Weekly Forecast: March 20-26
We’re using a different deck than normal this week, for no other reason that that it was the closest to my morning writing spot - nestled in bed under a crisp, white duvet. Our cards have a similar energy, a focus on finding comfort and rest in difficult situations. Because, as you’ve likely noticed, The Tower is starting things off this week. What’s crumbling or has crumbled recently? What is making you tired?
We’re using a different deck than normal this week, for no other reason that that it was the closest to my morning writing spot - nestled in bed under a crisp, white duvet. Our cards have a similar energy, a focus on finding comfort and rest in difficult situations. Because, as you’ve likely noticed, The Tower is starting things off this week. What’s crumbling or has crumbled recently? What is making you tired?
The Tower is also present in our reading for the month of March which makes me think this isn’t necessarily a case of an obvious, immediate, or new “Tower moment:” catastrophe, misfortune, an abrupt ending. It’s more likely that we’ve been aware of and holding our experience of this card for some time, watching something dissolve slowly. This week the bigger story of that dissolution is coming into clear focus.
Now this is where our reading gets interesting. Instead of doing something with this new knowledge and perspective, we’re being invited to rest. The Four of Swords appears next, and I can’t help but imagine the two figures in the original Rider-Waite-Smith illustration falling from the burning tower… and into a cozy, inviting bed.
See where acknowledging and seeing things for what they are, even and especially if they’re upsetting, brings you a sense of release and even peace. I love how artist Mary Elizabeth Evans illustrates this version of the Four of Swords: the top half of the card almost seething with winding black, white, and red rectangles while the main character of the card rests peacefully in atop teal clouds in a green sky. No matter how intense and compelling ideas and messages around what things in your external life could or should mean, see if you can simply let it be as it is while prioritizing rest and healing.
The Four of Swords shows us a healthy way of dealing with our minds. We often place logical thinking as the primary function of our minds, yet we also use them to dream (and what could be less rational than the loopy, symbolic world of our subconscious?). This is a time to let go of controlling the narrative, “figuring things out,” or striving to understand, label, or identify. Simply letting go, trusting that things will filter through as needed, and stepping away from The Tower facets of your life, will be incredibly refreshing and, eventually, transformative.
Sometimes the frenzy of The Tower can be exhilarating; when something’s on fire, we know that the only task that matters is putting out the flames. But maybe The Four of Swords is also signaling that part of us is bored with this old dance. Be especially aware of things you’re tuning out, no longer seduced by, or even annoyed with. What is putting you to sleep? Respect this instinct as a message that you’re outgrowing stale dances of drama.
We have bigger things to tend to, and these are not about putting out fires or preserving structures just because they’re crumbling. At the end of the week, Strength bursts onto the scene, so if you were worried that all this napping was sheer laziness, you’re in for a surprise! I feel like this card appears when we realize we’re wrestling with the right problem; it’s deeply satisfying and such a contrast to the panic that comes with The Tower. Notice how focused and aligned you feel when you’re building something that matters to you - how the problems and challenges bring you closer to yourself, have you learning something valuable. Now isn’t that quite different from the panicked rush to survive that arises in The Tower?
Let yourself slowly wake up into your powers and goals as the week wraps up. Enjoy creating something for yourself, working with reality, and daring to sculpt something fun, meaningful, and completely different than what’s fading into the past.
Potential surprise/reframe:
There’s actually two I’m seeing here:
While we tend to talk about the cards, especially the Major Arcana, in terms of our personal journey, it may be that this week we’re contending with other people’s experience of The Tower. Is someone in crisis (most likely of their own making), sucking up oxygen with their panicked demands, or consistently framing their setbacks as catastrophes? Is it making you tired?? This would be a good time to step away and focus on the reality you find gratifying and constructive (Strength).
The Four of Swords is feeling like a mysterious invitation to me this week. This card is quite subtle, so we’d do well to create moments of stillness and silence for ourselves so that we can hear the nuanced messages bubbling up from our subconscious. Listen to your body, rest when you need to, and notice what feels easy, enjoyable, and restorative instead of what you think “should.”
This week, embrace:
Stepping away from the drama
Rest
Meditation, mindfulness exercises of all kinds
Engaging with the reality you want to reinforce
This week, avoid:
Burnout
Overcommunicating, half-baked ideas
Leaving your center, abandoning your own perspective
There’s actually two I’m seeing here:
While we tend to talk about the cards, especially the Major Arcana, in terms of our personal journey, it may be that this week we’re contending with other people’s experience of The Tower. Is someone in crisis (most likely of their own making), sucking up oxygen with their panicked demands, or consistently framing their setbacks as catastrophes? Is it making you tired?? This would be a good time to step away and focus on the reality you find gratifying and constructive (Strength).
The Four of Swords is feeling like a mysterious invitation to me this week. This card is quite subtle, so we’d do well to create moments of stillness and silence for ourselves so that we can hear the nuanced messages bubbling up from our subconscious. Listen to your body, rest when you need to, and notice what feels easy, enjoyable, and restorative instead of what you think “should.”
Weekly Forecast: February 13-19
The Knight of Pentacles is the only knight in the tarot deck whose horse has all their feet on the ground. Standing on a hillock overlooking a freshly-plowed field, the yellow pentacle in their hand matches the vibrant sky - the object of this knight’s attention matches its environment, all signs point to go, and the work is about to begin.
The Knight of Pentacles is the only knight in the tarot deck whose horse has all their feet on the ground. Standing on a hillock overlooking a freshly-plowed field, the yellow pentacle in their hand matches the vibrant sky - the object of this knight’s attention matches its environment, all signs point to go, and the work is about to begin.
It’s not a flashy card. There’s no rushing, charging headfirst into battle as one might imagine a knight from a fairytale would. Bravery, according to the Knight of Pentacles, lies in diligence and perseverance. What goal have you set your sights on and how will you commit to actualizing it this week?
Frankly, I tend to find this type of energy irritating and unnatural - I’m much more of a wands-person, preferring to jump into things in a fit of passion. Knowing where you stand on the spectrum will be helpful in plotting your strategy in the days to come; for some, it will be easy to embrace the Knight of Pentacle’s slow and steady pace, while others will find this type of movement more awkward initially. But this week we’ll be particularly concerned, even fixated on, balance and longevity, making planning and deliberation especially important. What can we do to create things that last? How can we take baby steps forward when we have big, big dreams?
The Four of Swords sets the stage, telling us that time resting and reflecting at the beginning of the week will serve us well as we begin to make more tangible, concrete moves. This card also tells us that we have 3/4 of the pieces of information we need to choose a path (notice the three swords neatly hung on the wall above the reclining figure); the final one lies in our intuition, that weasel-y, trickster part of our mind that needs time and space to emerge. And when it does, it’s usually in the form of a riddle, confounding dream, or vague feeling.
This is all to say that, even if you don’t feel like you have the 110% clarity and conviction you’d like, that’s okay. It’s likely that you’ll be pushed over the edge and into action by a feeling, sensation, or intuition. Let that be enough and then get to work.
We have two fours in our reading, one on either side of the Knight of Pentacles. I find this intriguing since this number deals with the theme of structure. If we’re to follow the Knight’s path towards the right (the direction of “the future”), we move into the territory of the Four of Cups. So, a move from intellectual structure to emotional structure is taking us towards our goals. Scary! It can sometimes feel as if we’re abandoning logic and reason, the security of the easily-explainable, when we undergo this type of transition. Yet for anything to last, we need to have a deeper meaning animating it, and that’s what we’re striving for this week. Thankfully, we have the practical and methodical Knight of Pentacles undergirding this shift: What happens if you value the feelings brought up in your quest to build something as the important breadcrumbs leading you to the future, innovation, and fulfillment?
Potential surprise/reframe:
We haven’t talked all that much about the Four of Swords, but this card is holding a lot of weight in the reading, telling us the work we can do to set the stage for our big projects. As a swords card, it informs us that this work is mental: How can you make your mind a safe space as you start to build something new?
I’m sensing a connection to our card from last week (and the card of the month), Strength. We’ve been taking the time to really see ourselves, accepting our flaws and foibles and invite them into our identity with both acceptance and a firm hand. See where you’ve made your own mental space a more welcoming, hospitable, and gentle space for yourself. How can you look at your ambitions and plans through this gentle lens? It seems as if we’re poised to make some breakthroughs with regards to self-criticism, comparison, and perfectionism. Be proud of it.
This week, embrace:
Introspection
Staying in the moment - approaching each task as it comes
Long-term plans for career, lifestyle, or investment
Trusting your intuition for the next steps
This week, avoid:
Lofty, unachievable plans
Perfectionism
Crowding your mental space with other people’s opinions
Rushing
Weekly Forecast: January 16-22
Strength is a card that operates on quite an impressive spectrum. Sometimes we’re wanting to figure something out - a big question about our life, ourselves, or our situation - and we approach it head-on, struggling valiantly for understanding. And sometimes we do a stranger dance, one of fits and starts, as we approach our question from different angles, retreating to process, and returning again to re-engage. It’s this odd shuffle that’s animating our lives this week as we try to suss out something important in a complicated situation. Yet no matter how confusing it may seem, this card’s appearance in our reading is a big encouragement. Now is the time to work towards a breakthrough; let’s roll up our sleeves.
Strength is a card that operates on quite an impressive spectrum. Sometimes we’re wanting to figure something out - a big question about our life, ourselves, or our situation - and we approach it head-on, struggling valiantly for understanding. And sometimes we do a stranger dance, one of fits and starts, as we approach our question from different angles, retreating to process, and returning again to re-engage. It’s this odd shuffle that’s animating our lives this week as we try to suss out something important in a complicated situation. Yet no matter how confusing it may seem, this card’s appearance in our reading is a big encouragement. Now is the time to work towards a breakthrough; let’s roll up our sleeves.
This week we’re well-aware of an issue, or at the very least, that something is bothering us. Before we move on, take a moment to commend yourself for this awareness! Sure, it’s not as satisfying as a cut-and-dry solution, but this reading is inviting us to revel in the creative potential of struggle. Consider what area of your life is feeling murky or in need of editing. Strength is not a card that shows up in times of clarity; it shows us in the muck, trying to tame the lion, and being intimate with an issue on a more feelings-based level. Don’t fight the reality of the situation - this is a time to accept what is and redirect focus to how you’re operating in this specific context. What are you learning about yourself? How would you like to be?
Speaking of which, this image illustrates the classic struggle between the ideal self (sometimes called the “higher self”) and the instinctual self. Conflict between the two can help steer us towards actions that are more aligned with our values. Ask yourself:
Where do my actions feel in opposition to or without connection to my values and goals? and
What actions or behavior go against my instincts, intuition, and desires?
Because even though we may think it’s essential to aspire to the angelic self in this card, it’s equally important to work with and integrate our "animal” self. Look at your life and see which is running the show at the moment, and then try to work towards a more sustainable balance. Pretending to be a saint can be just as harmful as living a life of unbridled hedonism.
Our next two cards give us specific instructions for how to engage with the issues being brought up by Strength. The Seven of Cups shows us gifted with an unusually powerful imagination this week; allow yourself to throw any and every idea you have onto the table. Don’t limit your visions - there’s treasure to be found amidst the trippiest, most outlandish scenarios for your future. Be aware, however, that this headspace can feel a little heady. You may find yourself feeling scattered, lacking focus, and lost in the clouds. Go with the current while it lasts, giving yourself room in your schedule to meander and daydream.
At the end of the week, we come back down to earth via the calm rationality of The Four of Swords. Give yourself time to sit with everything that’s come up, organize your thoughts, and wait for a realization that feels right. Silence, solitude, and self-reflection are helpful tools during this time, and point us to the next steps we’ve been seeking. They’re not of the flashy variety, however, and our experience of Strength this week is more of a slow-burn than majestic breakthrough. It’s our task, however, to see this subtle awakening into awareness as equally, if not more, important.
Potential surprise/reframe:
There may be a false battle going on between our imagination and intellect this week. In other words, is the struggle shown in Strength actually between the Seven of Cups and Four of Swords? Do we feel like our dreams can’t match up with or inform our rational decisions? The thing about Strength is that all the conflicts it encompasses are generative. While it may take some time for the two characters to understand each other and move in harmony, they get there eventually with dedication and commitment to learning. See what gentleness and patience you can muster so that these sides of yourself can meet on supportive terms.
This week, embrace:
Staying with complex situations
Remaining open-minded
Wildly imaginative brainstorming
Time to gather your thoughts
Rest, gentleness, patience
This week. Avoid:
Rushing to conclusions from a place of discomfort
Giving up
Chasing perfection or lofty ideals
Operating solely to fulfill immediate desires
Weekly Forecast: July 11-17
Would you believe I’m excited about a reading that starts out like this? And yet… things are coming together despite being difficult. This week we can lay down our swords, rest, and start to see the fruits of our labor and the wisdom of our grief.
Would you believe I’m excited about a reading that starts out like this? And yet… things are coming together despite being difficult. This week we can lay down our swords, rest, and start to see the fruits of our labor and the wisdom of our grief.
Starting off with the Ten of Swords may not look easy, yet I’m heartened to see this card here. Tens are endings - what difficulties, heartaches, or challenging stories are reaching their conclusion for you right now? Your ending may not feel like an ending at first. In fact, it might feel overwhelming, a deluge of feelings. The Ten of Swords can represent moments when our emotions catch up with us. No matter how much spin we put on things (we’re fine! Life is fine!) eventually our evasions can’t hold up to our fears, tenderness, and exhaustion. Falling face-first onto a beach may not seem like the ideal outcome, but take some time to hear the waves and feel the wet sand on your cheek. Is it really so bad to just be with yourself?
If you find yourself laid low or simply overwhelmed at the beginning of the week allow plenty of space just to experience things - your life, yourself - simply as they are. The beautiful story in our reading is that the faceplant of the Ten of Swords leads us to the peaceful safety of The Four of Swords. Can you lead yourself to a calmer space of rest? Or, better yet, let those around you guide the way?
This week carries a massive opportunity for healing and relief. Allow simplicity to guide you. An overload of swords weighs us down in spectacular fashion (I’d argue that the Ten of Swords is the most brutal-looking card in the deck) - where can you let go of memories, ideas, convictions, plans, and all other denizens of your mind that hamper your growth? While we’re in a process of shedding this week, something new is emerging, but it won’t be found in forceful thinking, arguing, or aggressive searching. Instead, the Four of Swords asks us to consider the slippery, poetic impressions that intrigue us. Make time for rest so that you can dream, listen to your body, and be open to ideas or observations that feel elusive and mysterious.
While we’ll be in our heads for some of the week, it’s time well spent. Have you been running fast, staving off feelings through action and productivity? Perhaps feeling like rest and consideration is indulgent or cowardly? Maybe these thoughts are some of the pesky, cutting swords sticking in your back. The Four of Swords is a gloriously healthy manifestation of the mental energy of its group; allow yourself to treat rest and discernment (particularly the kind that involves waiting) as essential parts of your process rather than distractions.
We leave the land of mental processing and emotional healing towards the end of the week and visit the final card in our monthly forecast. This is a tarot emphasis on the power of these swords cards. Resting and taking time to tend to our hurt while jettisoning any toxic beliefs is in the service of the larger story at work.
Remember that our card for the month is The Chariot - if you’ve been feeling sluggish, unmotivated, and disconnected from your mission and willpower, pay special attention to the messages coming through in your experience of these hurtful swords. You may have some unfinished business to deal with that, once tended to, will allow you to move forward with newfound purpose.
On the other side is the Seven of Pentacles a card of both fulfillment and dissatisfaction. Make room for this uncomfortable combination! Dare I say embrace it? Because if we accept that we are happy with what we have and we want, celebrating our success and growing to new places will feel a lot easier.
I’d also like to point out that the Seven of Pentacles is a hearty reminder to check-in on our everyday and material life after doing so much soul-searching. See how your life is still chugging along? See all the things you’ve built, the projects and routines you’ve cultivated? Spending time here is a wonderful antidote to the heady world of swords. Tend to your garden and see what futures you can imagine now that you’ve put down some swords and have your feet on the ground.
This week, embrace:
Feeling those feelings! Especially the difficult ones
Accepting vulernability
Re-centering around intuition
Examining your routines
Small actions with tangible results
This week, avoid:
Rushing through big feelings
Ignoring wounds
Catastrophizing
Reinventing the wheel
Self-criticism
Get creative:
Ten of Swords: Part of this card can touch on self-inflicted wounds, and I think it’d be helpful to direct some compassion here this week. The Ten of Swords doesn’t have to be ten huge swords pushed into our backs - it can be more of a death by 1,000 cuts, tiny sniping comments we level at ourselves constantly. Think of one or two cutting remarks you direct at yourself frequently and come up with a replacement statement - something loving, supportive, and constructive. Practice substituting this kind remark for the cruel one when you notice yourself becoming judgmental.
Four of Swords: Because swords can be so harsh, I think this week is a good time to really soften the edges in our lives. So, a very simple suggestion: buy yourself some flowers. Put them in your bedroom and enjoy the soothing cheer they bring. (Who knows, maybe they’ll help usher in some of the elusive insights shown in this card?)
Seven of Pentacles: Before we can refine, change, and finesse we have to know what we’re working with. Spend some time this week appreciating the cycles, routines, and rituals you have in your daily life or a specific project (Pentacles, after all, often refer to our professional/work lives). After some observation and reflection, take some time at the end of the week to write down the seven things that make you feel satisfied and grounded in this area. This is the foundation that you’re building on.
Weekly Forecast: July 8-14
This week's forecast it a departure from the usual: While shuffling four cards jumped out of the deck. Not one to pass by a fun happening, I decided to keep all of the cards. Paired off, they change the dynamic of the forecast quite a bit and I'm loving it!
This week's forecast it a departure from the usual: While shuffling four cards jumped out of the deck. Not one to pass by a fun happening, I decided to keep all of the cards. Paired off, they change the dynamic of the forecast quite a bit and I'm loving it!
Our top two cards are from the Major Arcana and, fascinatingly, they're mostly black and white in an otherwise zesty and colorful deck (the Apparition Tarot Deck by Spirit Speak.) This adds to the archetypal power of the cards. This week we'll be dealing with issues of fairness and values.
Below them we have two Minor Arcana cards, both in the suit of swords. So, in very un-subtle tarot speak, we're going to be spending a lot of time thinking about what is right in our lives and the world around us. Where is justice being done and where is it lacking? And how can we have a hand in righting the imbalance?
These cards highlight the importance of taking space to ponder these serious questions, preferably in solitude and far away from the wildness of our modern society. Giving ourselves the permission to block out outside noise is awakening us to what really matters. Any time we spend this week detaching healthily to heal and mull things over will be well spent.
Because we're also seeing outside injustices mirrored in our own experiences. It's a tender and personal path. Justice, our starting card, can often be intimidatingly abstract. "What do these ideas mean in my actual life?" we might ask. Here we have something outside of us awakening inner wisdom and insight into our past experiences. This is a time to walk towards any discomfort or defensiveness. What might be hiding beneath the surface?
With The Hermit we see that an inner truth is coming to light. It's a good time to ponder and interrogate our own moral code. How are we using it to better our lives and the lives of others? Is there a part of it that's not being acted on, causing stagnation and tension?
I can't help but think of the horrors of the news cycle presently and perhaps there's a thread to pull there. We may find ourselves triggered and tempted to turn away. These cards show us that we have a fine line to walk if we want to do justice to our emotional lives and our need to enact and support justice for all.
But I'm also heartened by the Four and Two of Swords, some of the most positive manifestations of their often-maligned group. They encourage us to trust our perceptions, gain clarity by stripping away confusing chaos, and to focus on what we can do in the here and now. Channeling our swords insights into action is the best way to do justice to these powerful cards.
And, indeed, it seems like we need some action. Not only is it important collectively, but individually as well. Spend this week examining what areas of the large concept of Justice ignite you the most. Like The Hermit suggests, this can take some time. Lean into the process: By the end of the week two paths will become clear. Choose the one that resonates the most, and don't hesitate to act. The most powerful and healthy communities are built by people who know themselves and know how to leverage their talents, skills, and resources for the greater good.
Weekly Forecast: September 17-23
What happens when we rest? We don't often celebrate the importance and complexity of this practice. There's a sort of "nap alchemy" that transpires when we take the time to simply be. Yet we often skip over it, focusing on actions we can quantify instead.
What happens when we rest? We don't often celebrate the importance and complexity of this practice. There's a sort of "nap alchemy" that transpires when we take the time to simply be. Yet we often skip over it, focusing on actions we can quantify instead.
Doing things often leads to tangible, braggable results. We've been productive, active, and we have something to prove for it! Not to mention that productivity is one of the primary ways we show our worth. Unfortunately, when we worship productivity we have the tendency to see rest as laziness.
The Four of Swords is here to shatter that unfortunate assumption. Here we see one of the healthiest manifestations of the swords suit. Three swords hang on display, clearly visible and safely arrayed. Another lies peacefully below. There's no cutting going on here, no interpersonal conflict. In fact, it's just us, the solitary character resting in a quiet gray room.
This card shows us coming into the week with a strong desire to simply recharge and process things. The swords suit forces us to examine when our thoughts work for us, harmoniously informing our decisions, and when they become destructive, filling our lives with stress and pressure. We're being invited to hang our worries up and take a breather, to rest and trust that what seems murky now will become clear as we give ourselves the chance to recharge and care for ourselves.
The Four of Swords also tells us that our bodies are leading the way. It's a good time to listen to what they tell us. Do we feel tired? It's time to rest. Are our minds racing, overwhelmed by everything that's happening? It's time to set those thoughts aside gently and return to our bodies, breathing deeply and detaching ourselves from the emotional pressure of our minds. And finally, are we feeling prickly and antagonistic towards those around us? It might be time to seek out some solitude.
What's fascinating here is that all the ingredients for an exciting change are active in our lives right now. Like a delicious loaf of bread in the making, we need to rest after all the mixing and kneading. We're forming important and essential connections when we let our minds and bodies recover. It may not be outwardly impressive or easily proven, but it certainly is essential to this next big step.
For while we're seeking out rest an solitude this week we're making room for an important insight. The fourth sword below the resting figure isn't on the wall with the other three. There's something just below the surface that needs to come into focus. No amount of squirming or over-thinking will bring it out. Opening our minds, releasing tension, and saying goodbye to our old strategies allows this deeper information to appear.
Because this deeper information is something precious, special, and a little tender. It's leading us to The Fool, a card of profound new beginnings. This card shows us walking towards a new path that's as alluring as it is uncertain. Embodying The Fool requires taking a bit of a trust fall with life itself. And finding that path - equally frightening as it is promising - requires discovering and listening to the inner voice that comes from the core part of yourself: that's the fourth sword.
In a cheeky bit of tarot humor, we have the Knight of Swords as our final card, showing us that once we've identified The Fool's path we're being tempted to steamroll over the magic and new beginnings with some swordsy certainty and ambition. This card is warning us that doing so will trample the new seed we've planted. We don't need to rush anything, go on epic crusades with our new-found information, or stifle it with overly-ambitious plans. If we do, we'll quickly find ourselves exhausted and needing more rest to reconnect with our initial spark of inspiration.
Of course, this is a dance we can do often, going back and forth between inspiration and burnout, but we also have another opportunity here. We can ease into The Fool's shoes and choose to leave the Knight of Swords' approach behind. This requires us to trust our intuition, take one step at a time, and open ourselves to the wonder of doing what feels right.
The Importance of Rest & The Four of Swords
I've just gotten up and am sitting here typing at my computer, bleary-eyed and just two sips into my first cup of coffee. It's shockingly late for me to be getting started with my day since I'm usually aiming to be up by six. Now, at 8:45, I'd normally be starting along a familair narrative of pressure. "It's time to get started already!" But this morning I'm not.
Instead, I'm wrapped up in the bliss of my body. I feel good. I can feel the heaviness in my limbs that comes when we really let ourselves go and get a full eight hours of sleep. And, to be honest, that hasn't happened in a while. Maybe it's the upcoming eclipse and full moon, but I've been spending lots of time tossing and turning in bed. Is there anything more frustrating than not sleeping well when you're so, so tired?
I've just gotten up and am sitting here typing at my computer, bleary-eyed and just two sips into my first cup of coffee. It's shockingly late for me to be getting started with my day since I'm usually aiming to be up by six. Now, at 8:45, I'd normally be starting along a familair narrative of pressure. "It's time to get started already!" But this morning I'm not.
Instead, I'm wrapped up in the bliss of my body. I feel good. I can feel the heaviness in my limbs that comes when we really let ourselves go and get a full eight hours of sleep. And, to be honest, that hasn't happened in a while. Maybe it's the upcoming eclipse and full moon, but I've been spending lots of time tossing and turning in bed. Is there anything more frustrating than not sleeping well when you're so, so tired?
Not last night, hallelujah! And I'm feeling so much better for it. But there's a funny ticker-tape of information that's coming along with my newfound relaxation, and I think it has a lot to do with our culture's anxiety about rest. And, as with most anxiety, it's scattered and somewhat illogical. But the message is this: "Now I'll have to start over again," and "I'm missing out."
In other words, when we rest we're loosing opportunities.
This reminds me of a book I read while working as a salesperson in a jewelry store. The place was teensy and, due to the high price point of the jewlery, frequently deserted. Because of this I had a) boatloads of spare time and b) immense pressure to convince one of the few customers fo buy something.
Enter: The Little Red Book of Sales. The owner pointed out this small book on the shelf and suggested I read it as soon as possible. "It'll teach you everything you need to know about being a salesperson," she said.
Now, as you may have guessed, I have a slightly rebellious and stubborn streak. Especially towards pressure-filled, capitalist sales techniques. So I managed to avoid this book for a bit, until I ran out of things to polish, sweep, or rearrange. And then I dove in and, hoo boy, was it full of gems.
The most disturbing statement, one that's stuck with me ever since, was a section about gaining the advantage over competitors that, to paraphrase, argued, "While everyone's wasting time sleeping, you can get the upper hand by learning as much as you can about sales/your position/business!"
So... don't sleep, you'll miss out.
What a rough message! And this is where I (finally) tie in some tarot wisdom. Rest isn't just a frivolous waste of time. It's a precious, biologically necessary period to reset and regenerate physically while opening up our minds and spirits. And what tarot card could that reflect? Cue the Four of Swords!
I love this card because it integrates the mental acuity of the swords with slower-burning realizations that can only come when we lay back and rest. Known for being academic, rational, and even a little cold, the swords often get tied to the negative aspects of thinking. We get treated to the stabby heartbreak of the Three of Swords or the ruthless conflict of the Five. These are moments where words and thoughts hurt.
But we can also have a tender and constructive relationship to our thoughts. They can be dreamy, ethereal, and poetic. They can bring us essential dimension and meaning. And, as the Four of Swords teaches us, we need space and rest and relaxation to invite these other forms of thought into our lives.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith image of the Four of Swords we see a figure laying down in a peaceful room. They're so peaceful, in fact, that they look almost dead. Light streams in from a beautiful stained glass window and three swords hand on the wall. These represent our conscious thoughts - things we're aware of and are now giving ourselves space to contemplate.
Yet there's another sword, hidden underneath the resting figure. This sword shows us how hidden information, realizations, and insights lie just below the surface.We need rest and repose for them to slowly bubble to the surface. Far from being a waste of time, sleep and other ways to recharge are utterly necessary to gain a true, embodied understanding of what's at work.
If we rely on the easily-identified facts of waking life to guide us we're ignoring deeper and more important truths. Why skim along the surface when we can both care for ourselves and tap into something deeper?
Exploring the Minor Arcana: The Fours
In this series we'll be diving into the world of the Minor Arcana. Each segment will group the cards by number where we can engage in their themes and differences. For all the posts in the installment, click here.
The fours in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck are all about stability and structure. From the creative dynamism of the threes we now need context and constraints to orient ourselves. Think of the four cardinal directions or the four walls of a home. The fours represent the forces, places, and mindsets that make up our world, asking us how and where we contain different aspects of our lives.
So how do each of the suits reflect these themes? Some, like the wands, embrace them wholeheartedly and without conflict. The action of the wands, with its boundless optimism and confidence, responds well to an open and airy type of structure. Others, like the four of cups, grow listless and bored by the constraint. Being a suit ruled by water, cups require fluid and flowing boundaries.
Let's look at each of the fours in more detail below:
Explore In-Depth Minor Arcana Meanings
The Four of Wands shows how creativity flourishes when channeled into an open structure. It can't reach its full potential when floating around in the air as plans and dreams. Instead, it needs to be enacted and put to work, and doing so brings great harmony and satisfaction, not to mention room for growth. We see a happy pair or people standing before a walled city, raising boquets before a beautiful arbor of four wands. Moving away from the predictability and structure of the city and towards a life based around their ideas and actions has brought them joy and freedom. Quite lovely stuff, indeed!
For the Four of Swords, structure is a welcome balm. All the careening thoughts of the swords suite need to come to rest. Here we see a figure reclining within a peaceful stone structure. All their swords are hung in place around him, unable to cause any harm. This shows us how putting down our thoughts and allowing our minds to rest is healing and leaves room for growth. What's more, the glow from the stained glass window represents the unexpected messages that can come to us when our minds are clear and receptive.
The Four of Cups is interestingly restless. Cups, in all their watery glory, need to flow and bend around obtacles. Being contained is against their nature and can result in stagnation. Here the figure in the card appears bored and listless, focused on his three cups and unable to see the fourth being offered to them. The fourth cup, however, shows how water always finds away around blockage. Emotion and connection are always around the corner (and boredom is impossible to keep for long).
Finally, the Four of Pentacles shows both the pleasant safety and ultimate limitation of material security and comforts. Hanging onto what we have is all well and good, but it prevents us from reaching out for more or receiving new gifts. The body language of the figure in this card is closed off and fearful. Ultimately, they must choose to relinquish the illusion of safety and control if they wish to go somewhere different in life.
In the fours we see how structure and boundaries can be welcome respites, helpful homes, or stagnant stops along our journeys of life. How do you view the fours in your tarot readings? Share in the comments below and stay tuned for our next installation on the mischievous and pivotal fives!
Tarot for Self-Care: The Four of Swords
“Just take some time to relax and think things over.” Isn’t this the perfect example of advice we don’t really want to hear? Many times when I pull this card for myself or others there’s a palpable sense of disappointment. That’s it? Just some guy lying in a room with some swords? It’s not what one expects when asking the tarot for advice. Usually when we seek guidance we’re looking for an action. The classic, Bruce Willis kind. We want to be seen and praised for being so proactive. We want to be a hero.
But what about the things we do to care for ourselves that don’t appear to be much at all? What happens when the hero simply needs to chill out? This is the part of the story that gets glossed over. It doesn’t even get a cool montage.
Because of this we often don’t have a blueprint for the kind of actions the Four of Swords advocates. It’s the kind of self-care that involves lying down, being still and silent. Meditation, rest, journaling, and introspection all fulfill the main objective of the Four of Swords: to quiet the chatter of our thoughts and get a feel for what we’re really feeling. Only then can we get to our feet and get going.
This card instructs us to shift our values away from the external and to spend time gathering strength. Sit still, rest, and hold off on acting. Though we might not be able to quantify or measure how it benefits us, the clarity, focus, and decisiveness that come from taking some time are undeniable.
Beautifully enough, granting ourselves this peace opens up room for unexpected and unexplainable messages. I love the imagery of this card. We first notice the reclining figure, the swords, the greyness of the surroundings. But not so fast. There's also a colorful window higher on the wall that looks like it's made of stained glass. We can imagine the soothing light that filters through it, gently illuminating the person resting below.
This illustration shows us there's more to this card than the intense intellectual bent of the suit of swords. The window introduces an element of the divine, whether we see it as from a higher power, a higher version or ourselves, or simply as inspiration. That is, when we fall into our bodies, relax, and make room for it, we leave space for beautiful messages to come through from something beyond ourselves.
I'd like to invite you to meditate on this idea. One of my favorite ways to integrate tarot meanings is to put myself in the place of the characters seen on the cards. Below is a basic rundown of how I like to work with the four of swords. Feel free to embellish or simplify as you'd like.
Four of Swords Meditation
Get cozy in a dimly lit room. Go to town if you're feeling inspired. Light some candles, burn some relaxing incense or essential oils, and make a plush nest for yourself.
Lie on your back with your hands on your chest like the figure in the four of swords. Close your eyes and take deep breaths, gently filling your lungs and exhaling slowly. Bring your awareness to your body, noticing any tension and directing your breath to each area with the intent of releasing it in the exhale.
Allow yourself to sink deeper and deeper into your being. Feel your back against the ground (or sumptuous pillows/blankets/cushions.) Find rhythm in your breathing and, when your mind wanders, direct it back to your bodily experience.
When you feel relaxed and calm, begin visualizing the room from the four of swords. Contemplate the grey color of the walls, it's blankness and gentle tone. You are safe and removed from the bustle of the outside world. You have endless time.
Shift your focus to the swords beneath you and on the wall. What do they have to tell you? Listen. It might be something silly or something important, it might be nothing at all. Take it in and let it go.
Breathe deeply and sink deeper into relaxation. When you feel ready, direct your attention to the gentle glow coming through the window above you. Imagine the colors dancing on the inside of your eyelids, the warm glow of yellows, oranges, and golds. How does it change your perception of the room?
Take deep breaths and notice how you feel. Do you feel warm? Secure? Is the color too much? Does it remind you of anything. Accept any insights with nonjudgment and let them filter in and out. Imagine calling inspiration and guidance from the source of the light if you feel inspired to do so.
Imagine absorbing the light, opening up to it, and calling it into your life. When you feel ready, gently allow yourself to come out of the meditation, taking time to bring your awareness back into your body.
I hope you find this exercise as enjoyable as I do. I've been lucky enough to have several clients share with me their "four of swords moments," little (or big) times when they've felt a touch of something more during rest, meditation, and calmness. Do you have a four of swords moment you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it in the comments below.
And in closing, the four of swords is a stepping stone like any tarot card. The ideal is not to recline in this swordsy room forever. If we treat the self-care message of this card the same way we realize that we’re constantly given opportunities to practice its meaning. We can meditate for a quick five minutes, find peace in sipping a cup of tea, and think our options over before acting. If we work on slipping these smaller moments into our day we can carry the serenity and peace of the Four of Swords with us always. I'd certainly like that.
