Greetings on this glorious morning, beautiful people of the blogosphere! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, old men are crossing their arms and grumbling in French (gotta love my melting pot neighborhood), and my barista made the shit out of my coffee. Taken together, these circumstances translate to one thing: another installment of Tarot for Happiness! Today’s topic is celebration—the revelry! The debauchery! The joy!

We celebrate when a friend or loved one has reached a milestone, when the community has accomplished a shared task, when we desire to delight in one another’s company, and in some circumstances, when a community/family member has transitioned to the afterlife. Celebrations are a shared release of intense energies, an opportunity for the group to let its collective “hair down”. A celebration is essentially an end in itself—the goal is to have a good time for good time’s sake. When communities gather to celebrate, there’s a suspension of role, expectation, and propriety, allowing for an exchange of positive energy with no strings attached. Celebrations also nurture the storytelling tradition of a group (Do you remember that time Colin set off an M-80 in front of a cop car on the Fourth of July?). When groups recall celebrations, they relive a shared experience, and the retelling reinforces their affinity for one another and reminds them of a time when they were close, vulnerable, and happy with one another.

The Three of cups illustrates the spirit of celebration perfectly. The women depicted are raising their goblets triumphantly, smiling, laughing, and dancing amidst the fruits of their harvest. Their bond with one another is evident in the way that they intertwine their hands and through the smiling expression of their faces. They have shown up for one another, have made space for one another, and are using the opportunity to express their love and friendship for one another.

Challenge: Don’t be shy to mark a special occasion by inviting your closest friends and family to celebrate it with you. Nearly everyone relishes in the opportunity to suspend the pressures and demands of daily life, and what better way to do so than to kick back, relax, and have some fun? We all deserve to revel in the gorgeous tide of positive emotion, and when this revelry is collective, it organically feeds and sustains itself. If you are the one throwing the party, make sure you take the opportunity to enjoy it—don’t be so concerned that the hors d’oeuvres are offered at the perfect time or that everyone is getting along perfectly. The celebration is as much for you as it is for everyone else, so allow your guests to hold their own so you have the chance to engage with the party vibe.

Cheers for Now,

Jessi