The Hit List - Chronically chronicling

This past weekend, I went on a major decluttering spree. Part of that trashy endeavor included shredding over twenty years of journals. I have been chronic about chronicling my life – but for some reason, I felt it was time to torch those old entries. It felt liberating. Those are stories no one needs to see.

My mother was a woman of secrets. So was my mother-in-law. Both went to their graves with stories. Prying was out of the question. You either got dismissed or found yourself in the middle of a hysteria-crying jag. It used to make me mad. I wanted to know. But I changed. Now I don’t really care. Those secrets belong to them, not me. Some things are better left to the memories of those who lived rather than those who are curious.

Nowadays we live in a world where we are chronically online. It may appear as if I am plugged in all the time, but it’s an illusion. I am a “cut and run” person. Post, leave. That’s it. If I spend too much time on social media, I get depressed, so I have learned to limit my time in those spaces.

I used to post a lot about my life.

Pictures of my family, tweets about random thoughts, food photos, and more. When I went out of town, I’d post my travel playlist and lots of up-to-the-minute info about my latest adventures and discoveries.

Now? When I go out of town, I barely mention it. I want to protect my peace and privacy.

In that spirit, I’ve also erased a lot of old photos and other online crap. Who needs to see or read that stuff? Why do I assume every minute detail of my life might be interesting? It’s not. I live a quiet, nerdy life. Even if I didn’t, there is no reason for all those stories to be out there. It rarely leads to anything good. In fact, it often opens the door for strange requests from people who don’t know me…but think they do because hey, I’m online!

The urge to reveal every detail if your life is baked into our daily routines. Online life has created endless scrolling, looking for something…but what? I found when I used to engage in that behavior, I was not living in the present moment. Not living my boring, nerdy, writerly life. And one day, I realized that a lot of this stuff wasn’t that interesting anyway.

It’s like when I quit reality shows. Why did I ever think that shit was interesting? Watching grown women fight and treat each other like garbage while living large? That wasn’t living for them…or me. So I gave it up. Most of that crap was scripted. Even so, why were they so hungry to bare their lives like that?

As I tossed the last pages into the shredder, a sense of relief washed over me. Those were my stories, for me alone, and no one else. I’m starting fresh with new journals – and new things to chronicle. And no, you won’t be able to peek at those either.

Theresa

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Check this out: Mastering the Tarot Tableau: Revisiting Predictive Accuracy with Tarot.

Hey there – my book, The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal when Life Gets Real (A Tarot Guidebook), is on sale for 71% OFF! Get yours now!

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Classes and Events

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Enrollment for Telesmatic Alchemy: Empowering the Planets in Your Life & Magickal Practice with the My Living Astrology Chart Kit is open! Begin your magickal journey in 2025 by delving into the ancient art of telesmatic magick, where planetary forces and celestial correspondences meet practical ritual. This course, an extension of the My Living Astrology Chart (MLAC) series, brings together five presenter-practitioners in astrology and esoteric magick with your hosts Theresa Reed and Carrie Paris. Together, they will guide you through the creation, empowerment, and use of talismans and magick, helping you integrate planetary energies into your New Year, spiritual practice and daily life. Sign up here.

Intermediate Tarot Techniques. Join me for this live online class! This four-part series begins September 8th. Classes will be recorded.

Chicago Classes:

Celtic Cross Workshop. SAT, APR 5 · 7:30 PM CDT. Cost $40. For decades, learning the Celtic Cross has been a rite of passage for many tarot readers, and it quickly turns into a go-to spread. With ten cards in predefined positions on the table, a reader has a ton to explore. But behind those fixed positions are intricate relationships and interactions happening across the spread’s landscape. Learn how to rock this spread like a pro!

Navigating Difficult Conversations: A Workshop for Readers. SUN, APR 6 – 7:30 PM CDT. Cost $40. Everyday, tarot readers explore challenging topics asked by their clients. Broken hearts, From broken hearts to layoffs to indescribable grief, clients bring many challenges to the reader’s table. As tarot readers, we have a responsibility to handle these delicate topics professionally and compassionately. Navigating Difficult Conversations: A Workshop for Readers provides the tools you need to appropriately and skillfully handle hard but common questions brought by clients. In this workshop, The Tarot Lady will demonstrate how to build a compassionate practice that’s prepared to handle a client’s challenges.

Both classes are limited to 20 people – first come, first serve. Masks are required.

New York Classes:

Writers, are you ready to unlock new inspiration? Pens And Cards is a tarot-infused writing workshop with Theresa Reed and Sarah Selecky. Discover how tarot can spark fresh ideas and deepen your storytelling. May 3, 10 AM – 2 PM, Balance Art Center, NY. Register now. https://www.thetarotlady.com/pens-and-cards/ Limited seats