the feeling of resonance sunk in. My cup will be full again.

Ace of Cups

The Ace of Cups shows unlimited creativity pouring from us, along with deep connections to our emotions. We are filled with love and are fertile with creativity and compassion when this card appears. The Divine Feminine moves through us. Our cup is filled and we are back in flow once again.

As I navigate this latest flare up, the crystals I have connected to the most for healing are Shungite and Red Jasper.

Shungite

Shungite offers the ability to help clear the energetic static around us, especially at our crown. The more I hold a piece of this stone and connect to the consciousness, the clearer I begin to feel as a whole. Once I feel more clear, I begin to feel more energy flow through me. The protective nature of Shungite adds to the depths offered for healing.

Red Jasper

Red Jasper works with very gentle, nurturing earth energy. The grounding one may receive from this crystal is deep. When I hold Red Jasper in my hands and connect to the spirit, the energy, I immediately begin to drop into my body and into my center. I feel more calm, more aligned and more present. My nervous system slowly begins to unfray as I receive gentle healing from this stone.

The next time you feel yourself about to crash and in over-load mode, remember the importance of boundaries to keep you from over-extending and pouring too much from your own cup. Take the time to check in with yourself, rest as you are able and ease into the moment as best you can. Allow yourself to be okay with receiving help, care and a much-needed break. Don’t wait until the Ten of Wands, Ten of Swords and the Tower show up. And if you do (hey, we are still human) then reach for your most grounding crystals and your softest blanket until it passes.

Dawn Marino is an Ethereal Medium & Channeler, Dark Night of the Soul Guide, Certified Crystal Energy Healer, Crystal Messenger, Trance Healer, Intuitive Tarot Reader, Healing Artist and Professional Writer. She connects to spirit guides, higher selves, angelic, elemental and cosmic beings. Dawn has published two books, the “Tarot Journal for Beginners” and the “Complete Guide to Tarot.” She also has written about her journey in the recently published anthology, “Lessons Between the Lines.” Dawn supports people feeling disconnected from their Higher Self, feeling stuck and lost on their spiritual journey. She works with people to help them through the Dark Night, working with them to reclaim their independence and unlock their potential. Dawn also helps beginner mediums on their path to mediumship. You can work with Dawn remotely over Zoom or in-person at Now and Zen Wellness in Throop, PA.

Visit healbydawn.com to learn more.

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