The Star
The Star
The general meaning of The Star card is hope and faith, healing, recovery, and the light of inspiration.
After I finished initiating the Sola Tarot Project for the first 3 cards and successfully launched them, it's now time for me to take a break. After pressing the accelerator on life for so long, it's time to tap the brakes. And this blog I'm writing, I don't see it as work; it's my passion and a form of relaxation for me.
Actually, the past 2-3 years have been a very heavy period in my life. I had so many things to manage and faced life tests where I'm still trying to figure out what they were meant to teach me. And they didn't come one by one; they came as a combo set! But that's okay. I gathered my courage until I finally got through it, and the situation is now starting to resolve. It's like I've passed "The Tower" moment. Now, I'm in a period of restoring myself, both physically and mentally.
Lately, I've been taking better care of my physical health. As for my mental state, I'm lucky that being in a good mood is already my baseline. I always think that if I face something this difficult, life will eventually reward me with something equally proportional. After getting through the combo set, I've returned to living a peaceful life again. I've discovered that simply having a life without problems is enough to be happy. Right now, I intend to give myself some true rest, so I look for excuses to go out and change the atmosphere outside the house.
As you know, I live in Thailand, and there are plenty of places to relax here. Even though I live in Bangkok, a capital city that isn't very close to natural spots, it doesn't mean there's a shortage of recreational spaces. Previously, Thailand's famous relaxation business was the spa industry. Today, that trend has slowed down a bit, but one business that has become a top hit, popping up in various forms and becoming highly accessible, is the coffee shop. They often focus on creating a relaxing atmosphere with chic and cool design themes scattered everywhere (emphasizing this even more than the taste of the coffee). You can find one almost every 50 meters!
Thai people have a chill nature, so coffee shops that can truly create a restful mood, offer Instagrammable corners to snap and check in, provide spaces for digital nomads to work, or feature gardens to soak in the vibe, are everywhere. Partially, I think it's because the cafe atmosphere allows us to open all five of our senses, sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch, in one place at an affordable price. Today is a relaxing day, so I'll take you on an insider's cafe tour in Thailand.
It's nice to constantly change our "office" atmosphere to something new, and it's great for building the mood to brainstorm new creative ideas. It's quite productive, I've tried it! The cafes that are popular for check-ins are those that offer a vibe close to nature, like garden cafes, or at least those decorated with plants, right in Bangkok. Let's start with the first one:
1. Boonta Café: This is a place I visit very often because it's decorated with a Glasshouse theme and fresh flowers. They rotate the themes according to special occasions and seasons. Since the owner also has their own flower garden, there are always exotic flowers on display. The atmosphere is very feminine. Almost every menu item is decorated with flowers, so beautiful that you hardly dare to eat them It's a pity that it's temporarily closed for renovations right now, with no plans announced yet for when it will reopen.
2. The Oliday: This place is decorated in a tropical garden style. It features a pond and a beautifully shaded garden as the focal point. They periodically spray mist to moisturize the plants and cool down the outside heat, giving off a tropical rainforest feel. This allows you to sit comfortably in the semi-outdoor zone. There are ducks swimming and strolling around, adding a lively touch. You feel a bit closer to nature without being disturbed. You can take in the garden view from every spot in the cafe, which is a great use of visual space in their landscaping.
3. Pak: This cafe doesn't focus on luxury but rather on the cool, raw vibe of a garden house. Located in the suburbs, it maintains a minimally processed forest garden atmosphere. (The name "Pak" means chef, or it can be a homophone for "Paa," which means forest). This place is designed with deep respect for preserving the original environment as much as possible (Humble living). The decoration is simple, using bare concrete structures contrasted with vibrant colors on certain gimmick spots. You'll see vines hanging down like a welcome curtain for visitors, letting you know you've arrived in the forest.
4. Ripple Coffee Roaster: The main menu here highlights both coffee and matcha tea, which is famous in Japan. Therefore, the decoration has a Zen vibe, with a small outdoor garden and floor-seating options. It’s a terrace where you can sip tea and admire the garden. Most people choose to sit in the air-conditioned room. However, as someone who seeks peace and emotional flow, I prefer to sit alone in the semi-outdoor zone, listening to the sound of flowing water, watching the fish, writing, and brainstorming. I remember my work flowing as smoothly as the water I was listening to that day.
5. Suan Ta Suk: This is a cafe near my house. The entrance is very deep and has a hideaway feel; cars can't reach it because it's located in the middle of a banana plantation. The decoration reflects an authentic local lifestyle, utilizing real everyday household items like pots, jars, basins, and kettles. You could probably call it a Bric-à-brac style. Overall, it's colorful and cute. It's very peaceful and not crowded. The owners are a retired couple who started this small business. You can just tell they built it with joy because they look so happy doing it, which in turn makes the customers happy.
I won't review the taste of the food because I think everything is delicious, and taste is subjective anyway. Let's just focus on the atmosphere. Every place I visit gives off a good vibe; at the very least, you can experience it with your own eyes.
Let me wrap this up with a resort located in a province right next to Bangkok, just a short drive away. If you have a bit more time, you can stay for a night or two before heading back.
It's called Baan Taai Wang, located in Ayutthaya province. The vibe is an ancient-style house with an open lawn, situated right next to a canal. The atmosphere is fantastic. I brought several books intending to read them here, but I didn't read much because I preferred to just sit, take in the clean lawn atmosphere under the large tree by the canal, and let my thoughts wander. Just walking out of the room gives you this view. This kind of simplicity makes it a true vacation for me.
There's nothing much to this blog content, I just wanted to share my stories with you in case you plan to visit Thailand. I have so much more I want to show off! It aligns perfectly with the cards, right? The Star represents a time of healing and recharging your physical and mental batteries. For me, these little things are enough for my soul.
What about you? How do you heal? Tell me about it!
As a flower seller, I've been trying to think of what flower would represent The Star card. The most literal one would be the Hoya flower, a true star-shaped flower. I'll need to go study and see what the next set of flowers will be!
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