Alignment in Action

 I was recently invited to join a regular virtual writers’ group. I’d always seen myself as a lone-wolf writer, so I was open to the idea but a bit skeptical. From the first session, though, those doubts disappeared. Rather than feeling distracted or limited, I actually thrived in the group’s energy.

Our group works in a way that feels simple and special. Sometimes we write quietly, other times we talk. We share ideas and discuss word choices, direction, plot, and dialogue. These conversations don’t interrupt the work. For me, they make it richer. I admire and trust these creative people, and that changes everything.

What surprised me most was how the group’s energy stayed with me even after our meetings. On days when I write alone, I still feel lifted by that shared momentum. My solo writing has started to grow in new ways. I didn’t expect that. It made me realize that some ways of working naturally support the life I want to create.

Alignment is my word for the year, and the Temperance card shows me how to get there. This year is about making small changes, blending things on purpose, and trusting that the right mix will show up if I pay attention. Alignment means choosing what fits and adjusting what doesn’t. It’s about letting my inner truth and my actions work together. Temperance in tarot represents this process.

The angel on the card never keeps the cups still. The water moves back and forth, always testing and adjusting. Alignment works like that too. It’s not about staying the same, but about responding to what’s needed. Things feel easier when I notice what’s off and gently adjust until it feels right again.

Temperance is about bringing things together, not giving something up. Fire and water meet without canceling each other out. In life and work, that’s a powerful balance. Intellect and intuition. Discipline and letting go. Learning and mystery. Nothing important has to be lost, just combined with care.

Patience is also at the heart of this. Temperance moves at the pace that feels right, not at the pace of urgency. When things are aligned, momentum happens naturally. Everything starts to fit together on its own. The steady progress I feel in my writing now feels like alignment in action—less struggle, fewer false starts.

I didn’t plan to find a new way of working this year. It found me. In that unexpected change, I realized I’d started a work practice that fits the word I’ve chosen for 2026: alignment. It’s not a goal to chase or a rule to follow, but a feeling of balanced ease. Harmony. The Temperance card reminds me of this.