Weekly Forecast: July 25-31

Sometimes the most straightforward readings are the hardest to write about. I drew these cards on Sunday and immediately felt a sense of excitement and recognition. Here is a reading about gratitude, abundance, and important next steps in search of something meaningful. Wonderful! So why was it so hard to sit down and translate these cards into words?

Rather than force it, I decided to do what usually calms me when I’m feeling edgy and creatively thwarted: cleaning. I thumped around my house, flinging closet doors open, excavating odd tchotchkes from forgotten corners, emptying drawers of shriveled tubes of ointment and scattered cosmetic samples. I had all sorts of narratives about what was “happening” chomping at the bit, ready to run free and take over - something was wrong, I’d lost my touch, if I didn’t write now, I’d never write at all! Antsy and irritated, I channeled these feelings into action, noticing the treasures that surround me: the row of photographs above the mantel, a bouquet of flowers from a friend, a bedspread that I unequivocally adore. Laying my hands on actual objects in my home was calming and kept the stories at bay.

After ceremoniously dumping an armful of items that have always irritated me into boxes for donation, I felt a wave of calm come over me. I’d made a change, removed small things that tied me to stale memories or unhelpful feelings (hello, the guilt of keeping weird gifts you don’t actually like!); I felt both cleansed by my stomping about and connected to my environment.

And then I had a hearty chuckle. Standing there actually panting from irritation and exertion, I realized that I’d completely enacted the story of our first two cards: the Nine of Cups and Seven of Swords. Here, we see a need to focus on our emotional connection to what gives us meaning in our lives (cups) while diverting the restlessness and meaning-making that can distract us from what really matters (swords). Underneath both of these cards is a massive upwelling of energy - creative, ambitious, irrepressible. Which begs the question: What is trying to come through you this week and, most importantly, how do you feel when creativity comes knocking? It may be wily and strange, even uncomfortable. Where do you go when you feel this urge to change, create, or grow? Do you mistake this burgeoning energy with something else entirely or try to repress it?

It’s going to be important this week to cultivate a sense of curiosity around this. Some of us may be well acquainted with how creative energy moves through us. Others, like myself, might not recognize it at first. Treat this topic as a new land to explore. Gather your notebook and get out into the field to observe.

It’s likely that there will be some challenge and conflict involved. The Seven of Swords is a sneaky character, and there will be a tendency this week to overanalyze the situation, perhaps as a way of escaping something good and generative. What stories do you tell yourself about your ability to change your life? Where do you go and what do you do to escape exciting and challenging growth?

The Nine of Cups leads the charge this week and, while being a resoundingly positive card, it is nonetheless quite confrontational for some people. Watch out for fears and limiting beliefs around displaying happiness, satisfaction, and affection. And, most of all, being content with what you have. It will be helpful to look around you and see what bounty you have to offer. Is your perception of your resources, both emotional and material, in line with how you present yourself to the world? You may want to ask trusted others about where you hide your talents, gifts, and the sparkling parts of your personality people want to see more of.

While we can expect some prickliness, this card tells us that these things are already here. It’s not a question of seeking, building, or cultivating. Look around you (clean your house?) and get friendly with the abundance in your life, especially emotional and spiritual abundance. Gather strength and confidence from your close relationships, call up old friends, reach out, and share what you have.

There’s a pull to escape into the intellectual realm in order to avoid and protect this week. The Seven of Swords has been popping up left and right these days. Have a sense of humor about your trickster self, but don’t take their messages seriously. This week is a time to sit with your feelings and your gifts, not spin elaborate stories about what they mean or explain away beauty and wonder.

A powerful pull to walk towards the unknown arrives at the end of the week. It turns out staying where we are and being curious about ourselves is leaving space for a new path to emerge. There is some melancholy and wistfulness here, however. The Eight of Cups is a profound and mature card. What path are you headed towards that is yours and yours alone? This is a card that asks us to consult our deepest self about what’s next and no one else. You may find it helpful to retreat from outside information and excitement so you can better tune into yourself. The new steps, however, are emotionally powerful and can lead to something immensely heart-centered and nourishing. Trust yourself and make room for fear and trepidation; the risk is worth if if you’re heart is with you.

This week, embrace:

• Counting your blessings

• Being proud of what you bring to relationships

• Connecting with cherished friends and new acquaintances

• Finding and engaging with creative outlets

• Observing what wants to come through you

• Tuning into your intuition for guidance

This week, avoid:

• Naysayers!

• False modesty

• Overextending yourself

• Seeking solace or safety in “more” (people, possessions, projects, etc.)

Get creative:

• Nine of Cups: Cups are all about feelings, so resist the urge to overanalyze this prompt (hi there, Seven of Swords, we see you!). Think about the beautiful, nourishing, and consistent things you have going for you in these three areas of your life: relationships, spirituality (or, depending on your belief system/preferences, creativity/intuition/nature), and beauty. Write down three things for each. Get creative with the categories, too, or simply float over them and just think of nine things you’re grateful for right now that give you a sense of connection to your best or higher self. These are your nine cups. Spend the week caring for them and appreciating them (and practicing holding them aloft for all to see without shame).

• Seven of Swords: This week, I’m feeling the call to balance this card with an element not present in our reading. Think of it as reading the negative space in our spread. Like my very quotidian personal example of cleaning the house, the intellectual intensity of the swords is best tamed by the grounding element of earth. So, think pentacles this week - what can you do to get our of your head and into your body? Some suggestions: exercise, massage, gardening, and…yes… good old fashioned house cleaning.

• Eight of Cups: Ooh, I really feel like this card is going to lead us some places. There’s a lot of mystery here, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the new moon on Thursday. Since we have a lot of supportive energy here (happy, high-level cups cards), it may be helpful to choose and create the darkness we’ll be charting our path through. Find some time in the dusk or evening to be with yourself. A stroll down the driveway or through the neighborhood would do. But make it magical and meaningful, guided by the question: What steps can I feel my inner self start to take and how can I help clear the path in my outer life?