Weekly Forecast: November 25 - December 1
This week we’re in a tender spot, feeling our way through the beginning stages of something new. What seems like a stark contrast - the joviality of the King of Pentacles and the sensitivity of the Queen of Cups - is made even more so by our desire to think our way out of it. The Two of Swords shows deliberation, isolation, and emotional unrest. Might there be another way? Or, more pointedly, might there be something we’re missing?
This week we’re in a tender spot, feeling our way through the beginning stages of something new. What seems like a stark contrast - the joviality of the King of Pentacles and the sensitivity of the Queen of Cups - is made even more so by our desire to think our way out of it. The Two of Swords shows deliberation, isolation, and emotional unrest. Might there be another way? Or, more pointedly, might there be something we’re missing?
I have a feeling that these cards are only representing a surface level. Both court cards and the Two of Swords involve highlighting a facet of our experience while setting aside or, at the worst, devaluing others. This is a good opportunity to check for balance in our lives. Are we extending outwards too much, stretching away from our central perspective? Or are we getting drawn inwards, preoccupied with worries or anxiety?
Either way, we’re certainly functioning well, all things considered. These court cards aren’t here for nothing! We can take their capability and use it to support us, too. How have we built a lush life for ourselves? What resources are behind us? The King of Pentacles shows these skills operating at their best.
Yet there’s some unease here, as we can see with the Two of Swords. Perhaps we feel like we must choose between the bright, charismatic capability of the King of Pentacles and the emotive, wise introspection of the Queen of Cups?
(I have to admit, this is sounding more and more like the tension of spending the holidays with family! For those heading into that realm, feel free to see the cards in this light.)
Sometimes it’s most helpful to follow the lead of a card, to healthily engage with its energy. Allowing ourselves time, solitude, and the ability to think things over will help usher us through the inaction of the Two of Swords. There’s something important for us to learn here, so let’s start asking the questions and leave room to receive the answers.
And, if we’re missing the emotional wisdom of the Queen of Cups, we can engage with our intuition. The Two of Swords depicts a rippling ocean behind the blindfolded figure. Our intuition is telling us something and, most importantly, is right behind us. There may be some important insight in our restlessness, and we’ll only find out if we take off our blindfolds and turn around to examine it.
Weekly Forecast: November 11-17
What if you're already doing wonderfully?
I'm writing this forecast in the early morning, still bleary-eyed in my mismatched pajamas. I'm feeling the pressure of Monday morning acutely: What do I need to do today, exactly? What bill is due today? How am I going to squeeze in all of this?
What if you're already doing wonderfully?
I'm writing this forecast in the early morning, still bleary-eyed in my mismatched pajamas. I'm feeling the pressure of Monday morning acutely: What do I need to do today, exactly? What bill is due today? How am I going to squeeze in all of this?
When I turned over our first card, I have to admit I was almost startled. The World? Really?
Yet when I look around I can see it. My beloved dog is napping on the couch, the sun is peeking through the windows behind me, and I've just made one of the strongest coffees in my life. It's beautiful, even though I can see errant crumbs in the sun's rays on my counter top. Even though I have a big old bill to pay and six wildly different tasks to tackle. I'm here and here is touchingly gorgeous.
I've talked about The World a lot in these forecasts. It's the last Major Arcana card, the final stop on The Fool's journey. While tarot has paths and patterns of meanings, our experience of it (much like life itself) doesn't follow a predictable pattern. That is, we can always access The World no matter where we are in life. And, as we've all experienced, sometimes our combination of experiences is wild and strange - The World and Death, for example.
This morning, however, we just have The World as our sole Major Arcana card. It's dancing benevolently, almost teasingly, asking us to look around and see the beauty and accomplishment in our imperfect lives. More specifically, it's asking us to look at our role in all this. There may be many moving parts, some confusion, and a lot of desire to do right, but here we are in the center showing up and truly living life. Let's give ourselves credit, especially if it doesn't line up with our expectations.
Our subsequent two cards make up the kindest tarot reality check. If we look at our life from a place of pride and security, we can take each challenge and task as it comes with no need to get mired in the oppressive details. In fact, my list of tasks and worries fits in perfectly with the Eight of Swords. Here we see a person constrained and bound, frozen still and surrounded by the very tools that could cut them loose.
So what do we do when the pressures hem us in? The Page of Swords burst into the scene with its refreshing simplicity. The answer: one thing at a time. Wielded correctly, our thoughts give us direction. Translating them into action frees us from being stuck. I love how movement is the healing element in this week's forecast. How can we keep a relaxed pace and accomplish small tasks with regularity?
Tarot experts often refer to The World as "the world dancer," and I'm smitten with this idea of dancing through life as the highest form of mastery. It's not rote, predictable, or joyless. Instead, it's vibrant and engaged - an art form instead of a correct answer. Each of us will dance through life differently, but this week we're all ready to keep going and enjoy the magic of our own movements, one thing at a time.
Weekly Forecast: October 21-27
I love how this week's forecast is giving us a clear choice between mindful, embodied action and a frenzied action that leads to over-extending ourselves. Yes, you read the cards right: Temperance is urging us to find peace in the practice of the Two of Pentacles rather than the wild, unfocused careening of the Five of Wands.
I love how this week's forecast is giving us a clear choice between mindful, embodied action and a frenzied action that leads to over-extending ourselves. Yes, you read the cards right: Temperance is urging us to find peace in the practice of the Two of Pentacles rather than the wild, unfocused careening of the Five of Wands.
Speaking to the elements at work, this is a week to ground ourselves in the wisdom of earth, staying close to our physical and material needs. Getting caught up in the world of fire and ambition is only leading to conflict and chaos.
Temperance can be a challenging card to work with; sometimes the angelic imagery seems unattainable and even haughty. Yet this week we're being asked to see how our higher self directs us towards healthy actions. What guiding instincts lead us to care for ourselves? How can thinking simply and focusing on actionable steps bring us closer to the divine?
Temperance also straddles these two worlds. You'll notice the angel has one foot dipped into the water and the other stabilized on the earth itself. Care and simple commitment to what we need to do in our everyday lives can be surprisingly transcendent. Let's see what this awareness brings to the surface this week.
The wands here are giving us a word of caution. While it's lovely to think we'll sashay into the embodied path of Temperance & the Two of Pentacles, the Five of Wands alerts us to an internal battle of sorts. Are we pretending or wishing we could just push forward and fill our time with action? Is there something threatening about keeping things simple and in the moment?
The wands are often emblematic of our society's obsession with productivity and accomplishment. Having the conflict-theme five in our reading is straightforward tarot-speak for "just chill out, please."
How might our desire to stay busy and keep striving be hindering us right now? What happens when we slow down and just focus on baby steps? And, most importantly, how does doing this distance us from our higher-self and Temperance nature?
I see this reading as an invitation to open up to the wonder and healing of being in the moment, particularly in our mundane lives. Looking to the jovial dance of the Two of Pentacles we can ask ourselves, "How am I doing something beautiful, transcendent, and joyful when I stay close to my own experience and actual, lived life?"
Weekly Forecast: September 23-29
My lovely friends, this is a reading to write home about! And, to be honest, a welcome break from all the soul-searching present in our recent forecasts. There's a bevy of cups available to us this week: satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, fun, creativity, spirit, and connection. So what's the first step?
My lovely friends, this is a reading to write home about! And, to be honest, a welcome break from all the soul-searching present in our recent forecasts. There's a bevy of cups available to us this week: satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, fun, creativity, spirit, and connection. So what's the first step?
Overwhelm, it seems, is an important sign for us, particularly the kind that arises from a wide sea of opportunities and options.
I'm getting this from the Seven of Cups, of course - that tricky and alluring exploration of our creativity. Like all sevens it represents the secret invitation of dissatisfaction. What happens when we peel aside the first layer of itchiness? Inspiration and a meaningful next step.
This card was also at the center of a collective reading we did at my local tarot meetup. In that reading, the Seven of Cups generated a lot of helpful and invigorating energy, and it does the same here.
We can try looking at the wide expanse of unknown in front of us as a grand stage to fill with actions, plans, and goals. The only requirement is that they're exciting and fascinating: No lackluster, half-assed dreams need apply!
If things have been feeling a bit heavy during the past few weeks we can expect that weight to lift. Our challenge will be to welcome that and all the silliness, experimentation, and dreaming that comes along with it. Embracing that will be healing, expansive, and fun (sign me up!) and bring us to the bounty of the Ten of Cups.
The King of Cups presides over the whole picture. We're learning our own creative language and taking our dreams seriously. And it's unlocking a much-needed and surprising source of inner leadership.
I can't think of a group of cards that would give us a more resounding invitation to think outside the box, lighten up, and walk towards what we really want, even if we're not sure why.
Underneath all this is a river of emotion; yet, like the King of Cups, we've looked into it and can now sail across its surface. What work have you been doing to integrate and process you emotional experiences? How have you been showing up for yourself throughout challenging times? What peace have you found within yourself?
I also think that the King of Cups has some words of gentle encouragement to share with us. Sometimes the Ten of Cups can be surprisingly triggering. All that sunshine and rainbows energy can seem ostentatious and flashy. Do we really think we're all that? What does it mean if we're a little afraid of our best possible scenario?
The King of Cups tells us that all of those conflicted feelings are welcome and necessary. We can have the rainbow and still be human, with all our fear, restlessness, and weirdness alongside the wonder and joy.
So let this week be one where you celebrate and explore your strangest dreams and ideas. Playing around will invite in the sense of feeling you're looking for as you start to move closer to your personal Ten of Cups.
Weekly Forecast: July 1-7
The energy for this weeks starts off ponderous and heavy. We're clearly taking our lives very seriously, considering the traditional viewpoints of The Hierophant that initiate our reading. Yet, as we can see from the undignified face-plant of the Ten of Swords, these ideas and strategies have reached far beyond any semblance of helpfulness. In fact, they've overtaken our sense of self, and now we must contend with a back full of swords.
The energy for this weeks starts off ponderous and heavy. We're clearly taking our lives very seriously, considering the traditional viewpoints of The Hierophant that initiate our reading. Yet, as we can see from the undignified face-plant of the Ten of Swords, these ideas and strategies have reached far beyond any semblance of helpfulness. In fact, they've overtaken our sense of self, and now we must contend with a back full of swords.
The spikier cards (usually the swords, no surprise there) can sometimes dominate a reading, making their themes seem overarching when they're just one voice in the chorus. Such is the case here, since the Seven of Wands concludes the week. It seems that we're jumping up from the injuries and pressures of the Ten and back into action quite quickly.
In other words, we're more than ready to change our orientation and get back in the fray.
A rewind is in order: What big societal, familial, and/or traditional pressures are causing us to collapse? This will hold the key to our rebound and rejuvenation.
The Ten of Swords suggests that we're at the point in a long process of healing when we've reached critical mass. We have no choice but to confront and let go. Beautifully, it looks like we're more than ready to do so. Our healing has progressed far beyond our past struggles; now is the time to tap into our budding wands energy and counter our internal pressures with external, creative action.
Over thinking and intense self-awareness will only hold us back. We might want to explore how we use these strategies to keep ourselves stuck in a familiar place of under-performance. The Hierophant here seems to be running that show (we can see his red robes sliding from the prone figure's shoulder in the Ten of Swords.) What old and external pressures are beginning to leave our lives? Or, at least, feel inauthentic? Now is the time to examine how they've wounded and shaped us and, most importantly, to say our goodbyes.
In case this ponderous energy seems too much, the Seven of Wands is here to remind us of how much energy and excitement there is in our daily lives. This card asks us to channel the angst and pain from The Hierophant and the Ten of Swords into our pursuits, whether they're creative, professional, or physical. What are we doing for ourselves that makes us feel light and alive?
This card tells us that our lives are our masterpieces: In creating and caring for them we show ourselves how powerful we can be, and how we can free ourselves from the limitations of beliefs that have never been ours to begin with.
Weekly Forecast: May 27-June 2
We have a clear and beautiful reading for our week ahead, though I'm sure many of us are feeling apprehensive with the Three of Swords as our final card.
We have a clear and beautiful reading for our week ahead, though I'm sure many of us are feeling apprehensive with the Three of Swords as our final card.
A wise tarot reader practice is to always start with the most difficult card. Our attention is there already, and skirting around it only builds tension. Not to mention we're unlikely to pay attention to what comes before when we wait for the dreaded shoe to drop.
So I'll start with the Three of Swords first, though in this case the sadness it represents isn't dropping in a harsh or dramatic fashion. We have some cushioning here, most notably in all the hard work we've done to show up for ourselves. It's our job this week to muster all our care, curiosity, and protective force on our own behalf when difficult emotions arise.
It's an ideal situation: giving ourselves the respite we need when things get hard. And what wisdom can we gain when we let our upsetting Three of Swords moments get solace from our brilliance and nurturing?
Now, onto this bold card. Many can guess what it means, but this enigmatic and punchy illustration has a lot of nuance. So, for those of you reading who aren't in the grips of an emotional crisis, fear not. Like the clouds pouring rain in the background, the feelings represented in the Three of Swords have all the varying intensity of weather. It rains, it pours, and sometimes it just sprinkles.
There's also an interesting facet of this card in that sometimes the smallest slight or misfortune can awaken huge recesses of doubt, grief, or confusion. One sword can feel like three piercing your heart and the storm seems endless. Seeing these moments for what they are can curtail a sense of panic and fear. Sometimes we need to let it all out, and a small moment gives us that opportunity.
Whether we're dealing with a minor emotional storm, a moment of upset, or a deeper struggle, we have incredibly good company this week. The Queen of Pentacles is holding down the center of this reading and, like her, we're being encouraged to hold space for ourselves and all our emotions with the dedication and dignity of a true ruler.
As a Queen in tarot, she's not interested in ruling over. I think of these characters as stewards - noble caretakers familiar with and respectful of all aspects of their terrain. So what happens when things get stormy? What does it mean to be the protector, expert, and loving steward of our emotional self? We draw in our resources, care for ourselves with all our patience and love, and know that it will pass.
It's a wonderful match for the restless, analytical energy of the Swords. This Queen instructs us to ground ourselves in daily life, making room for our "negative" or challenging emotions within these stable structures. We must stick by our routines, continue our meditation practices, make ourselves healthy and nourishing meals, even if we don't feel good or up to the task. We can also give ourselves space, gathering our resources around us to gain strength. We do these things for a reason and, like this Queen, part of us knows that the saving grace is in the little things.
Speaking of which, this reading isn't all about sticking steadfastly to routine in the face of spiky emotions. What's a Queen without a crown or a flowing set of robes? Similarly, we might want to try to interject some splendor and majesty into these daily rituals. Feather our nest, care for our bodies in a decadent way. Doing these things can show us how much we value ourselves, a self-coronation of sorts, and doing this when we feel down is especially moving and powerful.
Because we're not flailing in the wind here. The Four of Wands that started this reading off shows us getting back to the basics. No the basic ideas of the swords or the basic physical needs of the pentacles, but the basic actions of the wands. Sometimes uncovering what's essential to us - what we must do to fulfill ourselves - kicks up some existential panic. Cue the Three of Swords. Yet in this case we're prepared, loving, and ready to step in and give ourselves what we need.
This week is a time to do as the Queen of Pentacles would do: Be a steward to your tough emotions, create as cozy and supportive a home for your feelings as you can, and get back to the basics of what you truly need to feel alive and your true self.
Weekly Forecast: May 20-26
Can ambition and peace coexist? We certainly don't get many stories that reflect this situation. Usually, ambition appears as a single-minded crusade of sorts, a headlong and determined walk towards greatness. Sure, there may be some pitfalls along the way, but only ones that bolster the larger arc of growth. No matter how much slogging the hero endures, they end up on top, all the richer.
Can ambition and peace coexist? We certainly don't get many stories that reflect this situation. Usually, ambition appears as a single-minded crusade of sorts, a headlong and determined walk towards greatness. Sure, there may be some pitfalls along the way, but only ones that bolster the larger arc of growth. No matter how much slogging the hero endures, they end up on top, all the richer.
It's also a pretty exhausting narrative. Struggle equals success. We'll sleep when we're dead. Sure sounds healthy, doesn't it?
This week's reading might, at first glance, seem like the same old story. The peace of The Star is giving away to the ambition of The Chariot. In other words, the time for rest is over, and no we have to grab the reins and get going.
But who's this in the center? A minor arcana card, and a mysterious one at that: The Seven of Pentacles.
This is where the plot thickens. This card can often represent re-evaluation and dissatisfaction; that phase in a journey when we're not sure what we've done or if anything is working or worth it. A classic mini crisis of faith.
I see this card as an endearing human interjection. This week we'll be wrestling with our old stories of success. What can we have? How can it look?
In this card, we see ourselves hemming and hawing after making quite a bit of headway. Suddenly, the old ideas come back: we can't enjoy rest and success at the same time, right? It can't feel good and be good, that would just be too easy or, worse yet, a sign we're not working hard enough.
I love how the doubt and stalling of the Seven of Pentacles is sandwiched by two magnetic Major Arcana cards, as if these concerns are happening on a much less important plane. If we're to rise to their level, we have to accept that we can write our own stories and decide what our own definition of success looks like.
This is where The Chariot has more to say. After all, what card combines opposites in a more powerful way? You'll notice the two sphinxes in the foreground, illustrated in alternating patterns of black and white. Bringing seeming opposites together is what drives the chariot itself forward. In this way, we're being presented an opportunity to mesh together the care and consideration of The Star with the vision and adventure of The Chariot.
To bring this all back down to earth, these cards are encouraging us to remain dedicated to all the practices, big and small, that give us a sense of peace, healing, and greater meaning. The Star's approach is not one for us to abandon right now, rather it's something to bring with us on whatever journey towards success we're embarking on. It's just up to us to remember how much we can shape and choose its path.
Weekly Forecast: April 22-28
This week, my friends, is all about rethinking our relationship to change. It's a topic that's long overdue for editing and fresh energy, as these cards show so clearly. Just look at the polarized options springing forth from The Wheel of Fortune! The next few days give us the calming opportunity to bring some space and shading into a formerly black-and-white corner of our world.
This week, my friends, is all about rethinking our relationship to change. It's a topic that's long overdue for editing and fresh energy, as these cards show so clearly. Just look at the polarized options springing forth from The Wheel of Fortune! The next few days give us the calming opportunity to bring some space and shading into a formerly black-and-white corner of our world.
As anyone who's dabbled with tarot knows, the cards have a cheeky sense of mischief. Not wanting to address a topic? All of a sudden pointed clarity is staring you in the face. Looking for a specific answer? The cards act coy.
In my opinion, there's no card that embodies this vague, teasing energy more than The Wheel of Fortune. It's initial impression is usually confusing. Just what on earth is going on with these mythical creatures congregating around a circle heavy with odd symbols? They're just hanging out in the clouds?
This is a card focused on the energy and inevitability of change. And, perhaps not so surprisingly, it's overwhelming and unknown qualities. Hence, the indecipherable wildness of imagery.
When we see the Wheel of Fortune we know that change is on the horizon. However, that's all we can decipher. There's no specificity, clear-cut answers, or details. The Wheel is spinning, but we don't know where it'll land just yet or what our new world will look like.
This week we're confronting and working through our initial reactions to a personal Wheel of Fortune situation: The newness and lack of clarity is overwhelming and, in our attempt to grasp some comforting certainty, we're reverting to old patterns.
Which brings us to the Five of Pentacles and the Ten of Cups. I can't help but chuckle a little when I look at these cards. Talk about polarized thinking! It seems as if we're approaching the upcoming change with a very black-and-white mindset. Either our Wheel of Fortune will spin and deposit us in the bucolic emotional utopia of the Ten of Cups or we'll end up in rags, struggling to survive.
In this sense, these cards urge us to take a breath and center ourselves before getting spun out into either manic idealism or fatalistic negativity. One of the wonderful things about change is that nobody knows how it'll unfold. Not us and certainly not some judgmental stranger ready to blame us for the outcome.
And so these cards are, with a healthy dose of classic tarot humor, pointing us back to ourselves and the present moment. What can we do to focus on our experience right now? To make room for change to unfold? And, most importantly, to care for ourselves?
The trick to the Wheel of Fortune is that is reminds us how change is a constant part of life. We're always navigating it, in one way or the other. We have practice. We have ourselves.
It always keeps spinning, but if we stay anchored in what we do know - aware of our desires, skills, talents, and sticky spots - we can always land on our feet and, better yet, work with the motion to grow.
Until then, all we can do is enjoy the ride, and know that the stakes are low so long as we continue to value and care for ourselves.
Weekly Forecast: April 8-14
Gentleness leading to inspiration.
What a treat to have a slow and healing tarot spread for the week. It seems as if we've been grappling with some especially big issues as of late and The Star is always a welcome figure in times of overwhelm and stress.
Gentleness leading to inspiration.
What a treat to have a slow and healing tarot spread for the week. It seems as if we've been grappling with some especially big issues as of late and The Star is always a welcome figure in times of overwhelm and stress.
That's not to say that this reading is 100% calm and inner-peace. It builds to an energizing crescendo with the Knight of Wands, a card that inspires us to charge into our future with creative zest. A nice mix if there ever was one.
So what do these cards have to tell us? Rest, re-calibration, and re-connecting to the source are of the utmost importance for us in the coming days. The Star is one of those cards that invites us to refocus on ourselves.
We may have some baggage around the idea. How often are we told that putting ourselves first is selfish? This accusation gets thrown about so frequently that it actually points towards the radical nature of valuing and centering around our own experiences.
What happens when we choose to pursue a balanced life? When our inner experience dictates our outwards actions? When we value our own rhythms, desires, and needs?
Doing these things, it turns out, allows us to know ourselves better. And when we know ourselves better, we come face to face with our own power, desires, and motivation. It makes us powerful, and that can threaten the status quo.
If we've been feeling creatively stymied lately and stretched too thin, The Star is pointing us inwards to regain our strength and re-orient ourselves to our inner compass. Don't worry if this isn't resoundingly clear. What if we don't know what our inner compass looks like, let alone where it points?
It turns out that none of us do 100% of the time. Never mind the wildness of modern life and other people, our own inner landscape is constantly shifting and changing. The good news? It's ours to explore and value.
This week we're being encouraged to take space for ourselves, lavish our own feelings, thoughts, and desires with attention, curiosity, and care. A key component of this card is detaching from outcome: plans, productivity, goals, ideas of what is and what isn't. Immersing ourselves in self-care in however that manifests for each of us is inviting in a special kind of knowledge.
See that cute, odd bird perched on the tree behind the central figure in The Star? This delightful creature represents knowledge. While we're focused on connecting to our source, dipping our toes into the healing pool of our intuition while being sure to feed back into it, the breakthrough and information we've been seeking with so much effort is naturally fluttering into focus.
Let yourself step back from the pressure of seeking and create space in your life. You can give yourself the gift of time and attention, even if it's in small bites, and doing so is actually far more effective in gaining clarity than muscling your way though it all with forceful diligence.
Paying attention to the little things is reigniting our creative sparks. It starts out as a slow burn with the Two of Wands as we begin to dream about changes, adventures, and new possibilities. Doing our Star work, however, is allowing us to rejuvenate and feel empowered, zesty, and capable.
Soon enough, what seemed impossible, out of reach, or ill-defined, comes into blaring focus. It's the swashbuckling Knight of Wands entering into the picture! With him comes ambition, energy, and focus, though we'd be wise to make sure that it's all in service of The Star. Otherwise we'll burn out and run straight into the same patterns we were experiencing before.
This week is a time to take a deep breath, center around yourself, and feel encouraged to block out all the rest. Know that doing so is valuing your energy and experience, not being selfish or cruel. When we act from our true sense of self we're able to bring our best into every situation, relationship, and venture. Now that's truly and genuinely inspiring.