Weekly Forecast: January 23-29

A mental storm is subsiding at the beginning of this week, dear readers, though not without some turbulence. We initially find ourselves in the position of the Page of Swords - eager, looking for answers, and kicking up a whole mess of confusion in the process.

You might remember that we ended our last week’s reading with the Four of Swords, a card that denotes a growing awareness arising from a period of rest and reflection. So, in other words, something extremely helpful and even exciting has just come into focus and our first response is to grab it like the shining sword in this card, wave it around, and start thinking even more! Nevermind that our central struggle over the past few weeks has been a result of thinking too much.

It will be important to have the same amount of compassion and kindness we direct towards children available for our tender selves this week; the pages of the youths of tarot, and like this group we’ll be moving forward with some ungainly awkwardness, especially in our thinking. Where have you been eagerly, even aggressively, searching for answers lately? And how helpful has this actually been?

Swords are an intellectual group - they want to understand the events in life in an organized, often linear way. It’s likely that we’ve been approaching some facet of our experience similarly, looking to have a cut-and-dry answer and, like the pages themselves, finding the process a little messy. But perhaps, as this reading suggests, our current situation doesn’t actually need and explanation, it needs an experience; the type of movement that can only happen in our lived, physical lives instead of in the confines of our mind.

The Three of Pentacles shows us being guided to this new focus and, unlike the solitary Page of Swords, we have company. Pay attention to the relationships in your life across the board - where are you being invited to collaborate, share your experience, and build something new? Find your people, reach out and let yourself be surprised by the abundance of inspiration and movement that comes from doing so. This is a beautifully potent time for stepping out of the abstract and conceptual and into the real, embodied, and interpersonal realms of everyday life. We’ll have to try our best to shrug off the burdens of the swords mindset as we make the transition, so be alert to nagging messages of perfectionism. Does a part of you prefer to wait in the wings planning, strategizing, even criticizing potential future actions? These voices are best gently pushed aside this week as we prioritize interactions, collaborations, relationships, and working on things in real time.

What makes this week’s reading particularly promising is a visit from The Empress, our final card, that suggests the stumbling we undergo via the Page of Swords and the collaborations we embark on through the Three of Pentacles are part of a much bigger story. If our thoughts (and, more importantly, tendency to run forward with them without discernment) have been keeping us small, how might our actions and relationships be constructing a new reality at the same time? The Empress tells us that our daily lives - the things we do, the projects and people we commit to - are growing to eclipse the limiting messages of the Page of Swords. Of course, this will also feature some tension. Be kind to yourself as you’re growing and your life grows along with you.

In contrast to The Emperor, The Empress embodies a version of power that’s centered around openness, presence, sensuality, and the cycles of nature. This is not a card that builds tall walls to keep danger out and then puts on a full suit of armor to defend them (though, to be fair, this approach has its time and place). Look to what makes you feel comfortable in life and consider how showing up as yourself and granting yourself the environment to thrive gives you a deeply rooted sense of identity - an inner authority that can’t be taken from you. Investing in these comforts is far from frivolous - what might happen if we relax into our lives, let them nourish us, and act from this position of security?

Potential surprise/reframe:

This is one of those readings I could go on and on about. There’s a beautiful invitation happening in The Empress that each of us will have to accept (or not) in order to explore fully. But I would like to say that this week is a fruitful opportunity to interrogate assumptions and ideas around what you deserve, especially if it’s connected to pleasure. Just look at the splendid muumuu in this card! This person is reclining on luxurious blankets and pillows (I bet they’re velvet) - how can you do the same?

This may instigate some conflict with the Page of Swords, but they’re no match for the gravitas of The Empress. Be alert for self-limiting thoughts, especially related to what you “should” have/be/enjoy/experience, that fall apart as soon as you interrogate them. The silliness of the Page of Swords will be helpful here, and may tie back to ideas we inherited from our childhood that don’t have a place in our adult lives.

Because the true power of The Empress comes from their ability to feel and experience life - it’s sensual pleasures, the reality of being a body moving through a physical world, and all the joy and possibility that comes from it. Cutting off our awareness or even punishing ourselves by limiting our access to creature comforts, moments of beauty, and physical connection of all types does not serve our growth as individuals or as responsible members of the collective.

This week, embrace:

• Tender, even humorous awareness of our attempts to explain away our desires, self, or situation

• Collaboration with others

• Reaching out to our community

• Reciprocity

• Embracing our responsibility to care for ourselves

• Power in enjoying/participating in life

This week, avoid:

• Overanalyzing

• Negative self-talk

• Perfectionism

• Rigid stances towards life - making more rules when you just want to relax

Weekly Tarot Forecast: April 25-May 1

Four of Wands | Seven of Cups | Three of Pentacles

I am so deeply relieved to have a reading that falls on the jauntier end of the tarot spectrum this week. No Major Arcana cards, no stabby swords, just a pleasant array of minors showing us primed for some lighthearted creativity. Sometimes I think, however, that these lighter moments are because of the heavier themes that have come before. The clouds may part this week, and you may find yourself back on the ground just puttering around; take the time to appreciate being able to focus on the small things. I think we’ve all earned it.

We start things off with the energizing openness of the Four of Wands. We have accomplishments worth celebrating, and this card urges us to bring in our friends and loved ones to lift up the good things. Doing so cements and fosters alliances, brings enjoyable levity, and stokes our internal fire. This is a time to sing praises loud and clear, gather and cavort, and generally enjoy your life.

The Four of Wands also suggests that our grip has been lightening around some key issues in our lives. Whether of our own accord or simply a change in the emotional weather, this change has made room for a new influx of inspiration, zest, and pleasure. Take it seriously. You’ve seen the tarot deck - there are some gnarly cards in there! - the joy and rest we can achieve in the beginning of this week will not only nurture us, but give us a look at what works best.

Pay attention to what it feels like when life doesn’t feel like it’s on fire. Are you enjoying working with less pressure, jettisoning your perfectionism in favor of off the cuff magic? Does loosening up your personal rules yield creative bounties? The Four of Wands is about finding power in flexible and open structures. Allow yourself to experiment. collaborate, and follow your emotions and intuition.

Inspiration is a key theme for us this week, as we’re dealing with three of the suits of the minor arcana: wands, cups, and pentacles. Where the wands sees us reveling in action and connection, the cups inspire emotional and spiritual passions. (Thankfully, this is all being grounded in the earthy pentacles at the end of the week, so don’t worry if you’re feeling some trepidation with how far you fly in your imagination.) I enjoy readings with a balance of suits, and it’s worth noting that there are no swords here - stepping our of our analytical mind will be both fruitful and enjoyable.

The Seven of Cups sashays into the scene mid-week; all our collaborating and creating is kicking up some big dreamy energy. Stare into what’s tickling your fancy or sparking your interest. Consult your dreams when you awake, envision your future, and explore possibilities for your life. This card can bring a whole array of magic, not all of it warm and fuzzy. This is a time when we can also learn a lot about ourselves from what feels edgy, frightening, or too much. (Note the skull in the side of the cup on the bottom right, not to mention the spooktacular ghost and various reptiles popping out of chalices.)

As the week comes to a close we descend from the clouds and plant our feet firmly on the ground. The Three of Pentacles shows us that there are some worthy collaborators awaiting us there. What projects are you engaged with, particularly ones in the early stages? This is a time to start building in earnest, and with the support of like-minded and ambitious supporters.

Zooming out, this reading has a satisfying coherence. I’m feeling that this week will be on that’s very focused on a topic - an area of our life, project, or relationship. Embrace this and let your energy flow. We’re finally in a place where our energies are aligned (think creative-spiritual-emotional-practical) and things can start to move quickly.

This week, embrace:

• Gatherings, collaborations, celebrations

• Gleefully breaking, bending, or re-creating the rules

• Dreaming with wild abandon

• Forming alliances

This week, avoid:

• Being overly cautious

• Unnecessary busywork

• Rejecting facets of your life because they aren’t “perfect”

Get creative:

• Four of Wands: This is so simple: Have a party. It can be a party for one, a casual dinner with candles to make it fancy, or something bigger. Whatever you do, make sure to center the achievements and successes of everyone present. The wands have a brash, unsubtle charisma. Lift up your accomplishments, sing your praises to the heavens, see what happens when you let yourself live big.

• Seven of Cups: I’ll never forget when a dear friend of mine called this “the Pinterest card,” (shoutout to you, Lucas, you’re legend!), so in the spirit of that observation, get Pinterest-y. Collect images that evoke a future you’d like to manifest. You could draw, collage (aka the classic vision board), or hop on the app. Whatever you do, make sure you give yourself free rein to get weird and loopy. Pay particular attention to images, ideas, or things that feel “too much” and ask yourself, “why?”

• Three of Pentacles: Think about the people who make you feel the most grounded. Who calms your energy, sets you at ease, and makes you feel like new things are possible? Make a promise to yourself to seek out these people in one small way during the week.

Weekly Forecast: March 4-10

Build something beautiful, leave what's gone behind.

Sometimes we don't know we're over something until we've moved past it. It's a bit of emotional jet lag. Life can propel us into whole new timezones and catching up requires some gentle acclimation. 

This week's reading gives us both the magic and splendor of building and choosing grander paths along with the bittersweet realization that we can now see some things that don't work. There's a sense of balance here - between the beauty of what's new and the sadness of moving beyond something we wish could've worked out for the better.

What's more, the joy and satisfaction of the week is upping the contrast. Seeing how good we can have it shows us how insufficient some aspects of our past situation really were. Above all, our challenge is to celebrate the new, keep working towards what we want, and give ourselves plenty of time to process and mourn what we're leaving behind. 

But let's get back to the magic, shall we, because this is the true heart of the reading. We're dealing with the Three of Pentacles, a card of diligence and creativity, and The Lovers, whose romantic and complex meaning serves as the major focus of this week.

We can really pat ourselves on the back right now, even if it seems premature or foolhardy. Whether we can see it clearly or not, the choices we've been making to shape our lives are bringing us towards a very new and somewhat wild change. The Lovers shows us the boldness and vision that's required to make a choice just for us. Listening to our desires, taking them seriously, and then daring to do something about it? It's not small stuff, that's for sure.

Fortunately, we're taking baby steps towards this goal, hence the grounded Three of Pentacles. This shows us that any work we do in real life is paving the way for future openness and opportunity. Which is a nice way to balance the sometimes-intimidating nature of The Lovers. 

So stay your course as you keep at it this week. Trust in the process and know that the grand vision isn't necessarily a specific goal, but a situation where you feel as in love with your life as the passion shown in The Lovers. This can come with a great deal of surprise - we're often shocked by what really gets us going! - and is completely and utterly centered around what we want, societal norms or pre-packaged life trajectories be damned.  

Make room for the sadness, too. When we realize life can be bigger than we thought, the smallness we're leaving behind is especially tender and poignant. Feeling it connects us with our past experiences even more so that we can keep expanding and know the pieces of life that are no longer for us. 

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We're All Creative Creatures

“I’m just not a very creative person…”

How many times have I heard this phrase, both inside and outside of my tarot studio? It seems that most of us have a strictly “paintbrushes and poems” vision of the creative process. If we’re not engaged in the arts of music, painting, photography, etc. well, we’re just not creative.

I have a major bone to pick with this idea. Most of the people I meet have already made several creative decisions before they make it to my office. Maybe they took a new route on their way over or found an innovative solution to an argument with their partner from that morning. Maybe they tried a never-before-seen combinations of toppings at the salad bar! What I’m saying here is that creativity can be so interwoven with the mundane that we’re not even aware of it.

Take a look at tarot, for example. The Minor Arcana consists of four suits: wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. We embody all four of the suits as we move through life and the wands are most commonly associated with creativity. In the broadest sense they mean motion and putting ideas into action. In other words, simply moving through the world requires it. Many of the things we do have never been done before. They started as ideas and we bring them into being through our actions. It’s all part of being human.

Reclaiming our creative identity is massively healing. Behind all the statements of “I’m just not creative” is a secret longing. Simply be reframing our experience to include creativity in our everyday existence we open up further avenues for expression. That could lead to picking up watercolors as a hobby or just gaining the confidence of seeing ourselves as an integrated person, one whose creativity isn’t limited to the arts or our output.

Tarot Card for Creativity

• The Suit of Wands

• The Magician

• The Fool

• The Sun

• The Empress

• The World

• Three of Pentacles

• Seven of Cups

Creativity can look like…

• Problem-solving

• New projects

• Taking initiative at work, home, etc.

• Communicating ideas

• Organizing

• Decorating

• Artistic pursuits

• Planning

Weekly Forecast: August 6-12

It's always exciting to see a reading featuring a single suit. Why? Because it shows the cards giving us an extremely targeted message, and in this case, it's an extremely practical one as well since we're looking at the earthy group of pentacles.

Not only that, but we're entering onto the scene with the King of Pentacles! Already, we can see that we're in a position to lead and delegate with ease. We're showing up fully with lots of well-earned confidence. This isn't a time to make ourselves small or run away from responsibility. And we won't want to because we have lots of exciting work to do.

This week we're being called on to muster our forces and reign in our spending (financial and energetic) in order to get ready for the launch of a new project. It may be an adjustment, especially since the King of Pentacles loves decadence and pleasures. Moving from this king to the Four of Pentacles is a shift from expansiveness to strategic restraint and consolidation. 

While this isn't a glamorous change at first glance, the King of Pentacles has more than enough chutzpah and persuasiveness to see things differently. We're being given a chance to see thrift and saving as a way to celebrate and cultivate our personal vision. The King of Pentacles may like to partake in the pleasures of their life, but they also know that doing so is only part of the cycle. The other half? The work itself. And it's just as affirming and joyful.

If we enter into the financially conservative position of the Four of Pentacles with the vision of the King we can view our resources as tools to build something new, vibrant, and exciting. In other words, reigning it in is a way of preparing for expanding into new territory. In this way, the Four of Pentacles doesn't have to be miserly, stingy, or dissatisfied.

 Instead of seeing the need to save money as shameful - I dont' have enough right now and I should! - or limiting - I want to buy new clothes and I can't! - we can re-frame it as an empowering, self-directed move. We are the masters of our finances, just like the King of Pentacles. 

Because the motivation behind these choices is a project that has a great deal of potential. The Three of Pentacles is always exciting to see because it shows the immersive, intoxicating, and motivating act of planning. We're ready to start building something new and we're going to need our material resources to make it a reality. The more we hammer out the details, the more we feel aligned and justified in our saving.

Staying connected with our goal will only build our energy and excitement. And in the long run, this expenditure will bring us back towards the celebratory success of the King. Finding satisfaction in work and security in saving will be bringing us a deep sense of meaning. 
 

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Weekly Forecast: July 30 - August 5

It's always a delight when I pull one of the moon phase cards in the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot from Uusi Design Studio. This week we have the waxing gibbous moon as the center of our reading. It's beautiful, mysterious, and in the process of becoming fully illuminated. Similarly, we're in the midst of a wonderful period of self-discovery that's awash with equal parts energy and mystery.

On either side of this alluring moon we have two very different cards whose meanings are wonderfully complimentary. For starters, The Fool is sauntering into the week bringing their adventurer's sense of possibility. In contrast with the Knights, who are more ego-driven and intense seekers, The Fool has a refreshing selflessness and innocence. When we see this card we can know that we're heading towards uncharted territory that requires us to shed expectations about the path ahead as well as ourselves.

In order to take advantage of this new journey we need to travel light. In the days leading up to this week we've been doing some heavy shedding. Though this metaphor might be a little gross, it is very much like a dog shedding their winter coat or a bird moulting their feathers. We've been letting go of some stale ideas and choosing the few tools we need to get by. This leaves a lot of space for us to grow and expand.

We may, however, be feeling a bit empty and unsure. That's completely okay and part of the process. The Fool is a card that shows us the importance of taking a leap of faith, trusting in ourselves and our instincts to catapult us into the next level. It's worth remembering that we have everything we need to move forward with us right now. This card's lesson is that sometimes we have to brush aside some of the dust and burdens we've accumulated to get to our true self and true potential.

Embracing the energy of The Fool means taking our desires and wishes seriously. They may appear a bit outlandish to others, but that's none of their business. Our dreams are ours to pursue; they only need to make sense to us and us alone. And yet we won't be alone for long. 

The big leap we're taking is leading us towards important co-collaborators. There's a like-minded group of allies on the other side and we'll be able to dive into planning and building quite soon. The Three of Pentacles shows us this satisfying period of creation and connection. What's more, it brings the ever-important grounding energy of earth. Our Fool's path is doubly affirmed here. Not only do we have pure, self-guided intentions, but we're connecting with others to make them a reality rather than staying lost in the clouds. 

So what of the shimmering moon? It's glowing from the center of our reading to remind us to take it easy and to let our vision unfurl naturally. Time is the essential ingredient for our plans right now. Like a waxing gibbous moon, things are slowly coming into light. Now is a time to watch, listen, and notice how we're feeling during the transition. The work we've done to put ourselves in The Fool's shoes was no small task. Resting and simply feeling what it's like to be here now - before the work and toil begins - is a beautiful opportunity to integrate these big changes and celebrate what we've just put into motion. 

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Weekly Forecast: June 4-10

I won't lie, I may have been hoping for a less-intense reading this week after having my favorite card, Death, make an appearance two weeks in a row. Yes, that energy is transformative and powerful, but it's also pretty heady!

This week reminds me of a nonsensical t-shirt I once bought in Thailand that said "Same, Same, But Different" across the front. This week we have a similar energy - the desire and need for change - but it's manifesting in a different way. Or, should I say, through a different path.

Luckily for us, this path is much more grounded and practical. Our reading is centered around the Three of Pentacles, a card with no shortage of vision, support, and action. In many ways, I see this reading as a continuation of those before. This week, however, we're emerging from the experience of Death and into the action of living. In other words, we got taken along on a turbulent, profound ride and now we're stepping off, ready to explore and commit ourselves to this new landscape.

The Three of Pentacles is all about creativity and building. This is a time to plan and collaborate with like-minded others. Who are our allies? Who shares our vision and drive? Who do we trust to create something meaningful with? These are not small questions, but luckily we have the almost brutal perceptiveness of the Page of Swords on our side.

Sure, this Page is showing us that we don't quite have our sea legs when it comes to this new venture, but we have plenty of chutzpah, verve, and curiosity to start us on our journey. Most importantly, this page illustrates the unvarnished perceptiveness of youth. I'm picturing the someimes-terrifying honesty of children. You know the moments when a young child makes a harsh but true observation with no shame whatsoever? (I'm reminded of a time when I allegedly looked up at my mother, gazed deeply into her nostrils, and shouted, "It looks like you have spiders in your nose!") 

I'm not advising that we run around shouting harsh truths at people with wild abandon. What I am saying is that we have the ability to make clear observations of others right now, and from these we can easily discern people's motives and the role we'd like to give them in our life. So trust your perceptions as they come to you and chose your team accordingly. 

What I love most about the Three of Pentacles is that is shows us how important collaboration is to the creative process. This is not a time to go it alone, but rather one to find your dream team and dive into the infectious energy of planning together. And Death, our central card from the last two weeks, gives us a helpful hint: Who do we see heeding the meaningful and challenging transition of Death? Whose growth inspires us? Our people are the ones who have shared some aspect of our struggles and have used those experinces to grow.

And what's this in the distance? Another mild and mellow tarot card? Well, not exactly. Judgment concludes our reading with a nice burst of trumpeting fanfare. We can expect an important revelation later in the week, one that will tell us about the path we're on. Is it working towards our highest good or backsliding into old patterns? Either way, the message won't be subtle, and it'll be just what we need to hear.

In a way, Judgment is a welcome sign that the experimental building we're beginning right now will garner quick feedback and input. Our burgeoning Page of Swords energy is also attuned to this frequency and we can look at this connection as a healthy dialog between our questioning selves and our higher calling. We have plenty of light-footed, perceptive energy available to us right now to adjust our path and tweak our direction. Now is our time to plan and plot, thinking big with our supporters and co-conspirators, while remaining open to feedback from larger sources. 

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Weekly Forecast: April 9-15

It's easy to feel like we have to go it alone. I'm picturing a solitary, determined hero, squinting into the sunset before galloping off into the wilderness. We have a bit of a cult of self-sufficiency at work in our culture. It sure comes with its own rugged allure, but it can also become exhausting. When we act like our world is shaped only by us it's easy to buckle under the pressure. We can see success as ours and ours alone, and unfortunately the same goes for failure or shortcomings.

But what happens when we bring our unique talents and skills together as a collective? Isn't the sum of our parts greater than any individual skill? What can we accomplish when we ride into the sunset together?

This week we're primed to reach out and find support, solace, and inspiration in the connections we have with others. In fact, we're enjoying it right now. Our communities are blossoming and what might at first seem like pure enjoyment and fun is actually a precursor for some serious (and seriously magical) accomplishment.

The Three of Cups shows us the richness of connection we're enjoying at the moment. It's a truly special thing to be able to celebrate our successes and struggles with others. This is a week to reach out and share your growth with those around you and in turn hold space for their victories. There's a lot of good work being done right now and it's our job to make space for its splendor instead of rushing past it towards more work. 

The toast shown in the Three of Cups is turning into a powerful alliance for practical growth, as we can see in our next card, Three of Pentacles. Think of sharing laughter, good times, and celebration as planting seeds. We never know what will sprout up from the joy we share with others and building partnerships and collaborations can be lighthearted and freeing.

We often look at connections as binding. They tie us to a place, a way of being, or a plan of action. Ties, of course, can give us structure, but they can also be constricting. This week is asking us to consider a different metaphor: friendship and collaboration as a solid foundation that gives us great creative freedom. Working in conjunction with others (and benefiting from each person's diverse skills and abilities) expands our horizons radically. We're no longer limited to what we can accomplish by ourselves.

The Three of Pentacles illustrates the burgeoning energy that arises when we find like-minded co-conspirators. Many exciting plans are in the works and this is the perfect week to assemble your dream team, envision all the goals you'd like to accomplish, and think big with fellow visionaries. This space can act as a sanctuary, injecting a sense of satisfaction and meaning into our already busy lives. Giving ourselves the time to talk about our dreams with others and hatch plans that bring our skills together is allowing us to engage with the usual barrage of responsibilities, bill paying, and, yes, tax season, with refreshed energy and purpose.

The Seven of Wands shows us how we can feel empowered to tackle the multiple facets of everyday life when we have a solid team behind our backs. We're all in this together and the strength of our relationships, both personal and professional, are propelling us towards some serious productivity and mindful action. 

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Weekly Forecast: August 14-20

It's all been coming up aces for us these days. The happy harbingers of the tarot deck, aces show us moments when we are gifted with newness. New beginnings, new oppotunities, and new insights.

Newness, however, doesn't come from a blank slate. Oftentimes we have to make room for new growth, clearing away what no longer serves us and allowing light and oxygen to reach the soil.

This week a very transformative moment is reaching out for us. Like most times when we have immense opportunites for growth, it's not simple or straightforward. In fact, we have the solemn, powerful, and - to be upfront - rather distrubing three of swords leading the way. 

This means that at first we might not be feeling so sunny and optimistic. What will later reaveal itself as a gift may first present as sadness, disappointment, or heartbreak. We have the opportunity, however, to see through the disguise and do the necessary work to make way for growth. We need to do a little gardening before our seeds sprout. 

A rather painful catalyst is driving us towards the opportunity shown in the ace of pentcales. The growth this week starts as long haul, not a joyful emerging. 

If there's one thing we can say about the three of swords it's that it's impossible to ignore. Maybe if you're superhuman you could ignore one sword piercing your heart, but three? Good luck with that. This card asks us to face our pain and identify our heartache. Often what we initially think has dealt us a fatal blow is not what's giving us the most pain. Peel back the layers and there might be an older, deeper wound that needs some tenderness and attention.

When it comes to pain and sandess, and especially when it comes to the suit of swords, we have a tendency to retreat within ourselves. This week we're being asked to do the opposite. We're presented with a beautiful opportunity to see our suffering, hold our imperfect selves, and reach out to others for connection.

I love how we're presented with two threes back to back - the three of swords and the three of pentacles. I imagine these two cards on top of each other. That is, the balm of connection and acknowledgment soothing the original wound of the three of swords.

This is a time to be brave and reach out for support, to illuminate personal heartache so that we can strengthen community. If we suffer in silence we suffer alone. The practical, hands-on nature of the three of pentacles shows us that not only does reaching out build bridges, it helps us build a better world. Being vulnerable this week will also be setting the stage for exciting collaborations and new creations, all of which will start transforming the enclosed sadness of the three of swords into the glowing possibility of the ace of pentacles. 

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