78-Day Meditation Challenge: Day 62

Finding Ground When All Feels Lost

Card of the Day: Ace of Wands (Reversed)

Today’s card offers a strong invitation to explore despair.

This morning, I pulled the Ace of Wands reversed, flanked by two repeat cards: The Hanged Man (Reversed) and the Ace of Cups (Reversed).

Three cards—each radiant in the upright position—today appeared in reverse. Together, they speak to the utter lack of agency, the sense that the task at hand is impossible, and a mindset that feels stuck: the dimensions of despair.

And while it may seem gloomy to draw these cards, I see reason to be hopeful. They present an opportunity. An opportunity to acknowledge that there are times when we feel this empty—and that to feel this way is profoundly human. From this place of safety, we can explore how we engage with these feelings, so that when they return, we bring insight—the dividend of knowing ourselves.

The Ace of Wands reversed speaks to powerlessness—knowing something must be done, yet feeling no agency to act. Lack of power. Lack of ability. Worry sets in. Anxiety. Embarrassment at being witnessed in our incapacity. And it becomes self-fulfilling, self-sustaining.

The Ace of Cups reversed shows the result: emotional exhaustion. The cup no longer full, certainly not overflowing—simply empty.

The Hanged Man reversed is not peaceful, suspended in reflection. Instead, this is the mind racing and going nowhere. Fixated on the past—I should have, could have, would have—and worrying about the future: what if this, what if that. All the while, the opportunity of the present moment to pivot goes unseen.

Where is the path?

Take a breath. A slow breath in. A slow breath out. Return to this moment. We are safe. And in this safety, we can choose our response to this moment, to this situation.

It is true—we cannot always control the situation. But we can choose our response. That is where our power lives.

I pulled another card, asking: Where do I begin when I find myself in despair?

The answer: Four of Pentacles.

The image is arresting. Pentacles—the symbol of Earth, of the Universe. The answer is in our connection to the limitless, the all-encompassing.

The figure holds a pentacle close to their chest. At their feet and above their head are more pentacles. In times of despair, hold the Universe close. Ground yourself. Remember: I am part of the Universe, and it is part of me. The vastness of the Universe lives within me.

In this moment, the Four of Pentacles is an invitation to reconnect—to remember that the Universe is our perpetual source of comfort, of strength, of light in darkness.

How can I apply this today?

• I will notice when my mind races toward past regrets or future fears.

• I will ground myself in the present moment with steady breath.

• I will honor my connection to something larger than my circumstances.

• I will hold close the truth that I am never truly alone.

I welcome all parts of myself—known and unknown, shining and shadowed.

I honor my past for what it has taught me.

I trust my intuition to lead me.

I release what no longer serves me.

I walk forward with steadiness, guided by the light within me.

Be well, be present, be at peace.