Weekly Forecast: October 10-16

Hoo boy, friends! This is a week to buckle in and get focused. While the energies here may not seem compatible at first glance, there’s a path for us to engage with these cards that will result in a satisfying conclusion. It won’t be easy, however, and it will take some serious finessing and mindfulness. I think we’re up to it.

We begin things with The Hermit, a card that shows us feeling a strong pull to retreat inwards to ask ourselves big questions and wanting the space to do so. Take long walks by yourself, indulge in asking expansive and philosophical questions (my favorite? “But what is time?”), and feel for the strength of your inner wisdom, even if it takes some time to emerge.

… and yet the big card on the scene? It’s the forward-facing, assertive Emperor. We have some important business to attend to this week and we’re being direct to face it head-on, even if we’re feeling like slinking off into the shadows and chasing elusive insights 24/7 instead.

This may seem intensely cheesy, but what is tarot but a place to lay it all bare? I just got the image of The Hermit doing an epic reveal, throwing off their cloak to reveal The Emperor underneath. Do our inner, white-bearded grandpas contain such multitudes? I think so. And is an Emperor-like strength hiding under our humility, isolation, and even avoidance?

These first days of the week would be a good time to reexamine the soul-searching you’ve been doing lately. Have you found some answers after all this time? They may not be immediately evident, but I have a feeling that if we do some digging through all of our recent experiences (and experiments) that we’ll find some true gems. Resist the temptation to overcomplicate or shrink away from a “good enough” answer. The Hermit likes to get overly cerebral or mystical, preferring to keep things in the safety of the abstract rather than engage with the real world. Yet The Emperor taking center stage is telling us that we’ll be asked to do this and more. Why not use the insights we’ve been tracking with The Hermit to help us?

None of this is to say that The Emperor is bringing negative energy into our reading. Rather, this card is telling us that we’re really going to need to show up for our lives this week. Harness this card’s assertive, pioneering force. It’s likely that we’ll need to chart some new territory, communicate our needs and ideas firmly, and/or uphold our boundaries with vigor.

I’m also struck by how The Hermit is turning away from this scene, and sending that there may be some need for us to reconcile our “shrinking violet selves” with our outward-facing personas, the part of us that gets things done. Can you find a way to carry your Hermit-self within you, safe within the protection of The Emperor, and perhaps acting as a trusted advisor and confidant?

Take the time to get on the same page with yourself, in other words, and don’t feel like you have to abandon one facet of yourself in pursuit of another. At the same time, a word of caution: this would be a week to be wary of who you share things with. Are there some relationships that could use some recalibration? The Emperor can help with that! Trust your instincts and sculpt the containers that honor your needs for safety and respect.

So what’s all this intensity bringing us? Thankfully, the Nine of Wands shows us emerging on the other side. Sure, we’re a little battle-tested and tired, but all our wands have been planted upright. We can absolutely get a lot accomplished this week, but it’s going to take our all. Be sure to rest and survey your success when you reach the other side.

This week, embrace:

• Asserting yourself

• Completing projects

• Strong boundaries

• Reassessing relationships, noticing where your emotional energy is going

• Consulting your inner wisdom

• Looking to the recent past for insights to the present situation

• Chilling out when the job is finally done

This week, avoid:

• Shutting down or rejecting your philosophical, seeker self

• Not taking your opinions, ideas, and desires seriously

• Oversharing to those who can’t receive or respect you

• Half-assing things

Get creative:

• The Hermit: See if you can give yourself a retreat of sorts at the beginning of the week. Use the time to a) rest and b) explore how your recent questions have shed light on something important. The Hermit usually speaks to values, ethics, and guiding principles that illuminate our path forward (think the star glowing in the lamp). What is guiding you (and I mean the big You - your higher self, spirit, however you choose to conceptualize it) forward at this chapter in your life?

• The Emperor: I don’t know about you, but this card is striking me as extra epic this week, and in need of some simple, actionable ways to channel its energy. So, rapid-fire Emperor ideas: 1) Find a power outfit, a uniform of sorts - armor-like. Wear it whenever you need to galvanize your energy/in the middle of the week. 2) Work out. I know, I know. It’s not elegant, but really - I feel like we need to pump ourselves up with this card. 3) Write down your two goals for the week. Hold yourself to them.

• The Nine of Wands: Having this card at the end of the week makes me want to tell everyone to just relax and take a bath. So, I’m going to do that. It’s likely that we’ll be tired and needing some mental space to come down from all the action. Want a bath with a magic twist? Add nine sprigs of rosemary - your wands - to the water, breathe deeply, think about all the good work you’ve done. (Also, if you don’t have a robust rosemary bush, I’ve had good luck finding affordable rosemary at Chinese and Korean supermarkets. We’re talking whole handfuls, not the piddly packets for $5 you find at Whole Foods!)