Four of Cups, Tree Tarot

A tree 'wrapped up in its own'

"growing inward and still bare of new growth despite spring's arrival"

Another word could maybe be 'self-absorbed', or the Shadow of Gene Key 10: self-obsession.
Sometimes we DO need to focus only and solely on our own and ourselves - I've done it for years and years now ,:)
But then/eventually comes the time to truly 'open up' those branches again.
Before that (this) point 'involvement' (with other people) can be quite a mess!
Or rather - the teaching environment we needed. The relationship itself (and the other) was in reality 2nd priority and learning about ourselves in it was 1st (the relationship can't, generally speaking, be stronger than it's parts anyway).

We're becoming more and more ready to 'grow outwards' - as we've worked for so hard and long on our foundation.
It can feel scary though.
First it was a blow to accept that we had to go so much inwards, and "find ourselves". We wanted to be like all the others, playing house, family, career and all.
Now 'growing inward' has become the new 'normal', making it a challenge to go outside that comfy box!

"This card may be a wake-up call to you to begin [...] to balance the attention you pay yourself"

There's a really powerful full moon coming up - the end of a 2 year cycle - and boy do I feel it!!
And as with every ending - a new beginning!
A 'slow organic one' - a tree doesn't change shape that quickly (if we try to bend those branches outwards - we break them) :)

Deck: #TarotOfTrees