ZapOracle.com Home of Jonathan Zap's Image Oracle
"Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them." -- Tolstoy Subclinical depression is almost the norm in our society. Many people go through their days burdened, their gaze lowered, suffering under a generalized feeling of oppression. Although it is easy to attribute much of this to fractured, alienated lives, environmental toxins and poor diet, research indicates that the primary causes are negative thought forms, often occurring just beneath conscious awareness, which frame perception negatively so that one lives in a darkened reality tunnel. For example, "Life sucks, and then you die...I never get my fair share...I can't do anything right..." etc. The negative thought forms trigger negative emotions that in turn trigger physiological changes, and the process feeds on itself as a vicious circle. This card indicates that this is a propitious time for you or someone close to you to awaken from depression. There are many ways to go about the awakening, but the will has to be there for recovery to occur. Depression is a yin condition, associated with lowered energy and a murky wateriness. Take deep breaths, stand up straight with good posture and get going, get active, raise fire, the yang principle, by doing useful stuff! Don't feel like it? Excellent, that is the sure sign of how well getting active will work. Start simple and pick tasks that give definite results -- cleaning up your home, for example. Shift to a high vitality diet with more live and raw food. Do a fearless moral inventory and ask yourself what you will remember well on your deathbed and prioritize doing that. Depression is often suffering that is neglected and not confronted. For this reason I prefer anguish and the dark night of the soul because these are more dynamic states capable of transformation. Confront what haunts you. For specific, effective techniques for dealing with negative thoughts and feelings, see; "Dealing with Afflictive Thoughts and Feelings" in A Guide to the Perplexed Interdimensional Traveler
See: Dealing with Zones of Inner Jeopardy Could you be addicted to pain? See: Rebelling from the Pain Body Matrix Are you unhappy about being in your body? This is the core of much neurotic torment and takes the form of dissatisfaction with looks/weight/aging/health. Read: The Glorified Body Are you unhappy about romantic relationships? Read: Challenging Thoughts on Love Stop the Hottie! Casting Precious... Having trouble finding a path of meaning and creativity in your life? Much depression is caused by a deficit of meaningfulness. Read: The Path of the Numinous For more on discovering the core meaning of your life and facing some of the tough existential realities of human incarnation read: The Capsule of Intentionality... and read all parts of A Guide to the Perplexed Interdimensional Traveler If your depression is related to a devastating loss or shock, the last part of the guide, "Dealing with Shock," will address that directly. Worries have you down? Read: An Antidote to Worry Feel like there's something wrong with this entire plane of existence? Read: A Splinter in your Mind Want an effective life stance that will hold up to the darkest moments? Consider the path of the warrior: The Way of the Warrior Warrior Quotes The Taoist Path Taoist Quotes Finally, if you've looked into all these other possibilities and feel that an outside force is depressing you, read the documents in the mind parasite category of the writing section or order a copy of the Mind Parasite Matrix. Use these resources and summon your will to awaken from depression!
