Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: June 26 - July 3

 
Tarot reading with wild unknown tarot
 

When I flipped over the first card for this week I had myself a little chuckle. I love this verision of the nine of swords. Not only are the swords one of my favorite suites in the deck (I had to learn to love them when they were I all I seemed to pull as a new reader!) but they have a direct, almost dramatic way of looking at the world.

And this nine? Well, it's probably the most "metal" tarot card I've seen! It reminds me of the t-shirts an ex of mine used to wear with wild, grotesque illustrations and band names I could never read they were so ornate.

Similarly, this card throws a lot at us visually, so much that we almost want to move on without delving into what it could mean. It's off-putting and so we assume it's message is clear aka something unpleasant is happening.

If we look at the next two cards, however, we'll see that this busy, nasty nine sets the stage for some colorful simplicity. How can this be?

The nine of swords shows us how we can really get in the weeds when it comes to our thoughts. Those disembodied eyeballs? They remind us how when we're feeling extra vigilant and anxious we detach from the rest of ourselves. We're just alert, all eyes, looking for the next sign of trouble. We're not whole.

When we're feeling like this everything can look like a threat, even what once seemed comforting and benign. In a nine of swords state of mind we can't trust our first reactions. It's like when you're home alone and the sun goes down. The bright sunny house felt so cozy moments ago, but now that it's plunged into darkness any creak or motion has you thinking the only plausible cause is a serial killer on the loose.

Yet while it's not pleasant to experience, these moments remind us in no delicate terms that being all nervous eyeballs is no way to live. We've swung away from balance, lost touch with the rest of our senses, and it doesn't feel good. This week we'll be getting a reminder to step back, breathe deeply, and think of ways to look at the world differently.

We move out of the thinking suite of swords and into the protective and creative suits of wands. Not just any wands card, but the queen of wands! She is telling us to reign in our wild, fearful thinking and center again on ourselves and what is precious to us. 

Far from being passive, this queen is telling us we can be alert and protective but of something truly valuable. Where the nine of swords shows protective instincts motivated by fear, the queen of wands shows protectiveness inspired by creativity and action.

We're being asked to focus on what we're fighting for rather than fighting against. And not so much fighting, but protectively nurturing. What is this snake coiled around? Three beautiful eggs and an elegant branch. What precious ideas are we keeping warm right now? What can we do to give them the perfect environment to hatch in?

We're going to be presented with many opportunities to correct our knee jerk reactions this week and reframe our thinking. In the process, we'll be forced to simplify. Three eggs and a branch instead of a terrifying melange of eyeballs, swords, and worms. Ultimately, we'll be opening up to one, unifying new possibility: the ace of cups.

I see the nine of swords as the necessary struggle we must confront in order to make the conscious edits to our cluttered lives. We can't know the value of our actions in the world without struggle to give them contrast. After wading through this with bravery, we'll have stripped away enough extras to leave us open, vulnerable, and ready to accept a new, life-expanding gift.

The ace of cups signifies an incoming energy of giving, tenderness, and relationships. We can't accept these gifts if we're wrapped up in fear and they're coming our way, so the challenge has been given to us. Rise to it and we'll be able to usher in a new phase with ease and gladness. 


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: June 19-25

 
 

It's going to be an interesting week, to say the least. As we've all noticed by now, the reading is a study in contrasts. Two harsh-looking tens flank the lush self-assuredness depicted by the King of Pentacles. 


The Ten of Swords especially dominates the reading, as certain swords cards do best (I'm looking at you, Three of Swords.)  A figure is lying prone with ten - ten! - swords piercing their back. One would certainly do the trick, so why ten? This is a card that urges us to ask what message is being concealed in the excess. 

Swords govern our intellectual life. Our ways of thinking, communicating, and looking at the world. It's interesting then that these are, at first impression, the most "negative" group in the tarot deck since they don't actually reflect a tangilbe reality. This suggests that what we are capable of cooking up in our own minds can cause us the most pain and suffering.

Nowehre is this more apparent than the Ten of Swords. The poor figure is absolutely, positively slain by his thoughts and beliefs. They're laid low, incapacitated, and overwhelmed. 

And yet this card is a ten, the end of a cycle. If your'e thinking, "man, what a depresing way to end a cycle," I hear you. But the tarot isn't a literal system and this card doesn't mean being laid low irrevocably in sadness and defeat. Or, even more frigteningly, finding youself pierced by ten swords on a forlorn beach. 

Instead, this card shows us the messy and painful catharis that comes when we are unable to avoid our anxieties, fears, and negative thoughts. There's a terrifying vulnerability when we have to contend with the fact that we can't control our thoughts 100% all the time. Irrationality, fear, and self-doubt sneak up on us and wreak their havoc. It's how we treat ourselves when this happens that matters most. 

But before we go there, let's take a look at the card that sets the stage for this week, the Ten of Wands. If you remember, we ended last week's forecast with this card. Isn't it amazing how tarot can be so on point? It's popping up in the past position here to remind us that all our hustling and bustling to the finish line has worn us out.

All the overextending and hard work we've done has come at a price. We're exhausted physically and mentally, and what would you know? That's the perfect recipe for the cataclysmic thought process we see in the Ten of Swords.

Maybe now that the dust has settled we're reflecting back at our efforts critically. We didn't try hard enough, we made a mistake there. Sure, we finished what we set out to do, but it wasn't quite as breathtaking and effortless as we had hoped. In fact, it was extremely effort-ful. We had to push oursleves to get somewhere and instead of congratulating ourselves, we're heaping on the blame and criticism. 

And yet who do we have here as our central card? Oh, it's the massively successful and stable King of Pentacles. That seems... odd. What's he doing here amidst all the angst of the tens?

If tens are indications of the end of a cycle they are to be celebrated, even if they bring the stress of the final push, like the wands, or the pain of negative thinking about ourslves, the swords. 

The King of Pentacles is showing us that we are, in fact, highly accomplished and rooted in our lives. We have a lot to enjoy if we choose to look up from our immediate concerns. 

And in addition, The King of Pentacles reminds us that it takes struggle and hard work to inhabit the powerful position of a King. We might think that in order to do this we need to avoid all struggle and flailing. In this thought pattern, any trepidation or hangups equals inferiority. 

The King of Pentacles does not sit on his throne looking luxurious and put together all the time. He's experinced the ups and downs of success, striving, and all the effort it takes to manage his life the best he can. In fact, that's part of his plan.

Perhaps the key lesson he's offering us is that to be one's best self is to make room for the complicated emotions that come from existing in the world. That instead of making us less than they make us more capable and skilled in both seeing the complexity of the world and caring for ourselves in all our emotional states. 

We can enter this week grounded in this message from the King of Pentacles. And when confronted with our wild and sharp feelings we can practice listening to them while remaining secure in our own accomplishments and the solidity of who we are. 


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: June 12-18

 
Incandescent Tarot Weekly Forecast
 

It looks like we have wandsy week ahead of us, darlings. This means action, action, and more action. We’ve got movement on our minds and our eyes are wide and focused. It’s a time to get at it and get things done, so off to work we go.

We’re all jazzed up, but… things start out a bit awkward. With the Five of Wands we get a less than seamless introduction to the week. Things feel at odds with each other, whether it’s with ourselves, others, or our plans. Things just don’t seem to be coming together in the way we’d like them to.

This doesn’t mean we’re not cut out of the task at hand. Hardly! We can look at the conflict depicted in the Five as part of a process that tests our skills and hones our vision. We’ll be asked to see what’s really worth our time. What is a problem we need to solve and what is simply a distraction?

Sometimes things are hard to teach us something new and sometimes things are hard because they don’t work. It’ll be our challenge to learn how to discern between the two.

The Five also sees us contending with egos, both our own and others. When everyone’s wielding big sticks there’s a high likelihood of someone getting poked in the eye, so it’ll be important for us to be mindful of how we interact with those around us.

Once we find a harmonious way to balance our tasks we’ll see the week take off with speed and clarity. The Eight of Wands shows us how we’ll be making great strides in whatever we put our minds to this week. Paired with the Five of Wands this card is giving us a hint that this is a good time to launch into something we’ve been putting off because it seems daunting.

All we need is a little push to break through to a space where decisiveness, daring, and hard work come easily. It’s a time for us to luxuriate in our skills and power at doing what we need to do. It’s a joyful rush of a feeling we’d be foolish not to savor.

At the same time, the Eight of Wands can lead us to overestimate our capability for work and tasks of all shapes and sizes. Why stop going when things are feeling so free and breezy? Well, just take look at the Ten of Wands to get a taste of how over activity can lead to burnout.

In the middle of the week we’re caught up in the rush of action. This is the suit of wands at its unbridled best. But being unbridled means being somewhat out of control, so it’s an abrupt transition when all of a sudden our bodies stop us in our tracks and tell us to hold up. Doing all that work? It’s made us tired and we’d just like to lie down!

The tasks start to feel heavier, and now we’re dragging our way to the finish line. Luckily, the finish line is approaching quickly. The Ten of Wands depicts the last slog to the end. We’ve really made our way through the second half of the wands. We might be feeling tired and burdened, but we’ll be so close to the relief of rest and the satisfaction of seeing something all the way through to the end.


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: June 5-11

 
Incandescent Tarot Reading with Pagan Otherworlds Tarot
 

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.


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: May 29-June 5

 
kittykahane
 

Sometimes it takes a little nudge to set us off in the right direction. Usually we envision ourselves doing the nudging – how can we better ourselves? How can we push ourselves to perform better, to seek more truths, and to get more done?

It feels nice to know things. To have a sense of stability and trust in your mind. “I can think through this problem,” we tell ourselves, and then launch into the comforting realm of lists and planning.

Many of us have, like the King of Swords, become masters of the world of logic. Unfortunately, we can’t be completely objective when it comes to ourselves. After all, we can’t step outside of our minds, try as we might.

That doesn’t stop us, however, for building up quite an illusion. We tell ourselves we are objective. We know what we’re doing and can see everything clearly.

As we do this, plunging ahead with those satisfying lists and plans, something else creeps in. The certainty we’re wielding like a sword to cut through any confusion of complexity starts to feel heavy.

We get tired of sitting on a throne like the King – certainty can remove us from life, making us feel lonely. And it’s not the most comfortable thing to sit on, all hard and inflexible.

Cue the Wheel of Fortune to challenge this worldview. Beyond challenging it, The Wheel actually turns it on its head. And this can be quite jarring.

We come into this week used to sitting on a solid throne – feeling in control of our lives and oh so comfortable making pragmatic decision despite the fact that we’re secretly starting to feel itchy and restless.

The Wheel of Fortune represents change, and change is what we’ll have. Something is coming our way that will have us reassessing our kingly stance. At first it won’t be so pretty. Who likes to tumble out of their throne? But this change will be necessary. It’s time to switch things up and move in a different direction.

We also must consider where on The Wheel we are. We might assume that since we’ve been embodying The King of Swords, in some ways the pinnacle of mastery in the Swords suite, that we’re on the top. If this is true, then as the wheel spins we plummet downwards, our fortune taking a turn for the worse.

In this case, we’d be experiencing a somewhat traumatic shakeup we’d then have to recover from.

But what if The King belongs on the bottom of The Wheel? He is the conclusion of the court cards, after all. Where can you go from being a king? What’s more, as individuals we are more than just the embodiment of one set of traits. Perhaps we can balance all four, a much more holistic way of being that makes us truly human and complex.

If this is true, then we’re actually ascending this week. Pushing through the end of one cycle and embarking on a new, more refreshing path.

The next card in the reading, the Six of Swords, points us in this direction. We leave the certainty of The King and set off across a mysterious body of water, heading towards a foreign shore. Our boat, however, is made of swords, showing us that we’re taking many lessons with us while abandoning the absolutism of The King.

So this week be aware of how a more balanced approach could serve you. Are you relying too heavily on the siren song of objective and analytical thinking? Perhaps you’re feeling burdened by a compulsion to plan, plan, and plan some more, reducing your decision making down to its logical components while ignoring your feelings?

The change that comes your way this week will be entirely out of your control, something that a King of Swords would find frightening. You, on the other hand, are a complex human being, and having mastered many swordly skills, are free to use this moment to take what you’ve learned in your toolbox and start learning new things.

Where are you headed this week and how can you embrace the change that’s always happening around you? How can you evolve and allow yourself to embrace your full complexity?


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: May 22-29

 
Tarot Reading with Tarot del Fuego
 

Asking for what we want can be hard, but when we speak up we send our desires and intentions out into the world.

If we remain silent, who will know all the wonderful ideas we have swimming in our heads? And who will be able to reach out and help us along our way or, better yet, come along for the journey?

This week shows us that communicating our needs, plans, and goals can call in the energy we want to see in our lives. We don’t have to go it alone, and even though we might be nervous to vocalize our plans, our first little peeps will call in the allies we’ve been looking for.

The Page of Swords shows us that this approach is new. We’re getting the hang of wielding our sword and because of this we can expect some trepidation and awkwardness. The key isn't getting it right from the get go – having the perfectly polished elevator pitch, for example – but trusting that our enthusiasm and passion will communicate themselves even if our words don’t come out perfectly.

What I love about Pages is they’re full of charm. It’s not the studied kind you can smell a mile off. No, it’s the natural and innocent charm that comes from genuine interest. The ideas we’ve been mulling over are the real deal: invigorating, exciting, and motivating. All of those feelings? They give us the momentum to communicate our ideas and convey our contagious energy.

That charm is simply radiating off us this week and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. So don’t let the false allure of perfectionism hold you back. Trust in your personal magnetism to make a good impression as you engage with others and let them in on your plans.

As we practice sharing with the world we end up attracting the help we need most and the supporters who will cheer us through to the end. The Two of Wands highlights the magic that can come from creative partnerships. And these partnerships wouldn’t be possible if we pushed away the Page of Sword’s impulse to communicate.

This is not a week to stay hermited up in our rooms, immersed in our secret and solitary plans. The world has a lot to offer. Keep your ears perked up for supporters, helpers, and partnerships in the days to come.

Practice vocalizing your ideas everywhere you go. This doesn’t have to be intense, blow-by-blow speeches. Instead, when someone asks what you’ve been up to, tell them about your idea. You never know where you’ll find your next big supporter or helpful resource.

By the end of the week it looks like we’ll have quite the array of new options in front of us. The Seven of Cups shows us this bounty in the form of a tree with each branch holding a cup with its own bright red apple. The new idea shown in the Page of Swords is catching on and we’ll be getting a lot of information about where to take it next.

We can take some time to let this all sink in. The Seven of Cups can lead to overwhelm if we don’t slow down and check in with ourselves. After all, we’ve come a long way with these three cards, and there’s more to come and plenty of time to let it unfold. 


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: May 15-21

 
Tarot Reading with Kitty Kahane Tarot
 

Life can rush by us and sometimes we’re the ones rushing through life.

This can be negative – think “sad businessperson too focused on career to appreciate the little things” – but when applied with purpose and precision? It can help clear way for the very “little things” we cherish most.

With a little effort we can direct the forward-moving action of the Knight of Swords towards accomplishing our work goals, clearing the path for other areas of our life.

We start the week feeing speedy and determined. It’s a glorious way to get going. Our busy schedules are no match for precise thinking and confident decision making. I like to call this Knight of Swords approach “first coffee energy,” the blissful feeling of alertness you get after you drink your first cup in the morning. You’re bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to tackle things, and a long way off from being an over-caffeinated mess.

Of course it’s a smart idea to have a plan when rushing full speed ahead while swinging a giant sword over your head. Knights can have the tendency to ignore any subtlety when they set off on their grand adventures so while you’re valiantly checking off items on your to-do list, be mindful about how you’re treating others.

But just where is the Knight of Swords leading us? What is the motivation behind our satisfyingly effective productivity?

The Knight of Swords transitions into the sweet energy of the Six of Cups showing us that our pointed efficiency is giving us the beautiful opportunity to connect with both ourselves and others. In the middle of the week we find that our hard work has given us a lovely bit of respite to stop and smell the roses, check in with an old friend, or spend extra time with our family.

It’s important to connect with the ones we love this week, making time to cultivate relationships and celebrate the wonders they add to our lives. Just look at all the cups in this card: they're full of blooming flowers.

There’s another side to the Six of Cups that feels especially important this week. We can look at the two figures as symbols representing ourselves: our adult self and our inner child.

Take the time to do something for yourself this week that speaks to this part of you. Something simple that you like just beacause. Treat yourself to a book on a subject that fascinates you, eat something decadent you loved when you were young, go on an imaginative adventure.

Pay attention to how you feel when you let yourself do something for your inner child. How does it change the way you see the world? Do you feel guilty at first? Does it inspire you, make you feel more like yourself?

Instead of being frivolous, reconnecting like this can give us a wonderful sense of balance and energy.

We see this as the Six brings us into the grounded power of the Queen of Pentacles. Pleasure and a healthy relationship with our inner child fosters a truly holistic sense of stability. Like the Queen we can bask in the energy of the world, seeing ourselves as both ambitious and effective and tender and curious.

All while remaining open to what life has in store for us.


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: May 8-14

 
Tarot reading with The Fountain Tarot
 

We’re caught in a transitional period this week, digesting deeper truths about ourselves while trying our best to make sense of our daily lives. On their own, one of these would be more than enough to keep us busy. Together they’re pushing us towards a seemingly inescapable sense of overwhelm.

It’s natural to throw up a flurry of activity to distract ourselves from personal concerns. Like the Seven of Wands, the underling turmoil gives us energy. Rather than looking inward to meet it where it lives, we prefer to fling it outwards instead.

It’s bustling, dramatic, and easy to hide behind. Who can get upset when you’re just working hard and getting things done?

As much as we’d like to insist that we’re being pragmatic and hard-working, the dust we’re kicking up serves a purpose.

Why is the strong character in the Seven leaping down the stairs to defend himself? Why not use his energy to leap upwards, towards something new?

Sometimes we’re more comfortable confronting old demons than blazing new and unknown paths. The man in the Seven of Wands didn’t grow strong completely on his own. Maybe he feels he needs to be fighting off enemies to stay that way. Maybe simply walking up those stairs makes him feel weak.

Well, that sounds exhausting. And it doesn’t leave much room for ease and exploration. What do we do then?

We have to create meaning that comes straight from ourselves and not struggle or distraction.

This might be scary, since it involves truly standing behind who we are and what we want. There’s nothing to hide behind, no excuses to offer. It’s just us and our own values and desires.

Judgement shows us that we’re reacting with understandable fear and insecurity to something that’s actually quite beautiful. We’ve been getting some clear messages about what’s important to us and who we really are.

Rather than leap towards the light we question it. Before we know it we’re tossing around sticks and feeling lost in the fray like the Seven of Wands. Our backs are turned away from the next steps forward.

Luckily things can’t stay this way for long. Judgement is a powerful card and as much as we try to ignore it, there’s no going back when we find something pivotal out about ourselves. Maybe it’s a dream that’s laid dormant for a while, something secret you wouldn’t even admit to wanting. Or maybe it’s a desire, something you want in your heart of hearts and don’t want to accept.

Well, here it is. You’ve gotten a glimpse at it and try as you might you can’t forget it. It’s natural to leap out of this awareness and into the confusion of the Seven of Wands. And this is not altogether negative. Sure, a dream or desire or truth about yourself is purely what it is. It’s an idea, after all. Making it come true, however, is not so simple.

The moment of Judgement – seeing something for what it is – is just a moment. When we try to make something out of it, well, it gets messy because we’re bringing an idea into the complexities of everyday life.

We end with The Star to remind us to be gentle with ourselves as we start grappling with making a dream into a reality. Yes, we’ll be tempted to run back down the stairs and grapple with old fears, but we can’t remain stuck down there and we won’t.

Why? Because when you see a dream for what it is for the first time you also see the power of your own guiding light that illuminates the way. And that’s utterly, and completely yours.


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Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky Weekly Forecast Gina Wisotzky

Weekly Forecast: May 1-7

Tarot Card Reading with Uusui Design Studios Pagan Otherworlds Tarot

There’s a lot of intense energy in flux this week. We may find ourselves feeling impatient, prickly, or dissatisfied. We have plenty of energy and no desire to take things slowly or engage in self-reflection.

Why is this?

The King of Wands shows us that we’ve recently pulled off some very impressive feats. We’ve reached a kingly place: confident, stable, and accomplished. In the suit of wands this refers to creativity. Where in our lives have we took a creative leap that has paid off? Instead of commemorating ourselves and what we’ve done, however, we’re rushing onto the next thing.

We see the King facing to the left, looking back at where he came from, while our card for the present, The Knight of Pentacles, is facing the opposite way, charging into the future and looking both deflated and intensely fixated at something in the distance.

There’s tension between these cards. Instead of reflecting on the past like the King, we’re skipping to the teenage overzealousness of the Knight of Pentacles. Rushing forward towards something new, our tunnel vision is leaving us removed from the moment and feeling anxious and enervated.

I love this depiction of the Knight of Pentacles. The figure on the horse looks anything but enthused. And yet he’s riding a massively powerful horse that’s ready to rear ahead. This is a card that speaks to moments when our ambition overshadows our limitations and even our true desires.

If you’re going to be charging ahead you’d better be into it, not dragging a heavy pentacle like the knight we see here. Perhaps there’s something heavy and stifling about wanting to turn the fiery creativity of Wands into the solid, predictableness of a Pentacle. Maybe we’re not quite there yet this week. Maybe we don’t even need to go there at all.

There’s a distinct undercurrent of tension here: passion vs. obligation. What’s fueling this Knight charging forward? What is making him droop on the saddle? It seems like there might be a hint of old pressures and thought patterns: the pressure of “should” sending us off on journeys we’d rather not take.

In Pentacles-language, we could be feeling a need to be practical, conservative, and safe. Pentacles value stability. Are we afraid of our creative accomplishments leading us away from safety?

Change and creativity can be frightening because they destabilize us, no matter how positive it may seem. But before we rush off to counterbalance by being overly practical, we could also take a moment to get to know how it feels to master a part of our creative lives.

Contrast the two creatures in both cards. The King of Wands holds onto a fearsome lion, confident enough to turn his back to it and gaze to the side, looking purposeful and grounded. The Knight of Pentacles, on the other hand, is slumped on the back of a powerful horse. He doesn’t appear to be in control of the situation.

The King knows how to keep his wild nature by his side. The lion is a protector and a sign of power, working with his master. The Knight is disconnected from his wildness, allowing it to react to change with barely-controlled energy.

This a reminder that it is best to not move forward when we are acting out of fear and anxiety. Being connected to ourselves is most important when seeking out change. If we’re not feeling it at the moment, we can simply wait until we are clearer and more collected.

Over time, this struggle will be fruitful. Our reading ends with Justice, a powerful Major Arcana card with the ability to cut through bullshit and achieve clarity in moments of confusion.

This card suggests that our struggles between creative confidence and practical ambition will balance themselves out by the end of the week. Our flailing will give way to peacefulness as if our internal push and pull is simply the movement of a scale balancing itself. Take comfort in knowing that the ups and downs are relatively small in the scheme of things, and are leading us to a healthy medium. In the meantime, take stock of your ideas around success, safety, and creative expression. There’s a lot of be learned in the coming days.


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