Weekly Forecast: December 11-17
Perfectionism has its perks, but it can also be the enemy of action, especially when we're starting out on something new. Sure, our visions are grand, but they're just visions until we put in the actual work and get our hands dirty. This week sees us grappling with our idea of how we want something to be and the reality of making it happen.
I'm not the first to admit that I love planning and lists. Thinking through and writing out my vision (preferably in an aesthetically pleasing, organized way) gives me a sense of preparedness and satisfaction. It's wonderful to have a roadmap when starting out on a journey. Our roadmaps, however, can quickly turn into stifling instructions.
If I'm not careful, my to-do list or plan, once to pretty and helpful in my notebook, can turn into a source of stress and furstration. As the list of things to do grows longer I become more tempted to tweak and adjust, falling deeper into my thought process and lost in the details. I haven't done anything concrete just yet, but I'm already feeling pressured. How can I live up to my plans? Instead of guidance I've created a situation where anything less than what I've envisioned is "wrong."
The Page of Swords reflects this mental enthusiasm gone awry. We're jumping into our endeavor with the passion and fixation of a page, but it's one-sided. We need other energies to propel us forward. The Two of Pentacles shows up next, guiding us towards balance.
And what does this card tell us? It's time to balance our thoughts with action. When we're in a swordsy mindset this can be challenging. Everything is nice, neat, and controllable in our minds or on paper. Enacting our plans in real time invites in the change and complications that make our controlling sides squirm. But they're just what we need.
The Two of Pentacles illustrates the joy of motion. We have to be on our toes when we make things happen. It may be awkward at first, but once we find our rhythm we can take pleasure in the feeling of moving through the world and enacting our plans. It's the energy of experimentation, flexibility, and interaction.
It's also far from any idea of perfect, so it's a good time to make room for any resistance from our Page of Swords sides. A little kickback is natural, and that voice telling us to play it safe (or not play at all), that we need to do more brainstorming and planning, is trying to help. Now is just not the time to get lost in thought, however, and breaking through towards action will be more than worth it.
Is there anything else behind our squrimy desire to stay in the very beginning stages, far away from action? Perhaps the thing we're approaching is a little frightening, maybe even something we see as risky?
We have Justice as our final card and its message can indeed be powerful and intimidating. We're being asked to engage with our sense of right and wrong in the world, particularly through our boundaries. This kind of work can be intense.
In advocating for ourselves - deciding what we will and will not tolerate and where the lines are drawn - we must step out fully. That means we see ourselves as people worthy of respect and willing to advocate for our needs clearly. We can't hide behind excuses or self-deprecation. This is a time to practice taking up space and embodying the true extent of our power.
So the Page of Swords makes sense here. We want to plan, plan, plan. Perhaps we're nervous about asking for something or about voicing a complaint. Maybe it's time to speak out against a behavior that's no longer (or never was) beneficial to us. However each of us are grappling with Justice this week, small actions will be much more helpful than big plans. Like the Two of Pentacles, we're not looking for perfection, just practice. In doing small things to value ourselves we can cultivate a sense of comfort in being seen and in taking ourselves seriously. And we get to decide; our imperfect actions and admirable and more than enough. They're also bringing us towards a deeper sense of alignment and power - a journey that's well worth the effort.