Weekly Forecast: October 17-23
I was struggling to start this forecast for the strange reason that it was too simple, to the point where entering the space of the reading felt nearly impossible. If you can sum up something in one sentence, why go any further?
Well, this is tarot after all, and each reading is its own world. We can’t just stop there, at the door, without walking in and exploring the whole house.
I was struggling to start this forecast for the strange reason that it was too simple, to the point where entering the space of the reading felt nearly impossible. If you can sum up something in one sentence, why go any further?
Well, this is tarot after all, and each reading is its own world. We can’t just stop there, at the door, without walking in and exploring the whole house.
And then I had a little chuckle; of course it was difficult starting a reading that begins with The Four of Pentacles. We can all feel this card’s association with reserve, self-protection, and restraint just by looking at it. This person doesn’t not seem relaxed! But take some time to observe, listen, and maybe gently pry one of the pentacles from their fingers? Well, then a whole other side of the coin emerges.
So, at the beginning of this week take a moment to see where you’ve been holding steady. What about your life is most precious to you? What do you refuse to compromise on? And how might this steadfastness be a reflection of your dedication to something greater, the promise of a better future?
We may be feeling unsure of this dedication, questioning our instinct to dig our heels in and not budge. Are we being stubborn? Irresponsible? Rigid? The Knight of Swords shows us facing a strong headwind. Self-criticism, impatience, and old loyalty to stale ideas hang heavy in the air. This is a time, however, to sit down, cradle your pentacles, and let these urges and ideas pass by. We have something much more interesting coming our way, and it’s showing up in our actual experiences, not our thoughts.
What does is mean to resist the urge to rush, pursue, and make meaning? This week we have a generative showdown between the slow-moving solidity of the pentacles and the lightening-fast, nimble and reactive Knight of Swords. I won’t mince words; it’s not a chill energy. It will feel sticky at times. But I think we’ve all been practicing inhabiting a healthy “Four of Pentacles mindset.” When needed, take refuge in past examples of how your determination to stay true to yourself - especially in relation to your time, material life, and work - has given you a sense of independence and stability.
Why am I so sure of this? Well, we have a beautiful card showing up at the end of the week that affirms our instinct to wait, ground ourselves, and hold out for something more: The Ace of Pentacles. Our period of waiting, it seems, isn’t going to last long, and a gift is arriving on the scene. It could take the form of a new opportunity, a stroke of good luck, or simply an experience that inspires and revivifies us.
The only catch? We must be ready to loosen our grip on the way our life is now to make room for the newness we’ve been yearning for.
This week, embrace:
Staying your course
Taking care of business
Caring for your body, home, and posessions
Revisiting your goals
Prioritizing your wellbeing (in all senses of the word)
Holding out for the right _______
This week, avoid:
Being swayed by societal expectations, others’ opinions, the urge to compensate
Rash action
Speaking before you’re sure of what you really want to say
Cutting down your visions for the future
Saying no to something delightful
Get creative:
The Four of Pentacles: Let’s tap into the practicality of this card. Fours in tarot are about foundations, stability, and the contours of our life. Pentacles are about our physical reality. So! Spend some time exploring what this means to you at this particular point in your life. What are the four cornerstones of your life’s foundation? Categories to consider: time, body, relationships, resources; places, people, activities, work; routine, rituals, nourishment, expression. Mix and match if you’d like, but be sure to pick four and expand on the things you do to uphold each.
Knight of Swords: This card is occupying the “butthead role” for the week. In other words, it’s telling us what not to do. So, cultivate a lighthearted and clear-headed relationship with this card. Where do you see the Knight of Swords in your life? How do you inhabit its particular flavor of know-it-all-ness. Some things to consider: What stories get you fired up in the wrong direction? Where do you rush into black and white thinking in order to protect yourself? What do you sound like (and feel like) when you blurt out stupid things? Simple awareness is often all it takes to resist this card’s pull.
Ace of Pentacles: Aces are somewhat intimidating. How do we know when they arrive? Can we trust them? I feel like this is an important week to open our arms to our aces preemptively, so that we don’t turn them away when they appear. How do we do this? Build a shrine to your Ace of Pentacles. I know you know what you’re really yearning for right now. Let yourself want it, no matter how embarrassing it feels (I see you, Knight of Swords!). Find a space in your home to set out objects that represent this wish, desire, outcome, or gift. Set our some flowers, light a candle, let things be lovely.
Weekly Forecast: November 4-10
What do you want to do?
This week shows us really showing up in awareness of our wants and desires. They're not superficial or fleeting. We have a huge reservoir of willpower, determination, and discernment rising from within us. Our task is to translate this energy into action.
What do you want to do?
This week shows us really showing up in awareness of our wants and desires. They're not superficial or fleeting. We have a huge reservoir of willpower, determination, and discernment rising from within us. Our task is to translate this energy into action.
We come in with the stormy energy of the Knight of Swords. This is a card that's seeking certainty, that loves the feeling of being right. Yet underneath is a deep fear of being wrong, as if we must have 100% certainty to be valid. As if we could somehow reach a conclusion that would hold in a court of law - a flawless, beautiful argument.
The blend of smarts and insecurity can be volatile, but this week we're onto something. The hunches and restless questioning of the Knight of Swords are leading us to the stability of the King of Pentacles. Our roving minds are looking for the words to describe a facet of our lived truth. What is happening right now? What is the ground that I'm standing on? Why does it matter?
Once we find that solid ground, however, we have to stop our questioning.
This is all bringing us to the beautiful self-awareness of The Sun, and I like the reversed quality to these cards. The epiphany isn't coming first. We're not entering into the week under bright light. Instead, there's edginess, questions, and an instinct for motion, change, and new ways of understanding.
All the Knights in tarot are on horseback. Some sit placidly, surveying the land, while others, like the Knight of Swords, are in mid-charge, looking to prove themselves. At times this energy can be harmful for us: We don't want to charge headlong into a ditch or danger. Yet the Knight of Swords is bringing us towards the King of Pentacles. Our drive is an instinct to make ourselves more solid in our lives. It's something trustworthy, even if we can't articulate it completely.
When we come to rest in the King of Pentacles we can see things as they are. Look for interpretations of your situation that make you feel at home in your body, no matter how that feels. It could feel "bad" - a sadness that hasn't been honored or held up - but it's yours and part of your experience. The King of Pentacles gains his power from accepting and working with his life as it is on the ground. He's always the king because of his reality, not in spite of it.
On the other end of the spectrum, things could be better than we think. Sometimes the Knight of Swords, when left to his own devices, turns his analytic fury towards his sense of selves, leveling brutal criticism and dissatisfaction every which way. What if our actual reality is something to be proud of? What if it isn't the time to ask so many complicated questions; that the reality is in fact quite lush and sustaining?
Weekly Forecast: August 5-11
The coming days have us struggling to reconcile the uncertainty of our future with the conviction of our inner calling. We're moving towards some unstable territory - the good old fashioned unknown.
The coming days have us struggling to reconcile the uncertainty of our future with the conviction of our inner calling. We're moving towards some unstable territory - the good old fashioned unknown.
What tools are we bringing with us? It's the restless intellect of the Knight of Swords and the headstrong charisma of the Queen of Wands. Not too shabby. So why is the Five of Coins appearing next?
Ruin and misfortune are serious topics. Yet they're also scene-stealers. We can bring them up (and, unfortunately, other can as well) to derail any future movement away from what's familiar. This most commonly comes up around money: what if we become destitute, ruined, and make a fatal error?
The fact that this line of thought often goes to the catastrophic so quickly is a big hint: Anxiety might be leading this inquiry instead of prudence or wisdom.
Let's return to our court cards because they're showing us something fairly new and radical. The Knight of Swords, an intrepid seeker, is moving away from the Five of Coins. We can see he's struggling uphill against some force, yet his path is a gorgeous rainbow array of colors.
This week it appears that we're moving away from old, apocalyptic ideas about money and pioneering new, more authentic territory. It's not easy, that's for sure, but there's a huge well of energy and inspiration keeping us moving and motivated.
What fearful ideas around money and material security are coming up for us now? Where might they originate from? How are they helping or hindering our growth? Taking time to explore these questions will help ease our path forward and shed some light into an area that's often tangled with expectations from society, our cultures, and our families.
It can be frightening to step away from the traditional ways of doing things or to find that you value a security that's outside of the norm. Fortunately, the norm is so restrictive that there is so much outside. The energy this week could manifest itself in the desire to take some time off, relax instead of pushing through a new project, or, on the more extreme end of the spectrum, start taking a new career path more seriously.
Whatever form it takes for you, the radiant Queen of Wands is right in the center, mediating between the passionate questioning of the Knight of Swords and the doom and gloom of the Five of Coins. This powerful archetype is directing us to center our decisions around ourselves and to make them with the goal of amplifying our joy, reach, and energy.
Perhaps the Five of Coins, after a small crisis of confidence, is simply a reminder that you'd feel more confident and free after paying down your credit card debt and then investing in a new course. Rather than swinging to the worst case scenario - being evicted out on the street because you spent money on something you're interested in! - this card brings us to our center. What makes us feel best. It's usually a combination of things, and we're the only ones who can figure out the right mixture.
Additionally, this card highlights a more tender aspect to our reading. You'll notice that the Five of Coins in the only card with two figures. There can be closeness in suffering, and it's worth asking whether adhering to some limiting or anxiety-producing ideas about what you can have or do is keeping you close to someone
The Queen of Wands asks us to consider what we really want and to expand into the reality that going for it in a balanced way will open us up further to both ourselves and the people around us.
And, finally, let's take one last look at the Knight of Swords. With his back turned towards the Five of Coins, he's asking new questions and bravely pushing towards his own truth. It seems like we're ready to chart our own path and discover answers that are more complex, radiant, and truthful for ourselves. .
Weekly Forecast: January 14-20
This week's reading asks us to hone in on how we're approaching our life. From the first glance, it's clear that we're driven by a great deal of energy and meaning. How else could we have two knights - the daring, dashing, and impulsive cards of the tarot - at either end of our cards?
This week's reading asks us to hone in on how we're approaching our life. From the first glance, it's clear that we're driven by a great deal of energy and meaning. How else could we have two knights - the daring, dashing, and impulsive cards of the tarot - at either end of our cards?
Before we go into the details, these knights tell us that we have no shortage of enthusiasm. We're ready to get hands on, to dive into the adventure of it all. Without the knights we'd remain mired in old patterns, complacent, and afraid to test and expand our personal power. But all Knights have to step down from their horses at some point, or risk burnout and one-sided conviction.
In fact, we've been harnessing knightly energy for quite some time now, but specifically from the standpoint of the Knight of Swords.
What does this mean specifically? Well, for one, we're all fired up and wanting to act on our principles. The intellectual knight in the tarot, the Knight of Swords loves to analyze, identify values, and make them a driving force behind his endeavors. It's a wonderful impulse, but it's also one that's brought us to a place of burnout, as the Nine of Wands illustrates.
What happens when we become so principled that we lose sight of what's important? Too much intellectual analysis can lead to an impersonal view of life. And, as you might guess, makes any difficulty or failure personal.
We might be feeling a little harsh towards ourselves in the beginning of the week. Why haven't we done more? Why haven't we achieved all the lofty goals we set for ourselves?
There's a precious and endearing side to this knight that's important to recognize here. We want to do well and we have so much passion and ambition. Yet we're also human, with living, breathing bodies that need care and attention. We can't just keep on going on principles and convictions alone; we need food, sleep, and care.
The Nine of Wands illustrates the literal burnout from investing too heavily in the Knight of Swords' approach. In our enthusiasm we forgot our physical limits and the importance of being a part of our own lives. Being plain old tuckered out, however, is giving us a natural pause to reassess and adjust our approach.
Treating any tiredness or overwhelm with curiosity can help us see our current situation and make lasting choices towards our goals. Indeed, the Nine of Wands is telling us that we've gone as far as we can with the Knight of Swords' orientation. Any further and we'd be in the territory of ultimate exhaustion with the Ten of Wands. You may remember the illustration for this card: a figure pushing a fan of ten wands that obscure his view. Hardly something to work towards!
Fortunately, we're not there yet. We might be a little battered and tired, but we can still see the next steps available to us. And this next step? It's the diligent focus of the Knight of Coins.
This card is immensely encouraging. It's telling us that our general ideas - the information we've collected in our Knight of Swords phase - is helpful and valuable. We just need to bring it down to earth and integrate it into our actions. And that includes how we care for ourselves.
We can have a life animated by what's important, those big and lofty ideas that the Knight of Swords loves to much, but it has to be channeled through everyday action and done in the service of a healthy and fulfilled life.
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.
Exploring the Minor Arcana: The Knights
I have such a soft spot for the Knights in tarot. They have so much verve and energy! These are not a group of cards interested in concepts or abstractions. They want to get down and dirty, engaging with life in the hands-on, adventuresome style of someone on a mission. While the Pages are eager students, the Knights might be someone who lists "School of Life and Hard Knocks" on their facebook education section. They want to learn by doing and they're already diving into the task at hand.
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.
I have such a soft spot for the Knights in tarot. They have so much verve and energy! These are not a group of cards interested in concepts or abstractions. They want to get down and dirty, engaging with life in the hands-on, adventuresome style of someone on a mission. While the Pages are eager students, the Knights might be someone who lists "School of Life and Hard Knocks" on their facebook education section. They want to learn by doing and they're already diving into the task at hand.
I often refer to the Knights as the teenagers in tarot. They have the same headstrong conviction and, like any rebellious youth, this attitude is also masking an endearing tenderness. Not fully formed as people, the Knights still have a lot to figure out, which is why these cards can also represent foolhardiness, irrational decision making, and risk-taking.
While the Knights can get themselves in a pickle by jumping the gun - saying something in anger or frustration, committing to a task they can't finish, or living in an idealized fantasy world - they also bring an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to any situation. Look to the Knights for the galvanizing force behind a big leap or the passion needed to get things going and inspire others.
Each of the Knights comes with their own unique flavor. Let's explore their wild, engaging, and impetuous world below:
The Knight of Wands is quite the handful. Just think about the combination of teenage energy + fiery wands! This card might possibly be the most charismatic of the deck. It brings with it passion, energy, and the desire to leap in and get things done.
For the Knight of Swords is much more cerebral. This is a card where the conceptual and the real come together for the Knight of Swords is all about testing out ideas. What might this theory look like in real life? How can we act on our principles or communicate our thoughts? This can sometimes get tricky since sharp swords are in the situation, but the intention is usually well-meaning.
The Knight of Cups is the romantic of the bunch. Think of the emo guy writing poetry in the back of class. This Knight has a way with words and imagery, loves art and poetry, and will sweep anyone off their feet with romantic promises. When it comes to real life, however, this card balks at anything less than glamorous and perfect and can become sullen and withdrawn.
Last but not least, The Knight of Pentacles brings the energy of the Knights back down to earth. The most practical of the bunch, this card is all about slow, deliberate, action. Concerned with cultivation and making plans into reality, this card can get stuck in their ways and become resistant to change. Is the path they're going on what they really want?
What about you? How do the Knights show up in your tarot practice? How do you relate to them personally? Share in the comments below, and be sure to do something bold and adventurous today in celebration of these zesty cards.
Explore In-Depth Minor Arcana Meanings
Weekend Send-Off: Back in Action
I'm back from a rejuvenating vacation and happy to be blogging again! Though in honesty, it's quite the transition going from leisurely beach walks to the ins-and-outs of my work schedule. I've been talking with so many people about the healing magic of being near the ocean. Durham, for all its warmth and wonder, isn't quite close enough for my tastes, so being at my family's home in Cape Cod was a huge pleasure.
I'm back from a rejuvenating vacation and happy to be blogging again! Though in honesty, it's quite the transition going from leisurely beach walks to the ins-and-outs of my work schedule. I've been talking with so many people about the healing magic of being near the ocean. Durham, for all its warmth and wonder, isn't quite close enough for my tastes, so being at my family's home in Cape Cod was a huge pleasure.
And yet it's also incredibly energizing to be diving back into the tarot world. I have so many plans that I'm cooking up: changes to this website as well as new offerings and events for the fall. It's a lot to wrangle, but loving what you do is a huge help.
In the midst of it all I've been making time to enjoy the shifts in the season (fall is on it's way, hallelujah!) and other simple pleasures such as...
Kitchen Delights - Fettuccine and Clams
One of my favorite things to do in Cape Cod is clamming. Armed with special rakes and wire baskets, you wade out during low tide and comb the sand feeling for hidden mollusks. It's meditative, peaceful, and oh so easy. Plus, you get to come home sunswept, salty, and armed with a delicious catch for dinner.
The day before we left I went out during an extremely low tide and filled a basket with my father, who also happens to be the Deputy Shellfish Warden (the post comes with a badge and very jazzy hat!). He packed the clams safely in a cooler for my drive down South and I cooked them up with fettuccine for an epic clam dinner with friends. Is anything better? I've linked to a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, but you really can't go wrong with clams, onions, wine, butter, and lots of chili flakes.
Why Not? - Beach Tarot
One of my treasured beach rituals is doing surprising things while basking in the sun. I usually eschew zippy beach reads for heavy Russian novels (what can I say, I love contrast!) and even bring my tarot cards for some quick personal readings. My Rider-Waite-Smith in a tin works especially well. Just make sure you're vigilant or they'll get blown away by the sea breeze...
Repeat Tarot Card - Two of Pentacles
Now here's a card I love to see! The Two of Pentacles was all over the place this past week. A wondeful depiction of juggling work and projects with aplomb, this card shows that we've been on our toes and loving every moment of it.
Listening, Reading, Watching
There's nothing like a long drive to get deep into podcasts and audio books. I was so engrossed with the true crime podcast West Cork that I hardly noticed my travels from D.C. through New Jersey - high praise, indeed!
I've also been listening to the audiobook version of the David Lynch biography-autobiography hybrid, Room to Dream. It's fascinatingly structured with one chapter by a biographer followed by a segment written (and in this version narrated) by Lynch himself.
How about you? What has been bringing joy to your life this week? Now without further ado, the card for the weekend.
The King of Swords
Message: Take charge and go after what you want knowing that your perceptions are on-point.
Embrace: Decisiveness, healthy self-interest.
Let Go Of: Controlling others, power trips. Holding back your opinions.
Guidance: Is there something you really want and believe in that you haven't been allowing yourself to pursue? Now is a wonderful time to step into this new direction with confidence!
Weekend Send-Off
This upcoming full moon and eclipse has had me feeling all sorts of loopy. I've either been sleeping soundly or not at all, tackling piles of work with focus or running around distractedly. Variety is the spice of life, right?
I'm also nose-deep in an epic website redesign that's bringing out all my persnickety tics. This mainly focuses around words. What words do I use to describe my business and offerings? (To my left is a spread of notecards with buzzwords on them... and a plate of blueberry pie.)
Amongst all these happenings have been some lovely highlights...
This upcoming full moon and eclipse has had me feeling all sorts of loopy. I've either been sleeping soundly or not at all, tackling piles of work with focus or running around distractedly. Variety is the spice of life, right?
I'm also nose-deep in an epic website redesign that's bringing out all my persnickety tics. This mainly focuses around words. What words do I use to describe my business and offerings? (To my left is a spread of notecards with buzzwords on them... and a plate of blueberry pie.)
Amongst all these happenings have been some lovely highlights...
Artful Exploration - You Are Here at NCMA
I finally got myself over to the North Carolina Museum of Art to catch the last day of this amazing exhibit featuring visually captivating art, most notably an infinity room by Yayoi Kusama that has become the selfie-background du jour. But you know what, it is genuinely gorgeous and should be enjoyed by the masses, so I take back my reflexive judgy tone there! (Also, my insecurity could be stemming from my selfie-ineptitude - I couldn't get the right angle and caved under the pressure!)
Pure Brilliance - Timothee Chalamet in Art
My friend and I watched a matinee showing of Call Me By Your Name in New Orleans. I was not expecting to be filled with indescribable joy at the lush, pure-hearted eroticism between Elio and Oliver while surrounded by very uncomfortable senior citizens, but it was a magical experience nonetheless. And Call Me By Your Name is by far my favorite movie of the year.
So when this instagram account dedicated to images of Timothee Chalamet photoshopped into classical art I nearly exploded. I may or may not have downloaded one of their wallpapers for my desktop, too...
Repeat Tarot Card
This week has been fairly diverse when it comes to tarot cards. No one card has popped up to set the mood which is... interesting. Perhaps a reflection of the big changes coming our way in the eclipse? Mystery abounds!
Listening, Reading, Watching
I finally dove into this collection of stories by Angela Carter. Most famous for her subversive retellings of fairy tales, Carter is an amazing writer. You know the feeling when you pick up a book, start reading, and are lifted to another world? It's indescribably refreshing, especially when the writer has a playful mastery of language and a sense of humor. I didn't know how much I needed this until I picked it up!
How about you? What has been bringing joy to your life this week? And finally, here it is - our card for the weekend.
The Knight of Swords
Message: Follow your ideas, test them out in real time, and find exhilaration in questioning the status quo.
Embrace: Communicating your ideas with fellow seekers (but keep it to your "indoor voice" - this knight can be unintentionally rude and crusading!)
Let Go Of: Absolutes - what might be hidden in even your truest convictions?
Guidance: We can travel so far in our minds, leaping over obstacles and stumbling blocks with creative thinking.
Weekly Forecast: June 5-11
We’re feeling zesty this week, entranced by new ideas and feeling more than capable when it comes to experimenting with them.
It’s a time of newness that, at first glance, seems simple enough. Maybe there’s something we’d like to try and after turning the idea over in our mind we’re ready to get practical about it – taking a class about something we’ve never done before, asking someone we’ve had our eyes on out for a coffee, approaching a colleague about an idea for a new project.
Instead of being nervous or apprehensive, we’re moving forward with a lot of momentum. So much so that we’re able to steamroll over what normally holds us back. There’s a voice in our heads telling us “just go for it! It’s no big deal!”
In this case, we should hop on and enjoy the ride. Being equal parts confident and carefree is propelling us into new and fun territory.
The Two of Pentacles sees us relishing in the act of experimentation. We have a deep well of flexibility and creative thinking at our disposal. Situations that might normally seem unmovable and unchangeable quiver in the face of our dynamism. We’re cheeky and prepared to make things work through a series of innovative dance moves and nontraditional tweaks.
This is a time to embrace motion. We’ll be finding inspiration as we flit around and interact with the world. Art, nature, travel – all these things will trigger new ideas we can add to our plans, like collecting images to add to a collage. Embrace your hummingbird-like instinct to find sweetness in many different blooms. Learning through doing will be key in the days to come.
It’s important to remember that shaking things up doesn’t need to immediately result in any certainty. We move to The Fool to remind us that instead of categorizing what we’re learning we must give it plenty of room to flourish. The fun experimentation and new experiences we usher into our lives this week are awakening deeply buried parts of ourselves and sending us out on an even larger journey.
But before we think larger = more pressure! more seriousness! we should pump the breaks. The Fool tells us to embrace an innocent beginners mind. Not ignorantly innocent. We’ll be bringing just the right amount of know-how with us as we end this week – not too much to bog us down, not too little to leave us completely exposed and ill-prepared.
The one caveat? We may find ourselves contending with the difference between our expectations vs. the reality of the situation. We began with The Knight of Swords and his powerful conviction gave us the momentum and inspiration to play with new pursuits. So thank you, Knight of Swords!
However, this card also has the tendency to erase rich nuance with a somewhat insecure need for certainty. To the point where the ideas that we had coming into our new forays get projected over the actual, unpredictable result. How frustrating to have the glowing unknown of the new future presenting itself to us overshadowed by our expectations.
At the end of this week we’ll find ourselves presented with the option to turn off our projectors and let the opportunity of The Fool be what it truly is. We’ve awakened a new sense of possibility with the Two of Pentacles, practicing our abilities to move through life with joyful motion. Let’s channel this confidence and skill into turning off the pointed certainty of the Knight of Swords and letting a new approach shine through uninhibited.