Weekly Forecast: February 14-20
Discovering and planting the right seeds for spring
Let’s skip to the end for a change: It’s the middle of May and the world has been transformed from restful shades of grey to exuberant green. You’re in your garden, the illustrations on your seed packets come to life in a profusion of blooms around you. The weather is balmy and you’re wearing the festive outfit you bought on winter clearance with the hope of kinder days in mind. It’s peaceful and golden, and you’re waiting for your friends to arrive after having set out a charming, casual array of homemade snacks and drinks. You close your eyes and inhale slowly, savoring a moment of ease and satisfaction.
Now, rewind to the present, and ask yourself: What can I do right now to support this future moment?
Now this vision may not be so literal, and if you’re struggling to resonate with a chill afternoon in the yard (and even if you do), I encourage you to think about how to capture this overall feeling of relaxed power, contentment, and hospitality extending into different areas of your life. The Queen of Pentacles is acting as a role model of sorts in this reading; this is a card that holds the warmth and poise of someone with formidable skills and resources who values stability, community, and reciprocity. How might you begin to step into this character in the days to come?
Court cards often stymie readers because of their cardboard cutout qualities. They all feature similar layouts - a figure holding the symbol of their suit - and I think that leaning into their static, archetypal side is actually helpful. Action figures and trading cards inspire us to play, to use the traits they represent in self-directed action. There may be a facet of “faking it ‘til you make it” to the ways you begin to embody Queen of Pentacles, and rather than viewing this initial awkwardness as disingenuous, welcome it as part of the process. New movements feel stilted until we practice them enough to add them to our muscle memory.
With that being said, let’s return to the beginning of our reading: The Ten of Wands. Our muscles, it seems, are quite tired at the beginning of the week as we struggle to finish important projects and tasks. This phase, however, is very close to its end, and we can gather strength in moments of exhaustion knowing that we’re incredibly close to the finish line, especially when it comes to our external lives in areas like work and creativity. If an action is in service to something you value, do it. If not, lighten your load and let that wand fall by the wayside.
In tarot the tens of the deck illustrate a final conclusion that carries the seed of a new beginning. Sometimes, this particular brand of finality comes with exhaustion. If you feel a particular bone-tiredness coming into this week, don’t despair. Is the fatigue you’re feeling a sign that you’ve reached the end of a long road? How can you give yourself the respect and congratulations you deserve for making it this far? And what changes might give you joy and relief?
Speaking of which, not only do we have a ten showing us the end of a path, we also have an ace right afterwards pointing us in a new and exciting direction. Exhaustion and overwhelm will quickly shift to fascination as a new opportunity comes into focus. We’re shifting from the fast-moving, action oriented world of the wands suit to the grounded and lush pentacles. And, wow, does it seem like we’re ready. We vault from the Ace of Pentacles into the Queen of Pentacles, moving from a fresh beginning into self-assured mastery. What are we taking to with grace and ease? What changes suit us perfectly? This is a time to pay attention to what works, feels good, and develops quickly. If you’ve been waiting for a moment to start something new, commit to a promising path, or invest in yourself, this is the time.
The pentacles are the suit of earth, and sometimes I think we stick to close to the surface of this connection, equating earth with life-giving dirt. But why stay at the top? Dirt is simply the earth’s crust, a fraction of the planet itself. This reading invites us to consider the flashier, deeper parts of the element: the diversity of splendid crystals and minerals, the raw power of molten magma. The Queen of Pentacles is in touch with these inner treasures and can channel their allure and power in service of a meaningful life. This is a time to consider our relationship to our power and respect the heft and impact it can have in the everyday. Are there parts of your life that you can change, gifting yourself with beauty and ease? This is not a time to be self-abnegating or miserly. Some small investments can change the quality of your life, and the Queen of Pentacles reminds us that enjoyment of life brings us closer to ourselves and others, awakening us to the world through sensual experience.
A final word on the Ace here: this is a time when something that seems small has the longterm potential to take us somewhere impactful. The key to identifying it, however, is in how it makes you feel - self assured and grounded like the Queen of Pentacles? Or burdened with obligation like the Ten of Wands? This is a time when we’re close to touching a solution or new path that simply feels good and can skirt around our usual pitfalls. If you feel like you need to suffer to succeed, or that all forward motion needs to be plotted out and planned within an inch of its life, try to let go of these assumptions and follow what unfolds naturally and with ease. It may be uncomfortable at first, but I think that remaining closed off to these changes would be an absolute shame. And, after all, we’re practicing stepping into the Queen of Pentacles’ shoes; if practice makes perfect, why expect ourselves to be perfect just yet?
This week, embrace:
Putting the finishing touches on projects
New opportunities that fuel your sense of wonder
Daydreaming about an ideal life, particularly with regards to your career
Investing in yourself
This week, avoid:
Preemptively shooting down ideas because of “practical” reasons
Airing your tender dreams to unsupportive others
Getting swept up in big picture worries
Fighting natural changes
Get creative:
Ten of Wands: A practical suggestion here: Sometimes the best antidote to overwhelm is a good old-fashioned list. Take some time to sort out your wands by writing out all the little tasks you’re facing - swat those pesky mosquito worries onto the page so you can work with them! Once you’ve written everything out, mercilessly scratch out anything that’s inessential for the week. Either it can wait or it wasn’t important to begin with. Now you have a list of what matters and a clearer head. Farewell, Ten of Wands overwhelm!
Ace of Pentacles: There’s something dreamy about the aces (maybe it’s all those swirly clouds) and I feel like a good way to see what’s pointing to a new beginning is if it carries the giddy charge of a budding crush. In this card the setting is a lush garden - life is looking pretty good. With that as a framework (your life is good as it is), think of ways you can make it even better. No scarcity mentality here! See if freeing yourself to dream from a place of satisfaction points you towards ideas, paths, or potentials that feel both expansive and actionable.
Queen of Pentacles: Do you feel like a Queen? I hope so, but I know that I certainly don’t all the time. Let’s take this card as actual inspiration this week. If you feel up to it, choose a day to get decked out in your version of Queen of Pentacles finery. What makes you feel comfortable and fabulous? Whether it’s a pair of “fancy” sweats or a beaded robe (sadly, I do not own one of these… yet) put it on for a day and see how it shifts your view of yourself. How might you capture this feeling in other corners of your life?