Weekly Forecast: February 26 - March 4
Processing our emotions can get complicated, especially when it comes to the sticky ones. Sadness, grief, regret, disappointment - all of these don't match up with the indefatigable optimism we're supposed to embody. We're taught to embrace a positive spin to the point that we gloss over these feelings, wanting to seem put together, wise, or "evolved," whatever that means.
As a result, we have the unfortunate tendency to hide these feelings, sometimes from our selves, and especially from others. We can see this in the intense solitude of the Five of Cups where a person is facing towards a trio of spilled cups. Yes, we do need personal time to process our feelings, but remaining fixed in this state and cut off from outside support and help leaves us isolated. Instead, once the dust has settled, we could connecting with others, lifting our eyes from the hurt and seeking comfort and a new path forward.
In this reading, the Five of Cups, a mournful card showing the immediacy of loss, transitions almost seamlessly into the loving connection of the Two of Cups. It's as if the clouds in the Five have cleared away to reveal a velvety expanse of night sky. We can find community in our sticky feelings - commiseration, inspiration, and love - if we just reach out for it. A dark hour is also a time when stars can shine brightly.
This week carries a deep undercurrent of personal processing. We're looking to our past to address current feelings of loss or grief. This can come at many different levels - either something smaller reminding us of a past loss or having to contend with something upsetting in the here and now. We come into this week with a full knowledge of the situation, so there's no need to wait for the other shoe to drop. Sometimes even the change of the seasons has us reflecting back to what happened at this time in years past. That horizon stretches far back, but it doesn't go nearly as far as the wide open infinity of the night sky.
We have to turn around and contend with our present to get to the community and connection of the Two of Cups. We have this bravery in spades and are using it. These small acts of reaching out are important and require us to be vulnerable. Recognizing this and being proud of our courage is an important part of navigating this tricky terrain. When we do this we're saying, "I've had enough of just processing these feelings alone, who else is out there?" And just looking at this central card highlights the beauty of friendship. There are people waiting to gently direct our eyes to the sky when we're tempted to look at our spilled cups.
This doesn't mean glossing over or "pepping up" our complicated feelings. The Hermit shows us that connecting with others - sharing our difficult emotions - is giving us the guidance to truly understand them. The introspection of The Hermit is much deeper and aligned with our personal development. We still need that sacred time alone to navigate our feelings, but with the guidance of The Hermit we're traveling to new and unexpected places. At the root of our emotions is an important truth and we need our friends, family, lovers, and support network to help direct us there. Sometimes we can't see ourselves as well as they can. With their support we can find a different path to travel, lit not only by our past experiences, but by our greater goals and beliefs as well.