Today’s daily oracle card pull is The Child. I’m giggling like mad. I couldn’t have pulled a better card for the day following a new moon—a time of new beginnings. This card reminds me of one of my favorite concepts from Buddhism: What is beginner’s mind?

The Child card carries a strong energy of Shoshin, or beginner’s mind, from Zen Buddhism.

When you’re a beginner at something, your mind is empty, open, free of preconceptions and established ideas.

The saying goes that in the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are a few.

Makes a lot of sense right?

When you’re wrestling with something, a Shoshin mindset can really help you find solutions.

Because when you are in beginner’s mind, you don’t automatically assume you have the only answer.

This card’s message is all about stepping out of your assumptions and exploring possibilities.

Beginner’s Mind Meditation Exercise

Close your eyes. Breathe deeply until you feel your heart rate grow calm and steady.

ASK:

What is going on with me right now that I could approach with fresh eyes?

Resist the urge to immediately solve the problem with your conscious mind.

Instead, approach the situation you are imagining as a beginner. What do you see that you could do differently?

Examine all possibilities: The ones that make sense, the ones that don’t, and the ones that are flat out preposterous.

When you’re done, write down any impressions or thoughts you may have. In the days to come, reflect on these notes often. Consider how you want to move forward based on what you’ve learned.

Explore more meditations

Discover different meditation exercises to help you go deeper in your spiritual practice and explore consciousness.

Deck:
The Mystical Shaman Oracle by Colette Baron Reid.