Weekly Forecast: January 10-16
Kind of Cups/ Ten of Wands / Ace of Swords
Deep wisdom providing the courage to make a final push towards clarity and inspiration
I’ll be honest, I’m excited to see the King of Cups leading us into the week. An understated and sometimes overlooked member of the tarot court, the King of Cups embodies values that often get pushed to the side in a world that moves fast, talks faster, and is quick to jump to conclusions. This King is not rash, easily swayed, or willing to sacrifice integrity, even in the face of immense pressures. It’s this energy that urges us to step into the week with focus and determination.
When I see the King of Cups, I’m always inspired to stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Once I’ve left the wild spin of my mind for that briefest of moments, I usually find myself checking into my body - feeling my feet against the softness of my house slippers (yes, I am working from home, why do you ask?), smelling the steam coming off my cup of tea, or noticing soreness in my clenched jaw. I might even be inspired to explore my emotional state as well. Is there something I’m not saying that has my jaw so tight? Do I need to get a glass of water, maybe think about how to articulate something important? The King of Cups leads us down similar paths of awareness, inviting us to follow the breadcrumb trail of our physical and emotional reality. We must, however, stop to accept the invitation, and follow it without judgment.
I’m seeing a similar “take the next step” energy at work in the coming days. We have a lot on our plates and we’ll need to muster all the wisdom and equanimity that the King of Cups has to offer. We have a lot of work to do in our external life which is why it’s equally important, even essential, to do so from a place of self-awareness, compassion, and self-esteem. The King of Cups embraces his role as a leader of himself and others. We may be given opportunities to use the wisdom we’ve fought to earn through our personal healing practices in the larger world, extending compassion in difficult situations and leading by example. Looking at this card, we can see that, despite being in the middle of a boisterous and action-packed ocean (check out that bizarro whale and bright red ship!) the King is, in fact, seated on a sturdy throne. Its stone base may float through some magic, but since the Minor Arcana are centered around the physical world, I like to imagine his throne extending as a pillar through miles and miles of deep ocean. What hard work have we done to construct emotional and spiritual stability for ourselves? What gives us quiet strength no matter what wildness happens in life around us? Now is a time to tap into these sources as we grapple with important work and big challenges.
The Ten of Wands shows us the nature of our undertaking. We’ve been toiling for quite some time, taking an idea or opportunity from its exhilarating beginning to near conclusion. Though we’re weary, we’re also almost done; the Ten of Wands illustrates the last few steps before the end of a journey animated by the fire and inspiration of the wands. What important endeavors have we been working on? How can we honor our commitment and see things through to the end?
This card can also come up when we’re simply so exhausted that we may not remember or be aware of the huge load we’re carrying, our perspective narrowed as we simply fight to keep moving forward. While we can trust in the process and continue nonetheless, don’t hesitate to recenter by returning to what inspires you - looking at the wall of wands and rediscovering the single idea, value, or event that started it all (in other words, seeing the Ace of Wands within the Ten). What was the spark of energy that started this powerful and, at times, overwhelming fire? How can you use that energy to finish the tasks at hand?
The King of Cups stands behind this card with reassuring calm. It would be wise to stay our course, he advises, and to avoid any mishaps or mistakes that spring from emotional reactions instead of wise, emotionally resonant decisions. The Ten of Wands is as many wands as you can get in tarot, and sometimes a collection of sticks is a bonfire waiting to happen. This is a time to practice patience with others and to simply observe our emotions before taking them as gospel truth or a call to arms. We certainly don’t need any more fire in this reading; allow yourself to relax in the deep waters of the King of Cups when difficulty and stress arise.
So, yes, a challenging week and one where we’re grappling with exhaustion and burnout, but what’s at the other side? The Ace of Swords gleams just beyond our burden of sticks - a breakthrough is on its way, and a shift in energy, from action and striving to awareness and ideas. Perhaps we’ve encountered some glimmers of new information, either as a result of our current projects and struggles or… they’ve simply appeared out of thin air. Aces are enlivening gifts and we never know when they’ll appear.
Towards the end of the week be sure to welcome and explore any new ideas, opportunities, or connections, particularly if they’re connected to swords-y topics: learning, communication, information, and mental clarity. Aces have an impish, alluring quality to them: what’s calling you forward, enticing you towards newness, or sparking your interest? It’s essential, however, not to push things (look at all those wands we’ve been carrying! We clearly need a break). We must rest and recuperate in order to be ready for what’s new. And what’s could be more in line with the wisdom of the King of Cups than that?
This week, Embrace
Self-care routines that keep you grounded
Bringing nonjudgmental awareness to your emotions
Taking time to recenter around your experience and values before acting
Perseverance and follow-through
Curiosity and lighthearted learning or intellectual exploration
this week, avoid
Abrupt changes, radical edits, or wholesale abandonment of longterm projects
Getting caught in the emotions, drama, or the conflicts of others
Downplaying your work and contributions or side-stepping acknowledgment
Burdening new ideas or points of curiosity with over-planning or expectations
get creative
King of Cups: Set aside some time for solitude, close your eyes, and journey inward with the intention of finding your peaceful center. Notice the sensations that arise when you feel connected to yourself, along with any images, memories, or impressions. Find whatever feels most powerful, whether it’s a single thing or a combination you weave into a powerful whole (I like to image my “inner sanctum” as a specific place, for example). When stress arises, call this image to mind and draw on its power and quiet any hubbub, drama, or confusion in the world around you.
Ten of Wands: Look at all the tasks in front of you and ask yourself the question: Does this connect back to an important spark? While the Ten of Wands represents a final push, we can also accumulate the weight of needless worries, unnecessary tasks and busy work, as well as the expectations and demands of others. Use the memory of your initial inspiration to burn away any of this energy-sucking additional labor.
Ace of Swords: Let your wandering mind roam free and pick up a book, article, or podcast about something completely out of your wheelhouse. I’m feeling strong “twenty tabs open in your browser” energy here - do share any interesting discoveries and let yourself get weird.