Weekly Forecast: January 17-23

Eight of Wands / Five of Pentacles / Page of Swords

Satisfying progress, wintry struggles, and renewed determination

After a week of hard work brought to us by the Ten of Wands, we enter into a brief period of ease and progress. The Eight of Wands is one of the most direct and unadorned in the deck- there’s not a person in sight, just an impressive array of wands in mid-flight. With each arranged just so, the scene looks effortless, and it’s easy to forget that this coordinated volley of arrows must have taken skill, planning, and practice to pull off. Has the toil that we dedicated ourselves to last week finally resulted in clarity, action, and maybe even success? Look to where you’re feeling satisfaction and traction if you’re unsure, and keep in mind that after a long slog, success can sometimes seem suspicious. The Eight of Wands, however, asks us to enjoy the ease we’re experiencing and see what we can do when we’re not burdened with planning, strategizing, and questioning. In other words, sometimes things work out, and we’d be foolish not to enjoy it.

I know you’re holding the more upsetting imagery of the Five of Pentacles in your head, ready for the part of the reading where I go “but then all your good fortune wanes…” However, I want to stay with this card for just a moment longer. It’s easy to over-prioritize the more “negative” cards in a reading, perhaps guided by the superstition that we’ll stave off misfortune through worry. Yet what we pay attention to and craft our stories around is what flourishes. And, personally, I think the story that the Eight of Wands tells is far more compelling and complicated than the Five of Pentacles.

The Eight of Wands may represent a brief moment in time (how long can these sticks stay in the air, after all?) but it also shows an important achievement. Each of the eights features some aspect of work, whether it’s practical, emotional, intellectual, or in this case, creative. These are cards where our focus and experience are met with energy and magic. What has been working for us lately? Where do we feel the exhilaration of progress? Where have we surprised ourselves with our daring, resourcefulness, and innovation? By seeing what’s working we can begin to integrate important tools, strategies, and approaches. With the fiery wands in play, we can be sure that there’s some surprising energy and heat behind it all; be careful not to overlook or underestimate the power of what sets you ablaze. Just because something comes easily doesn’t mean that it was easy to get there, nor that it’s easy for everyone else. This week we’re poised to get important insight into our unique abilities and what we have to offer to the world.

So, does that feel lofty enough? Because, yes, we’re coming back to the ground and into the slog and difficulty of the Five of Pentacles. While this is not the gentle landing we hoped for, it is, I think, a necessary reality check. In the middle of the week we’ll be contending with some constraints that snap us out of the reverie of the Eight of Wands and its fast-moving progress. Money, time, and the conditions of our life aren’t cooperating, and this may have us yearning to return to the drawing board. But the fire of the wands needs to meet the solidity of the earth to actually grow - think planting the budding wands in soil so that they become vigorous and resilient saplings. Sure, the Five of Pentacles isn’t the spot we’d choose, but like all fives it represents a challenge that could end up being formative if we persevere.

This card shows us wrestling with our ideas around money, means, and what’s enough. Fun stuff, but an important proving ground nonetheless. See if you can face restraint and suffering as a place for learning and editing. We may not have all the resources we’d like to run full speed ahead, but all is not lost. I’m especially drawn to the weather in this card; trees need sun and warmth to grow, but here we have the only winter scene in the tarot. Could our difficult situation simply be a sign that now is not the time? Trees also need water to grow, and it’s here but simply frozen into snow, suggesting that the hardship is temporary. How can we outlast obstacles, use time to our advantage, and recommit ourselves to our path even when it’s difficult?

The Page of Swords appears at the end of the week, urging us to start looking at things from a new perspective. Last week our reading concluded with the Ace of Swords and I’m loving the image of us taking up that shiny sword - a new idea, guiding principle, or worldview - and starting to wield it in our lives. It may be awkward at first, but we’re motivated, and it’s sparkling allure is moving us towards clarity. What might we have to learn about our relationship to money, stability, and “having enough” this week? Are there any beliefs we’re now equipped to cut away, making our own meaning in their place? I see a full circle moment here - after experiencing both success and challenge this week, which do we choose as the story that defines us? This page inspires us to take up our own cause even if we’re unsure how things may work out and trust that we can discern the right path to take, one step at a time. It may not be what we expect, and this week it may be a slog, but it’s also ours to take, and spring is coming. What will start to flourish when the snow melts if we can just hang on a little longer?

this week, embrace

• The exhilaration of getting things done

• Enjoying being in a state of “flow”

• Complex projects that utilize your skills

• Movement, creativity, and whatever is feeling energizing

• Practicing discernment during moments of stress or despair

• Seeing inherited ideas about resources, finances, and success with clear and critical eyes

This week, avoid

• Unnecessary spending and other financial risk-taking

• Rash decision-making, especially when out of fear

• Letting setbacks or external shortcomings define you

get creative

• The Eight of Wands: Think of something you’re really, really good at. How do you feel when you’re engaged in this activity? Look for these feelings in other areas of your life - how can you cultivate this state more mindfully? If this exercise brings up anxiety or shame, welcome it with gentle acceptance and explore these feelings whenever you feel comfortable.

• The Five of Pentacles: This is a card that’s best faced head-on, so I’m going to give an extremely unsexy suggestion here: look at your budget! While it may be stressful, there’s something ultimately relieving about it. After all, the numbers don’t lie. So whatever form your budgeting takes, from nonexistent to bespoke excel spreadsheet, take the pulse of your financial situation and work on cutting back unnecessary expenditures and adding to your savings. Think of it as plodding through the snow in the card - the going might be slow, but you’re still going somewhere. And before long, you may have the resources to actualize the vision shown in the Eight of Wands.

• Page of Swords: The Pages are the cheeky youths of the tarot. When you sense yourself sliding into stress or despair, use your wit to reframe the situation. Can you retell this tale of woe as a satire? A comedy of errors? A rollicking misadventure? Humor can cut through malaise and return you to a place of empowerment and authenticity.

Reading Tarot in Times of Stress, Crisis, or Overwhelm

Stormy feelings can sometimes lead to stormy readings / Image by Felix Mittermeier

We’ve all been there. Something wild is happening in our lives - maybe we’re at a pivotal crossroads, upset at a recent event, or feeling onslaught by waves of stress - and we want to turn to tarot for advice, guidance, something that will make us feel better or, better yet, tell us what one earth to do.

While tarot can be a wonderfully helpful and clarifying tool, it reflects what we bring to it, and in cases like these we can muddy the waters of our reading with anxiety, fear, and worry. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should forego reading altogether. Like any conversation, tarot does best with some thought, guidelines, and expectations. Here are some that help me when reading for myself during tough times.

Set boundaries before you start

It’s helpful to frame readings during times of stress in a way that will be the most healing for you. Are you feeling disconnected from yourself? You might want a grounding reading. Overwhelmed? You might ask for clarity. Lost? You might want to ask for one, simple next step. Take time to sit with yourself, figure out what you need, and then plan your reading around these insights. Choose a spread that reflects whatever you’re experiencing or create one yourself. You’re the one doing the reading; you get to set the tone.

Step away from prophecies and declarations!

Nothing adds more stress to a situation than a prophecy you don’t want! So why ask for this to begin with? Spoiler-alert: You don’t have to! I’ve found that it’s been particularly helpful to remind myself that the cards are suggestions, a representation of a moment in time that we can always change with our actions. Personally, I like to use my time shuffling to contemplate the question, goal, or topic of the reading, being sure to focus on open-ended advice or insight without specific information about the future.

Remember - tarot is just one piece of information to take into consideration

You wouldn’t make a complicated, impactful decision just because one person told you to, right? The insight we get from a tarot reading is just one facet of our complex lives, one piece of information that makes up a much bigger whole. Whatever insights you get from your reading should fit with a bevy of other sources - facts, the opinions of trusted friends and advisors, your intellect, practical considerations, and many more. This removes immense pressure from your reading and allows it to do what it does best: give you insight into your intuition.

Tarot Readings Supporting Black Mamas Bailout Action

So many thanks to all of you who donated to the fundraiser! We raised over $3k towards the bailout fund and couldn’t have done it without you.

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I’m honored to be part of a group of tarot readers supporting Southerners on New Ground Durham’s Black Mamas Bail Out Action. Use this link (also in image below) to book a reading from one of us on a pay-what-you-can basis. 100% of the proceeds will be going towards the Bail Out Action.

• Reading requests accepted until October 29th

• Specify your topic, question, or a request for a general reading

• Receive your reading in text or audio format, plus an image of the cards, within 3-4 days of booking

Introducing Weekly Audio Tarot Readings

One of the things I’ve missed the most is sharing Weekly Forecasts. I started these with the launch of Incandescent Tarot over three years ago and wrote one every week, only missing several holidays. It was a lot of readings! And, as it turned out, a lot of work - especially in the written format. (I’m terrible at sticking to timelines and can spend hours editing, despite my better judgment.)

Recently, however, I moved my newsletter to Substack and was delighted to find that they have a beta podcasting feature. So, last week I decided to give it a try: I recorded my first audio weekly forecast. It was an absolute blast.

I’ve decided to relaunch the forecasts as a podcast, available by subscription on Substack. For just $5/month (just over $1 per forecast) you can listen to full-fledged tarot readings about the energies, challenges, and opportunities for the week ahead.

So what do you get for subscribing? You’ll receive an email with a link to the audio forecast each Monday that you can listen to on your email or via the podcast platform of your choice. These forecasts are 15-20 minutes long and include three cards. It’s a wonderful way to center yourself, plan for the week ahead, and experience a tarot reading in real time. (I do all of my readings “live” which means no pre-preparation. It’s exactly as if you’re getting a reading as a client in my studio or via zoom.)

I do hope you’ll join me and I’m so happy to be offering these forecasts again. Click below to subscribe and, as always, thank you for being here and a part of the Incandescent Tarot journey.

Readings for the New Normal

Though I think we can all agree that “normal” is quite a stretch…

The coronavirus pandemic has led to immense shifts in how we live our lives, some of which have influenced my presence here on Incandescent Tarot. In the late Spring I started offering readings again at a sliding-scale rate to support clients and readers during this difficult period. Easing back into reading felt like returning home and, as my home life has shifted considerably, I now have more time to give to reading, teaching, intuition work, and spiritual consulting.

Which leads to an exciting announcement:

One-on-one sessions are back and better than ever!

Here are some of the important changes:

• I’m switching to a lower rate to reflect the challenging times we’re all in. 30 minutes now costs $40 and 1 hour is now $75.

• My offers have expanded, too: You can now book tarot readings, lessons, as well as consultations to grow & support your intuitive and spiritual practices.

• Tarot lessons and spiritual consults are slightly discounted because a) I love them and b) they feel even more important right now.

• My fancy-schmancy scheduling system is back online and improved for easy, instant booking and payment, all in one spot.

• Sliding-scale rates are still available - just reach out and I’ll see if I have any spots left. I’m reserving 5/month, no questions asked, so don’t be shy.

• I’m also reserving several spots for free 30-minute sessions of choice for anyone doing social justice organizing, working as a first responder, health care worker, or care provider (professionally or for family).

• And, unsurprisingly, all sessions will now be conducted online via Zoom, GoogleMeet, or FaceTime.

I’m so excited to be opening the doors to Incandescent Tarot even wider and look forward to working with you all in whatever capacity sparks your interest. You can book below or head over to the official scheduling page for more info:

Summer Solstice Tarot Reading on Open Magic Podcast

A delightful spread from Spirit Speak’s Apparition Tarot Deck

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling transformed after the Summer Solstice this past week.

And, in case you missed it, I did a special tarot reading looking at the energy and opportunities springing from this time of the year.

This far reaching reading looks at the next half of 2019 and dives in to the archetypes we’ll be leaving behind and the opportunities for growth and celebration emerging in the future.

Give it a listen below or find it wherever you get your podcasts. (And do leave us a review if you feel inspired, it helps more than you know!)

All the Best,

Gina