Weekly Forecast: February 19-25
Cards from the Tarot del Fuego
This week is packed with events and energy. There’s going to be an upheaval, the kind that we can’t avoid. Thankfully we’ve been channeling some grade-A serenity that will come in handy as we navigate the shakeup. There’ll be a mixture of peaceful little moments, satisfaction, and drama.
What can we do with this grab bag? Do we have to get swept up in the chaos or is there another way out?
The answer is yes, but before we get into all that, let’s take a look at one of my favorite tarot cards, The Tower.
This card commands attention in any reading. It’s impossible to ignore a tower crumbling in flames. The image is one of the most arresting in the deck, along with old favorites The Devil and Death. Though not warm and fuzzy like the Six of Wands or The Lovers, these cards are what make tarot such a powerful system. They account for the struggles and bumps in life. Without them we’d have lukewarm readings with no depth at all. And we wouldn’t be able to plan for the less than perfect moments in life.
So what do we do when the tower crumbles? Or, as in this epic illustration by Ricardo Cavolo, giant tiger paws destroy it?
The answer is, while it’s happening, nothing.
There’s absolutely nothing we can do against giant tiger paws as tiny humans. We just get out of the way and watch our tower get torn down from a safe distance. We don’t even need to run around screaming and waving our hands. It’s best to conserve our energy and remain calm.
The Tower shows us instances where forces outside our control swoop in and shake things up. It doesn’t have to be wholly traumatic, but it will definitely be noticeable. The landscape is going to change drastically and we’ll need to do some rebuilding when the dust settles.
This card indicates that some structure in our life is about to be dismantled. The change will leave us reeling, but in most cases, it’ll be necessary and pave the way for more growth. Though we may not have made the decision to initiate the change, chances are a part of us was ready for it.
Consider the tower itself. The walls are thick and clunky – built more for keeping people out than inviting them in. We probably didn’t build it in the first place. Taking it down brick by brick would be time consuming and intimidating. Luckily, or not, the universe has swooped in to make a change for us. The only question left is how we’ll rebuild.
Interestingly, underneath the drama, we’re in quite the pretty place this week when it comes to our personal and emotional lives. The Star is a bright-eyed card that shows the peace and beauty that can emerge when we’re solid in our identity and engaged with the world. Our self-esteem is just peachy and we’re doing a good job of feeling our feelings.
In other words, we’re more than prepared to hold our own during a little chaos.
There’s a quality of playfulness and ease to this card – the feeling you get when things are flowing naturally. We feel good, we notice the world around us, and we’re able to nurture ourselves in the best ways possible. In this mindset, when something makes a tower crumble we can see it as outside our control. Most importantly, we know that it’s not the way the world always is. We can see the sun shining through the dust and trust that we’ll be back on track soon.
If we pay attention to this powerful undercurrent, we can coast through the upheaval of The Tower with minimal hairpulling. Water puts out fire after all. Perhaps the watery fish arms seen in The Star are just what we need to deal with those marauding tiger paws. This week our attitude counts the most. Sure, the burning tower may command our attention, but it seems that we have bigger goals that will whisk us past this dramatic tableau towards something even better.
The aftermath of The Tower comes in the form of an ace, truly the most overt card we could pull to tell us that the mayhem and change is worth it. Aces symbolize new beginnings and energies arriving in our lives. It’s the breath of fresh air that clears the dust away.
In this case, something from this week’s shakeup will cut away a lot of our mental fog around an issue we’ve been considering for a long time. Tied with The Star, this ace suggests that a truth we’ve held close to ourselves is bursting forth into a clear thought and mission.
This is A LOT of energy swirling around and our dear ace tells us it’s just the beginning of a new ride. We must stay grounded with the energy of The Star if we want to avoid getting burnt out by all this fiery passion and change.
Take time to survey the scene, take it all in, and take care of yourself. Embrace all that’s watery because the world is heating up. That means paying special attention to your feelings, finding joy in the world around you, and making space for your own creative expression.
With that in mind, buckle up, because it’s going to be a wild and exciting ride.